Today in the United States where fiduciary obligations exist, if the buyer is working with a broker other than the brokerage which represents the seller by "listing" the property for sale, he may choose to enter into a buyer brokerage agreement to be represented.
(In some cases where dual agency is permitted by law, even the listing broker may represent the buyer).
Users of full service estate agents in the UK can expect to pay a flat fee while, more typically in the US, a percentage of the property purchase price may be received from the seller's broker by means of an offer of compensation to cooperating brokers or it can be paid directly by the buyer.
In some cases the property finder will only charge a percentage based on what they can save with a transaction.
In contrast to most US states' common law (where realtors work for and represent the interests of the seller and not the buyer -unless they enter into an agency agreement to do so- and their function is to obtain the highest price on the best terms for the seller), a property finder is working for and represents the buyer, thus creating a balance between the skills and expertise available to both parties in a transaction.