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Practice Of Real EstateLicense_lawHARD

Broker Chen operates a real estate company in Lafayette. One of her salespersons, David, has been negotiating a lease on commercial property and accepted a referral fee directly from the landlord without disclosing it to the tenant-client he was representing. Under Louisiana license law, which of the following most accurately describes the consequences of David's action?

Correct Answer

B) David's action is a violation of his fiduciary duty and Louisiana license law, and both David and Broker Chen may face disciplinary action by the LREC

Under Louisiana license law, accepting undisclosed compensation from a party other than the client is a violation of the licensee's fiduciary duty and a breach of the duty of loyalty. David was representing the tenant, so accepting an undisclosed fee from the landlord creates an undisclosed conflict of interest. Both David and his supervising broker, Chen, may face LREC disciplinary action — David for the direct violation and Chen for failure to supervise.

Answer Options
A
David's action is permissible because referral fees from landlords in commercial transactions are not regulated by the LREC
B
David's action is a violation of his fiduciary duty and Louisiana license law, and both David and Broker Chen may face disciplinary action by the LREC
C
David's action is permissible as long as he discloses the fee to Broker Chen, even if the tenant-client was never informed
D
David's action is only a violation if the referral fee exceeded 5% of the total lease value, as smaller amounts are considered de minimis under LREC rules

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Related Topics & Key Terms

Key Terms:

fiduciary_dutyundisclosed_compensationreferral_feebroker_supervisiondisciplinary_action

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