A Connecticut seller signed a listing agreement with broker Angela. Two weeks before the listing expired, the seller secretly negotiated directly with a buyer Angela had introduced to the property and sold the house without Angela's involvement to avoid paying her commission. Angela sues for her commission. Under Connecticut law, which of the following best supports Angela's claim?

Correct Answer

D) Angela is entitled to her commission because the buyer was procured during the listing period, and the seller's bad-faith circumvention triggers the protection clause

Connecticut listing agreements typically contain a protection period (also called a safety clause or extender clause) that entitles the broker to a commission if the property is sold within a specified period after listing expiration to a buyer who was introduced to the property during the listing term. Even without an explicit protection clause, Connecticut courts recognize that a seller who deliberately circumvents the broker's efforts to avoid paying a commission earned during the listing period may be liable for that commission. Angela introduced the buyer during the active listing period, directly earning her procuring cause status.