Agency Law

UNDERSTANDING YOUR WORKING RELATIONSHIP
WITH YOUR REAL ESTATE AGENT

A Closer Look at Agency Relationships for Buyers and Sellers

1	WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU...IS ..	6	CONSENSUAL DUAL AGENCY
2	WORKING FOR YOU	7	NO-AGENCY RELATIONSHIP
3	SELLING YOUR PROPERTY	8	KEEPING IT SIMPLE
4	BUYING YOUR PROPERTY	9	ADVICE AND CONSENT
5	ASSIGNED AGENT	10	ABOUT THE COMPANY I REPRESENT

WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU...IS IMPORTANT TO ME
The more you know about buying or selling a home, the more confident you'll feel about the decisions you make. Establishing a solid working relationship between us, whether you are a buyer or a seller, is fundamental to meeting our mutual objective of completing a successful real estate transaction.

That's why it's important that we define and consent to our working relationship early.

WORKING FOR YOU
Technically, your relationship is with my separate RE/MAX company and its Designated Broker. But from a practical standpoint, it will be with me, your RE/MAX agent.

The key to successful real estate transactions is working together. Neither Buyers nor Sellers can achieve their real estate goals without a meeting of the minds.

As your exclusive agent I will represent your interests, disclose known material facts and exercise due diligence in negotiating terms and conditions acceptable to you.

Your commitment to me is that you will disclose to other real estate agents that we have established a working relationship.

There are many factors involved in a successful real estate transaction. The issues are complex, increasing the importance of a knowledgeable, full-time RE/MAX agent to guide you through the process.

SELLING YOUR PROPERTY
As your RE/MAX agent, I will represent you in the sale of your property. The exclusive Listing Agreement formalizes this relationship.

BUYING YOUR PROPERTY
As a Buyer, you will benefit by having me as your RE/MAX agent represent your interests. The RE/MAX Buyer Agency Agreement is used to formalize this relationship.

ASSIGNED AGENT
When I represent a Buyer on a property listed by another agent in my company, past practice required that my colleague and I become "Dual Agents". At times, this was confusing to Buyers and Sellers alike.

To accommodate both the Buyer's and Seller's desire for separate working relationships, at RE/MAX, the parties are asked to give advance written approval to allow my Designated Broker and through him/her, the Branch Manager, to assign the selling agent to work exclusively with the Buyer. Likewise, the listing agent is assigned to work exclusively with the Seller.

The agents will represent only the party to whom they are assigned, excluding all others.

Your written approval allows these assignments. My Designated Broker/Branch Manager assume the role of Consensual Dual Agents, supervising both of us independently and maintaining confidentiality of both Buyer and Seller. Confidences of the Seller will not be disclosed to the benefit of the Buyer, nor will confidences of the Buyer be disclosed to the benefit of the Seller.

CONSENSUAL DUAL AGENCY
If you want to purchase a property that I have listed or if you want to make an offer on a property whose Seller I previously represented, I can represent both Buyer and Seller with written consent from both parties. This creates Consensual Dual Agency.

As a Consensual Dual Agent, I will not reveal confidential information such as price and terms, financing information, negotiating strategies or other private matters to either party without permission from the other party.

NO-AGENCY RELATIONSHIP
Occasionally, a Buyer or Seller will choose not to have representation in a transaction. In this case I can facilitate the transaction by communicating and negotiating to reach agreement without being the advocate or agent of one party or the other. This relationship excludes the benefits offered by agency representation.

KEEPING IT SIMPLE KEEPING IT SIMPLE
Past practices may have increased Buyer's and Seller's legal risks and financial liability unnecessarily. To minimize your exposure, RE/MAX's objective is to simplify agency relationships. Therefore, with our written agreements you will not be presumed to have knowledge of facts known to anyone other than you and me as your assigned agent. With your permission, we have chosen to limit your Agency relationship to me, my Designated Broker/Branch Manager, excluding all other agents.

ADVICE AND CONSENT ADVICE AND CONSENT
The purchase or sale of a home is a significant financial commitment. Carefully read all documents you are asked to sign to ensure they adequately express your intent. Buyers and Sellers are strongly urged to avoid revealing matters they do not wish the other party to know to anyone except the agent who is exclusively representing them.

Agents are not licensed to practice law and cannot give legal advice. Consult a real estate attorney if legal advice is desired.

Agents may give personal opinions, but are not experts on matters of structural integrity, hazardous substances, property boundaries, square footage, electrical systems, or other areas requiring specialty expertise. You should have the property thoroughly inspected by experienced professionals of your own choosing prior to purchase, or as a condition of sale.

Buyers and Sellers are asked to acknowledge receipt of "THE LAW OF REAL ESTATE AGENCY" before signing any real estate documents.

ABOUT THE COMPANY I REPRESENT
RE/MAX Real Estate has grown from modest beginnings to become the leading real estate organization in the Northwest. All RE/MAX offices are locally owned and operated. They are a federation of individual corporations.

RE/MAX is a trade name used by independently-owned, separately licensed legal entities. Some RE/MAX corporations have multiple offices, while others have only one office. When you work with RE/MAX, your relationship is established directly with just one of these separate companies.