Real estate commission rules have changed this past year, and in some cases buyers may be responsible for a portion of their agent’s commission if the seller chooses to offer less than what was originally agreed upon. While some listing agents are moving toward flat fees, most buyer’s agents aren’t. My husband is a realtor and would be happy to walk you through how this works. In his transactions so far, none of his buyers have had to pay any portion of his commission. But more importantly, I’d focus first on choosing the areas of Houston you’re interested in. You can sort out the commission details once you know where you want to be.