The subject of bonuses and how to handle them reminds me of the first bridal shower I ever went to. I was 17, an older friend was engaged, I was a bridesmaid. My mother couldn't attend this shower, so I went alone. This was in the dark ages (1967), they served punch, tea sandwiches & cookies, interspersed with games, awful, horrible Hallmark Bridal Shower games. After 3 or 4, I finally won something! Hooray! I won a spatula! Whoopee, I place it in my purse, go home and carefully place it in my (OMG!) hope chest. (Jeeze, I'm old.)

Later, I find out at school in front of “everyone” in the cafeteria, that I was supposed to "gift" the prize (a spatula?), to the bride.  Totally humiliated, I have never participated in shower games since, still hate them. Yuck! My experience was only from birthday parties where you played the games in earnest; I didn't know the social "rules" of wedding showers

How on earth does this relate to Real Estate? I have received and taken one bonus from a builder. The client knew about it from the git go. I didn't show them the house because of the bonus; they didn't buy the house because I mislead them to obtain the bonus. I did, however, darn well keep the bonus. The clients were glad that they could actually help me, it was an extremely difficult transaction due to several of their personal complications and the third transaction I had done for them. They love the house they bought. We still work together

In our state, it is legal to take a bonus. Fully disclosed, I think that an occasional bonus balances out a whole lot of no-shows, lookie-loos, and time wasters. As Real Estate agents we give away a whole lot of our income. I know the rules now, I work by the rules and the spirit of the law. I'm keeping the bonus, I earned it.