OAR 863-015-0200: Agency Relationships

(1) Unless the parties expressly agree to a different relationship not otherwise prohibited by law, the types of agency relationships a real estate licensee may establish in a real estate transaction are limited to the following: (a) An agency relationship between a real estate licensee and the seller exclusively; (b) An agency relationship between a real estate licensee and the buyer exclusively; (c) A disclosed limited agency relationship where one or more real estate licensees associated with the same managing principal broker represents both the seller and the buyer in the same real estate transaction; (d) A disclosed limited agency relationship where real estate licensees associated with the same managing principal broker are designated to represent, respectively, the buyer exclusively and the seller exclusively; (e) A disclosed limited agency relationship where one or more real estate licensees associated with the same managing principal broker represent more than one buyer in the same real estate transaction. (2) Unless the parties expressly agree to a different relationship not otherwise prohibited by law: (a) A licensee representing a seller by written agreement or course of conduct establishes an agency relationship under sections (1)(a) or (d) above; (b) A licensee representing a buyer by written agreement or course of conduct establishes an agency relationship under sections (1)(b) or (d) above; (c) A licensee representing both a buyer and a seller or two or more buyers in the same real estate transaction is a disclosed limited agent of both the buyer and seller or all buyers under sections (1)(c) or (e) above, (3) When an agency relationship is formed between a real estate licensee and a client under section (2) above, the following apply: (a) In a real estate transaction in which one or more licensees associated with the same managing principal broker establish agency relationships with different parties to the transaction, the managing principal broker is a disclosed limited agent. (b) An authorized principal broker who supervises the licensee becomes the client’s disclosed limited agent; (c) In a real estate transaction in which different real estate licensees supervised by the same authorized principal broker establish agency relationships with different parties to the real estate transaction , the authorized principal broker becomes a disclosed limited agent of both parties ; (d) In a real estate transaction in which one or more real estate licensees supervised by the same authorized principal broker establish agency relationships with more than one party to the real estate transaction, those licensees and the authorized principal broker become disclosed limited agents of those parties ; and (e) In a real estate transaction in which one or more members of a real estate team as defined in HB 3137 section 13 establishes agency relationships with more than one party to the real estate transaction, the disclosed limited agents to the parties are: (A) The members of the real estate team; (B) An authorized principal broker who supervises or controls the members of the real estate team; and (C) The managing principal broker. (4) Except as provided in sections (2) and (3) above, licensees associated with the same real estate business are not agents of all clients of the real estate business. (5) Payment, or promise of payment, of a real estate commission or other fee does not by itself create an agency relationship. (6) A managing principal brokers or authorized principal broker acting as a disclosed limited agent under section (3) above must do each of the following: (a) Supervise the licensees in fulfilling their duties and obligations to their respective clients; (b) Avoid advocating on behalf of either the seller or the buyer; and (c) Avoid disclosing or using, without permission, confidential information of any client with whom the managing principal broker or authorized principal broker has an agency relationship. (7) A real estate licensee who is acting as a disclosed limited agent under section (3) above must do both of the following: (a) Serve as the agent of only the party or parties in the transaction with whom the real estate licensee has established an agency relationship; and (b) Fulfill the duties owed to the respective client as set forth in ORS 696.815 and as agreed in a disclosed limited agency agreement entered into pursuant to OAR 863-015-0210. (8) All real estate licensees associated with a managing principal broker who are acting as disclosed limited agents under section (2) above must refrain from disclosing or using any confidential information relating to the other party that has been acquired as a result of the licensee's association with the managing principal broker, unless authorized to do so by that party. (9) Nothing in this rule prohibits licensees from disclosing or using factual, non-confidential information relating to all parties to a transaction in order to fulfill a licensee's duties to the client under ORS 696.815. (10) If a n authorized principal broker acting as a disclosed limited agent under section (3) above determines that confidential information of one principal to a transaction has become known to another client in the transaction as the result of a violation of this rule, the authorized principal broker must promptly and fully disclose the violation to the affected client in writing. (11) Affirmative duties under ORS 696.805 and 696.810, where appropriate, apply to the agents, principal, other principals, and the principals' agents. The duties do not, however, create fiduciary or other similar duties inconsistent with the actual legal relationship between an agent and other principals to a transaction or that principal’s agents. (12)(a) The Final Agency Acknowledgement of the agency relationships described in this rule and required by ORS 696.845 must be printed in substantially the following form: "FINAL AGENCY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Both Buyer and Seller acknowledge having received the Oregon Real Estate Agency Disclosure Pamphlet, and hereby acknowledge and consent to the following agency relationships in this transaction: (1)___________(Name of Buyer's Agent) of ______________ (Name of Real Estate Firm) is the agent of (check one) __ The Buyer exclusively. __ The Seller exclusively (Seller Agency"). __ Both the Buyer and the Seller ("Disclosed Limited Agency"). (2) ____________________ (Name of Seller's Agent) of ______________ (Name of Real Estate Firm) is the agent of (check one) __ The Seller exclusively. __ Both the Buyer and the Seller ("Disclosed Limited Agency"). (3) If both parties are each represented by one or more Agents in the same real estate firm, and the Agents are supervised by the same principal broker in that real estate firm, Buyer and Seller acknowledge that said principal broker shall become the disclosed limited agent for both Buyer and Seller as more fully explained in the Disclosed Limited Agency Agreements that have been reviewed and signed by Buyer, Seller and Agent(s). Buyer shall sign this acknowledgment at the time of signing this Agreement before submission to Seller. Seller shall sign this acknowledgment at the time this Agreement is first submitted to Seller, even if this Agreement will be rejected or a counter offer will be made. Seller’s signature to this Final Agency Acknowledgment shall not constitute acceptance of the Agreement or any terms therein. ACKNOWLEDGED Buyer: ________ Print _________________Dated: ________ Buyer: ________ Print _________________Dated: ________ Seller: ________ Print _________________Dated: ________ Seller: ________ Print _________________Dated: ________ (b) If incorporated as a part of a preprinted agreement, the Final Agency Acknowledgement required by subsection (a) shall appear at the top of the first page of the preprinted agreement, separate and apart from the sale agreement and shall be signed separately from the sale agreement. If the Final Agency Acknowledgement required by subsection (a) is not included within a preprinted agreement, the Final Agency Acknowledgement shall also include the property address or legal description of the subject property, a reference to the attached sale agreement, and shall include separate signature lines for buyers and sellers."