Jan. 1, 2006 - Can I as a buyer negotiate the Buyer Agent Commission?

The Buyer Agent Fee is pre-set by the seller in the Listing Contract, and offered to your Buyer Agent by the Seller and the Listing Agent in the MLS. 

While you cannot negotiate your buyer agent's commission with the seller or the listing agent, as that is a breach of MLS rules between agents, you can negotiate the fee with your buyer agent.

There are some limitations.  Mainly there is a limit to the amount of cash you can receive in credits.  This limit is set by your lender and is often different from individual borrower to individual borrower depending on your personal borrower credentials.  By the end of the transaction, if you have negotiated credits in excess of the amount allowed, you cannot be paid "off the sheet" or "outside of closing" as that is Lender Fraud.

But you can, if you know the amount early enough in the transaction, take the difference against the Sales Price of the home.  To effect this method of credit, you need to make the changes, with the seller's signature as well since it is not a unilateral choice, before the loan documents are drawn.