Write a Nevada Home Offer Without Agent

For decades, writing a Nevada home offer meant calling a buyer’s agent and paying them roughly 2.5–3% of the purchase price for the privilege. After the August 2024 NAR settlement, that math changed.

Why people skip the buyer’s agent

On a $485,000 Las Vegas home, a 2.5% buyer-side commission is $12,125. For buyers who already know the home they want — they’ve toured it, the listing agent has shown it, they’re sold — the buyer-agent fee can feel like paying for a service they already received.

Three buyer profiles consistently choose to self-represent:

• Repeat buyers

  Closed two or three transactions and understand the steps.
• Cash buyers

  No financing contingencies and no agent coordination with a lender.
• Investors

  Buying single-family rentals or short-term rentals at volume.

The form: GLVAR Residential Purchase Agreement

The standard offer form in Clark County is the Greater Las Vegas REALTORS® Residential Purchase Agreement, often called the GLVAR RPA. It’s the same ten-page form licensed agents in Las Vegas use. Sellers and listing agents recognize it and trust it. Submitting an offer on a custom letter or a one-page handshake document is a fast way to have your offer ignored.

You don’t need to pay GLVAR to use the form for your own transaction — the form is freely usable by parties to a Nevada residential sale. What you do need is to fill every section accurately.

What goes on every section

1. Parties and property

The buyer’s legal name (matching ID), the property’s street address, the Clark County Assessor’s parcel number (APN), and the legal description. The legal description is the formal one used on deeds — you can pull it from the Clark County Assessor’s GIS service. Draft a Deal fills this in for you when you type the address.

2. Title vesting

How the buyer takes title. Choices include sole and separate property, joint tenants with right of survivorship, community property, community property with right of survivorship, tenants in common, a trust, or an entity (LLC). This decision affects taxes, what happens on death, and creditor protection — buyers commonly consult a CPA or attorney before choosing.

3. Purchase price and financing

The total price you’re offering. The financing type — cash, conventional, FHA, VA, or seller-financed. Down payment, loan amount, and balance due at closing. Cash offers usually waive the appraisal and financing contingencies; financed offers should keep them.

4. Earnest money

Good-faith money you put up to show you’re serious. In Las Vegas, 1% of purchase price is typical. The deposit goes to a neutral third party (the escrow or title company) and is credited back to you at closing. If you back out for a reason not covered by your contingencies, the seller may keep it.

5. Close-of-escrow date

30 days from offer is typical for financed deals; 14 days is common for cash. Sellers may counter on this — they may need more time to vacate, or less if they’re anxious to move on.

6. Inspection / due-diligence period

How many days, after acceptance, you have to inspect the property and back out without losing your earnest money. Ten days is the Las Vegas standard. During this window you can hire inspectors, review the Seller’s Real Property Disclosure (SRPD), and decide whether to proceed or renegotiate.

7. Contingencies

The major three: inspection, appraisal, and financing. Each gives you a way out if something fundamental goes wrong.

8. Personal property included

The refrigerator, washer, dryer, microwave, window coverings, pool equipment, and so on. Built-in fixtures usually convey by default; anything not bolted down is best listed in writing. A useful catch-all is requesting “all appliances and fixtures shown in the MLS / Zillow listing photos as of [today’s date].”

9. Buyer-side compensation

Since the August 2024 settlement, buyer-side commissions are negotiated in the offer itself. If you’re self-representing, request none. If you’re using a buyer agent, ask the seller to pay them — as cash back at closing, as a price reduction, or directly to the agent.

10. Additional terms

A free-form section. Examples: “Subject to sale of buyer’s current home at 123 Maple by 9/1,” “Seller to provide one-year home warranty up to $600,” “Final walkthrough within 5 days of closing.” Keep it short and factual — your offer is stronger when terms are clear and few.

Common mistakes self-represented buyers make

• Forgetting the legal description

  Title companies will reject an offer without one. Pull it from the assessor record.
• Wrong vesting choice

  The wrong vesting can cost you on taxes or probate. If you’re not sure, talk to a CPA or estate attorney before signing.
• Waiving the appraisal contingency on a financed offer

  If the home appraises low, your lender won’t fund the difference and you lose your earnest money.
• Forgetting the SRPD review period

  Nevada requires sellers to deliver a Real Property Disclosure (NRS 113.130). You have a defined window to review it.
• Naming the wrong escrow holder

  If you don’t have a preference, name a company commonly used in the area — the seller can counter with another.

When to bring in an attorney

Real estate is legally significant. We strongly recommend a Nevada-licensed real estate attorney review your offer before you deliver it, especially if any of the following apply:

• You’re taking title in a trust or entity for the first time.
• You’re buying with someone you’re not married to.
• The property has unusual features — a guest house, easements, deed restrictions, common-interest community rules.
• You’re buying short sale, REO, or new construction.
• You’re using seller financing.

Self-rep, flat-fee, or full agent?

It’s not all-or-nothing. Three paths buyers in Nevada commonly take in 2026:

1. 1
   Self-represented

   You fill out the offer and take it to the seller yourself. Lowest cost. You manage the timeline, talk to escrow, and handle inspection negotiations. Best for repeat buyers and cash buyers.

2. 2
   Flat-fee broker

   A licensed Nevada broker handles the transaction for a single up-front fee instead of a percentage commission. Best for first-time buyers who want a guide but don’t want to pay $10,000+ for one.

3. 3
   Traditional buyer agent

   You sign a buyer-brokerage agreement and pay a percentage commission, typically 2.5%. Best when you want full hand-holding and the seller may cover the cost.

We built Draft a Deal to give you a clean path through the first two — fill the form yourself, or let us hand it off to a licensed broker on our team without a percentage commission.

This is general information, not legal advice. Draft a Deal is a software service, not a law firm. Real estate transactions involve meaningful legal and financial consequences — consult a Nevada-licensed attorney or real estate broker before acting on anything you read here.