EstatePass
Practice Of Real EstateLicense LawMEDIUM

A real estate salesperson in Helena, Montana receives a referral fee from a mortgage lender for every buyer client she sends to that lender. The salesperson has not disclosed this arrangement to her buyer clients. Under Montana law and applicable regulations, which of the following is most accurate?

Correct Answer

A) This arrangement may violate RESPA and Montana's licensing law, which requires disclosure of all compensation received in connection with a transaction.

Undisclosed referral fees from a mortgage lender to a real estate licensee likely violate RESPA's prohibition on kickbacks for settlement service referrals and also conflict with Montana licensing law requirements under MCA Title 37, Chapter 51, which obligates licensees to disclose all compensation received in connection with a real estate transaction. Failure to disclose creates a conflict of interest and may constitute grounds for disciplinary action by the MBRR.

Answer Options
A
This arrangement may violate RESPA and Montana's licensing law, which requires disclosure of all compensation received in connection with a transaction.
B
This arrangement is permissible as long as the referral fee does not exceed 1% of the loan amount.
C
This arrangement is only prohibited if the salesperson's broker has not given written approval for outside compensation.
D
This arrangement is permissible because referral fees between licensees and lenders are standard practice in Montana.

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Related Topics & Key Terms

Key Terms:

referral_feescompensation_disclosurerespaconflicts_of_interestmbrr_discipline

Related Concepts

Broker supervision is the legal obligation of a designated or managing broker to oversee and be accountable for the real estate activities of all salespersons and associate brokers operating under their license.

Commingling is the illegal act of mixing client funds with a broker's personal or business operating funds, while conversion is the unauthorized use of client funds for the broker's own benefit. Both are serious violations that can result in license revocation.

Commingling is the illegal act of mixing client trust funds with a broker's personal or business operating funds; conversion is the misappropriation of those funds.

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