How the two sides of the deal work
Selling and buying are two separate transactions with two separate agreements. On the sale, you sign a listing agreement for one of JupiDoor's Utah tiers. On the purchase, you sign a written buyer agreement before you tour homes, as the NAR settlement practice changes have required of MLS participants since August 17, 2024. Each agreement sets its own terms. The savings add up, but they don't depend on each other.
| Your sale (listing side) | Your purchase (buying side) | |
|---|---|---|
| What you pay JupiDoor | A flat rate: $1,150, $3,000 or $4,500 depending on the tier | Set by your written buyer agreement; JupiDoor keeps a 2% minimum of the buyer-agent commission |
| What you get back | Nothing to get back; the saving is the fee you don't pay | 1% back when the seller offers 3%, 0.5% at 2.5%, none at 2% or less |
| When it's paid | At closing on your sale, through the title company | At or after closing on your purchase, as a closing credit, a check or a commission adjustment |
| Where it applies | Utah tiers on /sell/ (Idaho has separate packages on /list-your-home/) | Utah purchases only |
The timing of the two closings, contingent offers, rent-backs, bridge loans and how lenders count two mortgages are covered at /sell/guides/buy-and-sell-at-same-time/. This page is only about the money.
Worked example: sell at $500,000, buy at $650,000
Assumptions, all hypothetical: you sell your Utah home for $500,000 and buy a Utah home for $650,000. On the purchase, the seller agrees to pay 3% toward your agent. On your sale, any compensation you agree to pay the buyer's agent is the same under every scenario, so it's left out. Title, escrow, loan and other closing costs are also left out because they don't depend on which brokerage you use. The comparison is with a 3% listing commission on the sale and a buyer's agent who keeps the full 3% on the purchase. Commissions are negotiable, and 3% is an illustration, not a standard rate.
| Typical percentage on both sides | JupiDoor Seller-Managed + cash back | JupiDoor Virtual Agent + cash back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listing-side fee on your $500,000 sale | $15,000 (3%) | $1,150 | $3,000 |
| Seller's 3% contribution on your $650,000 purchase | $19,500 to your agent | $19,500: JupiDoor keeps $13,000 (2%) | $19,500: JupiDoor keeps $13,000 (2%) |
| Cash back to you | $0 | $6,500 (1%) | $6,500 (1%) |
| Combined, compared with the first column | — | $13,850 + $6,500 = $20,350 | $12,000 + $6,500 = $18,500 |
With the In-Person Agent tier at $4,500, the combined figure would be $10,500 + $6,500 = $17,000. Which tier makes sense depends on how much of the sale you want to run yourself, not on the purchase. See /sell/guides/seller-managed-what-you-do/ for what each tier leaves to you.
The listing-side saving is fixed once you choose a tier, because the fee doesn't grow with the price. The cash back isn't fixed. It depends entirely on what the seller of the home you buy agrees to pay toward your agent.
When the seller offers less than 3%
Since August 17, 2024, sellers can't advertise buyer-agent compensation on the MLS. A seller may still agree to pay something toward your agent, but it's negotiated offer by offer. JupiDoor's cash back follows directly from that amount, because JupiDoor keeps a 2% minimum.
| Seller's contribution toward your agent | On a $650,000 purchase | Your cash back |
|---|---|---|
| 3% | $19,500 | 1% = $6,500 |
| 2.5% | $16,250 | 0.5% = $3,250 |
| 2% or less | $13,000 or less | None |
If the seller offers less than JupiDoor's compensation, or nothing at all, what happens next is set by your written buyer agreement with JupiDoor. NAR's settlement FAQs say a buyer agreement must state the agent's compensation in objective terms and must bar the agent from receiving more than that amount from any source. Read how your agreement handles a shortfall before you start touring, and ask JupiDoor if it isn't clear. You can also ask the seller for a contribution as part of your offer.
In the example above, if the seller of your new home contributes 2%, the cash back is zero, and your combined saving is just the listing-side saving: $13,850 with Seller-Managed or $12,000 with Virtual Agent.
Lender approval: what can limit or reshape the cash back
If you're financing the purchase, your lender has the final say on how the cash back is paid. Tell your loan officer about it as soon as you sign the buyer agreement, not at closing.
- Utah allows it on that condition. Utah's Gifts and Inducements rule says an inducement gift to a buyer is not an illegal sharing of commission if the broker complies with the underwriting guidelines that apply to any loan in the transaction (Utah Admin. Code R162-2f-401l).
- It counts as an interested party contribution. Fannie Mae's Selling Guide B3-4.1-02 (May 7, 2025) lists the real estate agent or broker as an interested party, so a cash back credit falls under the same limits as a seller's closing-cost credit.
- There's a cap. For a principal residence on a Fannie Mae loan, financing concessions are limited to 3% of the lower of the price or appraised value when the loan-to-value is over 90%, 6% from 75.01% to 90%, and 9% at 75% or less. FHA's limit is 6%. All interested party credits share the same cap.
- It can't be your down payment. Fannie Mae says financing concessions can pay closing costs and prepaids but can't fund the down payment or reserves, and they can't exceed your actual closing costs.
- A check after closing is treated differently. Fannie Mae classes rebates from agents or brokers that aren't credited toward the transaction as sales concessions, which are deducted from the price before the loan-to-value is figured. Settle the form of payment with your lender before closing.
This is where selling and buying connect. Your sale proceeds are what usually fund the down payment on your next home. The cash back is more likely to offset closing costs on the purchase, within your loan's limits. If you also negotiate a closing-cost credit from the seller, the two share the same cap, and your lender decides how to fit them. The details, with worked examples, are at /buy/guides/cash-back-rebate-taxes/.
This page is general information about JupiDoor's Utah terms, federal loan guidelines and NAR practice rules, current as of November 2026. It isn't legal, tax or lending advice. Ask your lender how the cash back will be treated on your loan, and ask a tax professional about the tax treatment of both your sale and the cash back.
Taxes on both sides
The sale and the purchase raise different tax questions. On the sale, the main one is whether your gain qualifies for the home sale exclusion. See /sell/guides/capital-gains-tax/. IRS Publication 523 (2025 edition) lists selling expenses that reduce the amount you realize, including sales commissions and "any other fees or costs to sell your home," so a flat listing fee belongs on that line. Confirm with your tax professional.
On the purchase, the IRS has treated a broker's rebate to a buyer as a reduction of the purchase price rather than income, in private letter rulings issued in 2007 and 2020. Private letter rulings apply only to the taxpayers who requested them and can't be cited as precedent. If the cash back reduces your purchase price, it also lowers your cost basis in the new home. Confirm both with a tax professional.
What to ask before you sign either agreement
- Which Utah tier fits how much of the sale I want to run myself?
- What does my buyer agreement say JupiDoor is paid, and what happens if the seller offers less than that or nothing?
- Lender: does a credit from my buyer's brokerage count toward my interested party limit, and how much room is left after any seller credit?
- Lender: should the cash back be a closing credit, a commission adjustment or a check for my loan type?
- How will the dates on my sale and my purchase line up? See /sell/guides/buy-and-sell-at-same-time/.
- Tax professional: how should I treat the cash back and my selling costs on my return?
If you're selling in Idaho and buying in Utah, the two sides work separately. JupiDoor lists Idaho homes through its flat-fee MLS packages on /list-your-home/, and the cash back applies to the Utah purchase. JupiDoor doesn't represent buyers in Idaho, and cash back isn't available on Idaho purchases. Full cash back terms are at /cashback/.
This guide is general information about how selling works in Utah and Idaho, not legal, tax or financial advice. Laws, forms and customs change; read the actual documents you are asked to sign, and talk to an attorney or tax professional about your situation.
