Updated: November 11, 2026 · By Mark Dietel, Broker/Owner, Mark Dietel Realty · 7-minute read
Quick answer: A buyer's agent in Indiana works for you. Indiana Code 25-34.1-10-11 requires them to seek a home on price and terms you accept, present every offer right away, disclose known problems, keep your highest price private and send you to experts. Mark Dietel Realty walks Central Indiana buyers through each duty before they sign.
What we analyzed: Indiana Code 25-34.1-10-11 and 25-34.1-10-12 (current through January 1, 2026), plus closed home sales in Marion County and Johnson County in the 90 days to November 10, 2026, from MIBOR MLS data.
Key takeaways
- Indiana law lists the duties a buyer's agent owes you once you sign a written buyer agreement.
- Your agent cannot tell a seller your highest price, your reasons for buying or other private details without your written OK.
- Your agent is not your inspector, lender or attorney. The law says they must point you to an expert when a question is beyond them.
- In Marion and Johnson counties, the median recent sale closed a little below its first asking price, so the offer price your agent helps you set matters.
If you have not signed a buyer agreement yet, start with our guide to whether you have to sign a buyer agreement in Indiana. This page answers the question that comes next: once you sign, what does your agent actually owe you? Here we take each duty in Indiana's statute and show the step of a Central Indiana purchase where you will see it. When you are ready, the questions to ask an agent are under What to do next.
What does Indiana law say a buyer's agent must do for you?
Indiana Code 25-34.1-10-11 says an agent who represents a buyer must keep the terms of your agreement, tell you what kind of agency relationship you have, and promote your interests. Promoting your interests is spelled out in seven parts, from finding a home on terms you accept to following fair housing laws.
The buyer's agent duties in IC 25-34.1-10-11(a)(3), and where you see them
| Duty in the statute | What it means for you | Where it shows up |
|---|---|---|
| (A) Seek a property at a price and terms you accept | Search, tour and help you judge homes against your budget and needs | Home search and showings |
| (B) Present all offers right away | You hear about every offer or counteroffer as soon as it arrives, even after you are under contract, unless you say otherwise | Offers, counters and backup offers |
| (C) Disclose adverse material facts or risks they actually know | If your agent knows about a problem with the home or the deal, you hear about it | Showings, disclosures, inspection period |
| (D) Advise you to get expert advice | Your agent points you to an inspector, lender, attorney or tax adviser for questions beyond real estate | Inspection, financing, title questions |
| (E) Account for money and property on time | Earnest money and documents you hand over are tracked and delivered | After your offer is accepted |
| (F) Use reasonable care and skill | Deadlines, forms and details are handled with care | The whole transaction |
| (G) Follow this chapter and fair housing law | Homes are shown and described the same way to every buyer | The whole transaction |
Read with the rest of the section, the list has limits. Under subsection (a)(3)(A), your agent does not have to keep finding you other homes while you are under contract, unless you agree otherwise. Subsection (e) lets your agent show the same home to other buyers and help them too.
What can't your buyer's agent tell the seller?
Under subsection (b), your agent cannot share these without your informed written consent: that you would pay more than your offer, what is motivating you to buy, and other material or confidential information about you. The exceptions are when the law requires disclosure or when keeping quiet would be fraud or dishonest dealing. Subsection (c) still requires your agent to treat the seller honestly.
A special case comes up when the same brokerage lists the home you want. Indiana Code 25-34.1-10-12 allows an agent to act as a limited agent for both sides only with the written consent of all parties, and the consent form must say that you do not have to agree. A limited agent cannot share either side's bottom line or motivation.
What is not your buyer's agent's job?
Your agent is not your inspector, lender, appraiser, surveyor or attorney. Subsection (a)(3)(D) of the statute requires the agent to advise you to get expert advice on matters beyond their expertise. Subsection (d) also says your agent owes no duty to check your finances for the seller's benefit.
Who handles what in a Central Indiana purchase
| Task | Your buyer's agent | Someone else |
|---|---|---|
| Find and tour homes | Yes | - |
| Pull recent sales to help you set an offer price | Yes | - |
| Write and present your offer and counters | Yes | - |
| Inspect the house | Helps schedule and attends if you want | A home inspector you choose |
| Approve your loan | Coordinates deadlines | Your lender |
| Search title and handle the closing | Coordinates and reviews dates | The title company |
| Answer legal or tax questions | Points you to an expert | A real estate attorney or CPA |
How does an agent help you set a price in Marion and Johnson counties?
In both counties, the median recent sale closed at about 96.5% of its original list price, according to MIBOR MLS data. Our read: under the cutoffs we use for Indiana, that is a balanced market at the county level, and the fall season is part of that reading. Individual homes still sell well above or below that figure.
Closed home sales, 90 days to November 10, 2026 (MIBOR MLS data)
| Measure | Marion County | Johnson County |
|---|---|---|
| Closed sales | 2,715 | 608 |
| Median sale price | $250,000 | $339,000 |
| Median days on market | 23 | 27 |
| Median sale price as a share of original list price | 96.5% | 96.6% |
| Sales at or above final list price | 1,171 (43%) | 241 (40%) |
Most sellers did not get their first asking price, which leaves room to negotiate on many homes. Still, about four in ten sales closed at or above the final list price, so a low offer on the wrong home can lose it. Your agent helps you tell those homes apart, using recent sales near the one you want.
Our view at Mark Dietel Realty: "An appraisal and recent sold comparables show where the market was. Buyers decide based on where your competition is today: the homes for sale now, at your price, with their features." For a buyer, that means looking at what else is for sale at your price before you set an offer.
What does this look like in Central Indiana?
In a Central Indiana purchase, the duties show up in order: pricing help at the offer, private handling of your highest price, fast delivery of counters, and expert referrals during inspection and closing. The hypothetical example below follows one Greenwood purchase through those steps so you can see where each duty applies.
A buyer signs a buyer agreement and tours a $300,000 ranch in Greenwood. The agent pulls nearby sales from the last few months, and the buyer decides on an offer. The buyer mentions they could go higher if needed, and under subsection (b) the agent keeps that private while presenting the offer.
The seller counters. The agent presents the counter as soon as it arrives, as subsection (a)(3)(B) requires, and the buyer accepts. During the inspection period, the inspector the buyer chose finds an aging water heater and judges its condition. The agent helps the buyer ask for a repair or credit, tracks the earnest money and keeps the lender and title company on the same dates through closing.
When this doesn't apply
These duties apply only when an agent represents you as a buyer under a written agreement. If you deal directly with the listing agent and have no agent of your own, that agent represents the seller and owes its duties to the seller. Indiana law still requires that agent to treat you honestly.
Some buyers do not need these duties at all. If you already know the home you want, are comfortable pricing from public sold data, and can handle the paperwork with a real estate attorney, buying without your own agent can work.
The statute also does not settle how your agent is paid. That is set in your written buyer agreement, and commissions are fully negotiable and are not set by law. If your agreement is not working out, read whether you can get out of a buyer agreement in Indiana.
What to do next
Before you sign a buyer agreement, ask the agent to walk you through how they handle each duty in Indiana Code 25-34.1-10-11. Ask how they set offer prices, how fast they send you offers and counters, how they keep your highest price private, and which inspectors, lenders and attorneys they suggest you line up.
Our steps to buying a house in Indiana guide shows where each step falls.
If you would like to talk it through, call Mark Dietel Realty at (317) 426-9911. We have offices in Southside Indianapolis, Greenwood and Bloomington, and we are glad to explain the buyer agreement before you sign anything.
Frequently asked questions
Can my buyer's agent show the same house to other buyers?
Yes. Indiana Code 25-34.1-10-11(e) allows a buyer's agent to show a home you like to other buyers and to help another buyer purchase it without breaking a duty to you. What your agent cannot do is share your highest price, your motivation or other private information with anyone, including those buyers.
Will your agent keep looking for homes once you are under contract?
Not unless you agree to it. Indiana law says a buyer's agent does not have to find other homes while you are under contract, unless you and the agent agree otherwise. If you want backup options while your loan or inspection is pending, put that request in writing with your agent so it is clear.
Does my agent have to tell me about problems with the house?
Your agent must disclose adverse material facts or risks they actually know about. The duty covers what the agent knows; checking the house is the inspector's job. The Indiana seller's disclosure form and a home inspection you choose are how you learn the house's condition. Ask your agent what they know about any home before you offer.
What if my agent's brokerage also lists the home I want?
Then your agent may ask you to agree to limited agency. Under Indiana Code 25-34.1-10-12, that needs the written consent of all parties, and the form must say you do not have to agree. A limited agent cannot share either side's bottom line or reasons. Ask what happens if you say no.
This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Confirm your situation with a real estate attorney, CPA or lender. Mark Dietel Realty - offices in Indianapolis (Southside), Greenwood and Bloomington, Indiana.
Sources
- Indiana Code 25-34.1-10-11, licensee representing buyer or tenant (FindLaw, current through January 1, 2026)
- Indiana Code 25-34.1-10-12, licensee acting as limited agent (FindLaw, current through January 1, 2026)
- MIBOR MLS data: closed residential sales in Marion County and Johnson County, 90 days to November 10, 2026. Based on information submitted to the Broker Listing Cooperative listing service as of November 11, 2026. All data is obtained from various sources and may not have been verified by broker or Broker Listing Cooperative listing service.
