Agency Relationship & Broker Responsibilities Flashcards
the legal relationship resulting from an agreement that the agent is authorized by a
principal to perform certain acts on behalf of the principal in dealing with a third party.
The fiduciary relationship between the principal and the agent in which the agent represents the
principal in a transaction.
Agency
one who engages the professional advice and services of a licensee as his agent. the principal in a real estate transaction who is being represented by an agent.
Client
a person who is not being represented by a licensee but for whom the licensee is
performing ministerial acts. the third party, that is, the party in the transaction whom the agent does not represent. May be represented by a separate agent.
Customer
acts that a licensee may perform for a
person that are informative in nature.
Ministerial acts
Responding to phone inquiries by persons as to the availability and pricing of brokerage services.
Responding to phone inquiries from a person concerning the price or location of property.
Conducting an open house and responding to questions about the property from a person.
Setting an appointment to view property.
Responding to questions from persons walking into a licensee’s office concerning brokerage services
offered or particular properties.
Accompanying an appraiser, inspector, contractor, or similar third party on a visit to a property.
Describing a property or the property’s condition in response to a person’s inquiry.
Completing business or factual information for a person represented by another licensee on an offer
or contract to purchase.
Showing a person through a property being sold by an owner on his or her own behalf.
Referral to another broker or service provider.
Examples of Ministerial Acts
the individual who is authorized and consents to represents the interests of another person. The
sales associate is a representative of the sponsoring broker. The broker shares the responsibility to the
client with the sales agent.
Agent
the agent of an agent. The agent is the subagent of the broker. A selling agent may be a
subagent of the listing broker.
Subagent
the party who hires the agent, normally the buyer or the seller or the landlord or tenant. Person delegates to the agent the responsibility of representing the person’s interests.
Principal
The fiduciary relationship between the principal and the agent in which the agent represents the principal in a transaction.
Agency
The principal in a real estate transaction who is being represented by an agent.
Client
The third party, that is, the party in the transaction whom the agent does not represent. The _________ may be represented by a separate agent.
Customer
the broker who finds the buyer
Co-operating Broker
someone who assists the buyer and seller, or landlord and tenant, in a transaction without
representing either party, also known as a facilitator. What a broker is sometimes considered a when
assisting a customer.
Nonagent
The agent represents only one of the parties to a transaction. The agent gives advice to
the client and owes fiduciary duties to the client only.
Single Agency
An agent works ____ a client giving ________, and _______ a customer giving only _____________________.
FOR
ADVICE
WITH
INFORMATION
The relationship between agent and principal is governed by a body of laws and customs known as ___ ___ __ ______. Legally, agency is said to exist whenever a principal contracts with an agent to act on
his behalf. There are three types of agency
THE LAW OF AGENCY
authorizes an agent to handle matters of all types for the principal. This type of
agency requires a power of attorney. A court appointed guardian would be an example.
Universal Agency
authorizes an agent to transact a broad range of matters concerning a specific area
of business for the principal, for example, managing several investment rental properties. A property manager is an example.
General Agency
authorizes an agent to perform a specific act or to handle a specific business matter
for the principal, for example, finding a buyer for a specific piece of property. What a real estate broker is usually. Does not have the power to bind the principal to a contract.
Special Agency
based on a formal agreement between the parties in which the parties express (either written or oral) the establishment of an agency and state the terms and conditions, for example, a listing agreement. A listing agreement is an express agreement between a real estate broker and a seller in which the seller hires the broker to find a buyer/tenant for his property.
Express Agency
An express agency relationship can also be created between a broker and a buyer and is known as a _____ ______________ _________.
Buyer Representation Agreement
occurs when the parties act in such a way as to indicate that they have agreed to an
agency. Also occurs when the parties behave as though there is an agency agreement.
Agency can be created inadvertently or accidentally, without intention, by the parties’ actions. The
licensee may be held liable for his or her actions if it can be shown that an agency existed. The licensee may also be denied compensation because there was no written agreement as required by law.
Implied Agency
To not be held liable due to implied agency and comply with law the licensee must have all parties sign and date this form.
Agency Disclosure Informational Pamphlet or Agency Disclosure Form
The principal-agent relationship is a ________ ____________, that is, a relationship based on trust and confidence. Can also be formed by the principal giving power of attorney to the
agent.
Fiduciary Relationship
_____ __ ________ is a document that gives another person the power to act on one’s behalf.
Power of attorney
The person to whom power of attorney is given is called an ________-__-____.
Attorney-in-fact
The broker obeys all the legitimate instructions of the principal, for example, when he may show the property. The agent must represent the client in good faith to the best of his abilities at all times.
However, the agent may NOT obey the client when the instructions are illegal or unethical.
Example of breach: If your seller client asked for no open house, you would breach that duty if you went ahead and advertised an open house.
Obedience
The broker is faithful to his principal and works for no other interested party without the principal’s knowledge or permission. The agent must put the client’s interests above his own and must be careful to avoid situations that might involve a conflict of interest.
For example, Broker Jones has listed Smith’s property. A third party offers Broker Jones $1,000 to persuade Smith to lower his price by $3,000. If Broker Jones accepts this offer without the informed
consent of Smith, he is in violation of the fiduciary relationship.
Example of breach: If your seller client set a price below market value and you bought it at that price rather than advising him to raise the price, you would be disloyal.
Loyalty
The agent must disclose any relevant information to the client that might affect the
transaction. The duty of disclosure involves disclosure of material facts as well as non-material information. The seller’s agent is required by law to disclose any material defects in the property even
though such disclosure may seem to violate the duty of loyalty to the client. Any information obtained by
the seller’s agent as to the buyer’s ability to qualify for the loan or complete the sale should be disclosed
to the seller by the seller’s agent
Disclosure
The agent is bound to keep any personal information which the client discloses to him confidential, for example, that the client is getting a divorce and must sell quickly. Even if the agency relationship is terminated, the fiduciary duty is never terminated and extends beyond the agency relationship.
Confidential information can only be disclosed to others if:
The client permits the disclosure by word or conduct.
The disclosure is required by law or would reveal serious defect.
The information becomes public from a source other than the licensee.
Example of breach: If a seller client confides to you that he is desperate to sell because he is
getting a divorce and being transferred, you would breach that confidence by sharing it with anyone.
Confidentiality
The broker is strictly accountable for any of the principal’s assets coming into his hands and must take care to handle them responsibly. For example, using a client’s deposit for personal
needs would be a violation. ____________ these funds with the broker’s personal or business funds is illegal. __________ is the practice of using commingled funds as the broker’s own money.
Example of breach: You receive a deposit from a client with a purchase offer. Rather than put it into an escrow account, you commingle it with the general operating funds of your real estate agency.
Accountability
Commingling
Conversion
The broker is always mindful of the principal’s interests and concerns, for example,
acting to secure the highest possible price for his client’s property.
Example of breach: As a seller’s agent you fail to ask a buyer’s mortgage ability and accept an
offer contingent upon obtaining a mortgage. Or, as a buyer’s agent you fail to look into the mortgage ability of a home for the offered price. The broker must notify the principal within a reasonable period of time of any information he may receive concerning his property or interests. For example, a client tells a broker that he wants to sell his house for $40,000. The broker knows that the house is really worth $60,000, but does not inform the client. The real estate business is a service industry, and emphasis
should be on service to the client and to the public.
Reasonable Care
Duties Owed to the Customer: The duties owed to the customer, the person you do not represent, by the agent are those of _______ and ____________.
Honesty
Truthfulness
An ______ _______ ____ __ ________ is an agency relationship in which the agent is given an interest in the subject of the agency, such as the property being sold. An ______ _______ ____ __ ________ is a non-revocable agency. An ______ _______ ____ __ ________ cannot be revoked by the principal alone and is not terminated upon the death of the principal.
agency coupled with an interest
A __________ ______ is a person authorized by the broker to act as the agent of a specific principal. This agent is the only agent in the company who has fiduciary responsibilities to the principal. This makes other agents in the company free to act as agents for the other party in a transaction. Therefore, two
salespersons from the same company can represent different parties in the same transaction. However,
in this situation the broker may be considered a dual agent and disclosure is required. In Louisiana, if you
have the listing you represent the seller. If someone else sponsored by the same broker shows the house, they represent the buyer and does not constitute a dual agency. In Mississippi, it would be
considered dual agency.
designated agent
______ ______ is one in which the agent represents only one party in any single transaction, and only owes fiduciary duties to that party, whether it is the buyer or the seller.
Single Agency
______ __ _________: When a seller contracts with a broker to market the seller’s property, the broker becomes an agent of the seller and the seller is said to be the client or principal of the broker. A fiduciary relationship is established.
Seller as Principal
_____ __ _________: When a buyer contracts with a broker to find and purchase property, the buyer is the principal or client of the broker, and the broker is the agent of the buyer. The seller becomes the customer. There is a fiduciary relationship between the broker and the buyer.
Buyer as Principal
______/_____ ____________: An agency relationship also exists between the sponsoring broker and the sales associate. The associate is authorized to represent the broker in real estate transactions and owes
the same fiduciary duties to the broker as to the client. The broker is therefore a principal of the sales associate.
Broker/Agent Relationship
____________ are general agents of the broker, and therefore owe fiduciary duties to the broker. Because the broker is an agent of the principal, and the ___________ is an agent of the broker, & is considered a subagent of the principal. A co-operating broker may also be a subagent of a listing broker.
Salespersons
While the broker is an independent businessman, the salesperson is not. He works only under the supervision of a sponsoring broker, and only at those tasks to which he has been assigned. The salesperson may function either as an ________ or as an ___________ __________ of the broker. As an
employee, the salesperson may work on a commission basis or a salaried basis.
employee
independent contractor
In Louisiana, the law states that, unless there is a written agreement to the contrary, the agent represents the person he is with. An ______ __________ ________ must be signed by the client and the agent at the first substantive contact.
agency disclosure brochure