How does the Tampa Bay buyer credit work?
Short Answer
The Tampa Bay Buyer Credit is for represented buyers who hire me as their Realtor. It is 20 percent of the buyer-agent compensation actually available on the file, up to $3,000. If the listing pays less, the credit shrinks. It is not a rebate to an unrepresented party and not a loan credit.
How the Tampa Bay Buyer Credit is calculated
The working assumption is a 3 percent signed buyer-side. If the listing pays less, 20 percent of that smaller number is the credit, still capped at $3,000. If nothing is available, there is no credit. The credit is paid from buyer-agent compensation actually received. It is not a PMF lender credit. Realty of America and PMF, Inc. stay separate.
What this looks like in Pinellas
A Clearwater listing that offers buyer-broker compensation will pencil differently from a St. Petersburg listing that offers none. After the practice changes, you cannot assume the seller pays. The buyer-broker agreement you sign with me is the real number we start from, then we see what the listing actually makes available.
Step-by-step
- Hire me as your buyer-agent in writing.
- Ask what compensation is available on the listing you want.
- Apply 20 percent, cap at $3,000, no floor.
- Confirm it is not stacked with Homes for Heroes, List + Buy, or the 2.25 percent path.
- See it on the settlement statement, not as a handshake.
- Do not call it free. Compensation is being earned.
What you control versus what you do not
You control whether you hire me and which listings you write. You do not control what a seller offers. You do not control a $3,000 wire if the math is $0.
Examples as education, not quotes
If $9,000 in buyer-side compensation is actually available, 20 percent is $1,800. If $15,000 is available, 20 percent hits the $3,000 cap. If $4,000 is available, the credit is $800. If $0 is available, the credit is $0. Those rows are arithmetic on hypothetical compensation, not a promise about any listing.
Common mistakes
Calling it a rebate to an unrepresented buyer. Stacking it with Homes for Heroes. Treating it as down payment assistance. Putting program slogans on an MLS-derived card.
What to do next
Book a consultation. Read Buyer Credit. Apply for a loan separately if you need one.
This is consumer education, not legal advice, tax advice, or a commitment to lend. Program terms change. Ask for the current sheet at consult.
Jonathan Loescher, SL3546365 and NMLS 2621894. Realty of America handles the real estate. PMF, Inc. handles the loan. Those stay separate companies.