Effective 01 Jan 1999, see footnote

339.740. Licensee representing head buyer or tenant — duties and obligations of — disclosure of confidential information — licensee's duty to a customer — showing of properties — subagents. — 1. A licensee representing a buyer or tenant as a buyer's or tenant's agent shall be a limited agent with the following duties and obligations:

(1) To perform the terms of any 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 other properties while the client is a party to a contract to purchase property or 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 client is already a party to a contract to purchase property or is already a party to a contract or a letter of intent to lease;

(c) Disclosing to the client 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 or regulations.

2. A licensee acting as a buyer's or tenant'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 for any person shall arise against a licensee acting as a buyer's or tenant's agent for making any required or permitted disclosure.

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

4. A buyer's or tenant's agent may show properties in which the client is interested to other prospective buyers or tenants without breaching any duty or obligation to the client. This section shall not be construed to prohibit a buyer's or tenant's agent from showing competing buyers or tenants the same property and from assisting competing buyers or tenants in attempting to purchase or lease a particular property.

5. A client may agree in writing with a buyer's or tenant's agent that other designated brokers may be retained and compensated as subagents. Any designated broker acting on the buyer's or tenant's behalf as a subagent 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 § 4, A.L. 1998 H.B. 1601, et al.)

Effective 1-01-99