We just had a closing in which the buyer paid my commission, and the seller paid his agent his commission. The seller paid commission was more than double what I was paid and this made commissions much greater than it would have been if the seller had paid for both.  I don't think the lawyers thought about this happening.

My compensation has always been subject to negotiation.  I determine my fees, Gary Frimann, CRS, GRI, SRES 

Since the new policy affects only the paperwork, not the mechanics of concessions, fees & compensations - everything remains negotiable as ever in amount and usage. Opportunistic agents may attempt to exploit the situation post 8/17/2024 here and there, but overall, Buyer Broker Agreements—around in California for over 26 years—and listing agreements, ensure commissions are still fully negotiable and optional as ever. Arguably, nothing has really changed, especially if you've always used a Buyer representation agreement...it's just another day in Paradise!

Why not? LOL
Directions are relative. Many agents will be leaving the business and the good ones ARE worth more.

The new buzzword is COMPENSATION, Gary Frimann, CRS, GRI, SRES. Unable to see why there would be an increase. (?)

Housing Prices are based upon the Law of Supply & Demand.  I don't think the question of whether the seller or buyer pays the commission will affect the price at all.

It is wise to remember that by its very nature, the core of its existence, Real Estate is negotiable. Saying that, lets raise commissions & see what happens. SIDE BAR: I have seen escrow companies, title, termite & all the rest try to get more however, it is competitive & they quickly back down. Not so for savvy, experienced, results oriented agents who command fees

Entirely possible. 

I don't see commission rates rising. Rates are negotiable, of course. I do not plan to impress my clients with my negotiating skills by getting them to pay me more than I would have expected in the past.

Right! Then perhaps the consumer can go after the people responsible for an increase and change in the industry.

Negotiation is the name of the game. Always has been and always will be. Had a fellow agent who use to get higher commissions. He simply put forth two marketing plans and asked, DO you want the "Yugo" or "Cadillac" service? Guess what happened?

interesting.  Consequences, intended and otherwise, are ponder-worthy.  And they often provide so much food for thought, I wish pushing away from the table was an option at times.  🍴  

I am sure that it will, once the weak agents wash out of the business and the experts start actually negotiating commissions with their buyer clients.

Since this is a publicly viewable question, all I'll say is that I am seeing the opposite as is this RIS Media article:

https://www.rismedia.com/2024/10/30/new-study-finds-commissions-fell-sharply-august-17/

Our compensation (at least in NC & SC) has always been negotiable so, anything is & always has been possible!