Section 339.730

Title XXII OCCUPATIONS AND PROFESSIONS

Chapter 339

Effective - 01 Jan 1999, see footnote   

  339.730.  Licensee as limited agent representing seller or landlord, duties — confidential information disclosure, when — licensee's duties to customer — showing alternative properties — subagent, duties. — 1.  A licensee representing a seller or landlord as a seller's agent or a landlord's agent shall be a limited agent with the following duties and obligations:

  (1)  To perform the terms of the written agreement made with the client;

  (2)  To exercise reasonable skill and care for the client;

  (3)  To promote the interests of the client with the utmost good faith, loyalty, and fidelity, including:

  (a)  Seeking a price and terms which are acceptable to the client, except that the licensee shall not be obligated to seek additional offers to purchase the property while the property is subject to a contract for sale or to seek additional offers to lease the property while the property is subject to a lease or letter of intent to lease;

  (b)  Presenting all written offers to and from the client in a timely manner regardless of whether the property is subject to a contract for sale or lease or a letter of intent to lease;

  (c)  Disclosing to the client all adverse material facts actually known or that should have been known by the licensee; and

  (d)  Advising the client to obtain expert advice as to material matters about which the licensee knows but the specifics of which are beyond the expertise of the licensee;

  (4)  To account in a timely manner for all money and property received;

  (5)  To comply with all requirements of sections 339.710 to 339.860, subsection 2 of section 339.100, and any rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to those sections; and

  (6)  To comply with any applicable federal, state, and local laws, rules, regulations, and ordinances, including fair housing and civil rights statutes and regulations.

  2.  A licensee acting as a seller's or landlord's agent shall not disclose any confidential information about the client unless disclosure is required by statute, rule or regulation or failure to disclose the information would constitute a misrepresentation or unless disclosure is necessary to defend the affiliated licensee against an action of wrongful conduct in an administrative or judicial proceeding or before a professional committee.  No cause of action shall arise against a licensee acting as a seller's or landlord's agent for making any required or permitted disclosure.

  3.  A licensee acting as a seller's or landlord's agent owes no duty or obligation to a customer, except that a licensee shall disclose to any customer all adverse material facts actually known or that should have been known by the licensee.  A seller's or landlord's agent owes no duty to conduct an independent inspection or discover any adverse material facts for the benefit of the customer and owes no duty to independently verify the accuracy or completeness of any statement made by the client or any independent inspector.

  4.  A seller's or landlord's agent may show alternative properties not owned by the client to prospective buyers or tenants and may list competing properties for sale or lease without breaching any duty or obligation to the client.

  5.  A seller or landlord may agree in writing with a seller's or landlord's agent that other designated brokers may be retained and compensated as subagents.  Any designated broker acting as a subagent on the seller's or landlord's behalf shall be a limited agent with the obligations and responsibilities set forth in subsections 1 to 4 of this section.

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(L. 1996 S.B. 664 § 3, A.L. 1998 H.B. 1601, et al.)

Effective 1-01-99