Under Washington's Law of Real Estate Agency (RCW 18.86), which standard of duty does a seller's agent owe to a prospective buyer who is NOT represented by a buyer's agent and is therefore a 'customer' rather than a 'client'?
Correct Answer
B) Good faith and honesty only, without the full fiduciary duties owed to a client
Under RCW 18.86.050, a licensee who does not represent a party in a transaction (i.e., treats them as a customer rather than a client) owes that party only the duties of good faith and honesty. This is a key distinction in Washington's statutory agency framework: clients receive the full five fiduciary-level duties (loyalty, disclosure, confidentiality, reasonable care, accounting), while customers receive only good faith and honesty.
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Related Topics & Key Terms
Key Terms:
Related Concepts
The highest legal obligation of trust and confidence owed by an agent to their principal, requiring the agent to act solely in the principal's best interest.
An agency relationship where the agent agrees to act on behalf of the principal without receiving compensation.
An agency relationship created by the conduct or actions of the parties rather than by a written or oral agreement.
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