452.134
452.134
Agency relationships; multiple representation relationships. 452.134(1)(a)(a) Subject to
par. (b), a broker may provide brokerage services to any person in a transaction, whether or not the broker has entered into an agency agreement with a party to the transaction or the broker has been engaged to provide brokerage services in the transaction as a subagent.
452.134(1)(b)
(b) A broker may not negotiate on behalf of a party to a transaction unless a party to the transaction is one of the following:
452.134(1)(b)2.
2. A client of a principal broker who has engaged the broker as a subagent.
452.134(2)
(2) Multiple representation relationships; consent required. A broker may not provide brokerage services in a multiple representation relationship unless all of the broker's clients in the multiple representation relationship have consented to a multiple representation relationship in writing.
452.134(3)
(3) Designated agency; consent required. 452.134(3)(a)(a) A broker in a multiple representation relationship may not engage in designated agency unless all of the broker's clients in the relationship have consented to designated agency in writing. A client may withdraw consent to designated agency by written notice to the broker at any time.
452.134(3)(b)
(b) If a broker is engaged in designated agency, the broker's employee who is negotiating on behalf of a client of the broker in the transaction may provide to the client on whose behalf the employee is negotiating information, opinions, and advice to assist the client in the negotiations, whether or not the information, opinions, and advice place the interests of one of the broker's clients ahead of the interests of another client of the broker.
452.134(4)
(4) Multiple representations relationship without designated agency. If a broker's client in a multiple representation relationship does not consent to designated agency or withdraws consent to designated agency, the broker and the broker's employees may not place the interests of any client ahead of the interests of any other in the negotiations.
452.134 History
History: 2005 a. 87.
452.134 Annotation
The `New' Chapter 452: Defining Real Estate Broker Practice. Leibsle. Wis. Law. June 2006.
452.135
452.135
Disclosure of duties. 452.135(1)(a)(a) A broker may not negotiate on behalf of a party who is not the broker's client unless the broker provides to the party a copy of the following written disclosure statement:
BROKER DISCLOSURE TO CUSTOMERS
You are a customer of the broker. The broker is either an agent of another party in the transaction or a subagent of another broker who is the agent of another party in the transaction. The broker, or a salesperson acting on behalf of the broker, may provide brokerage services to you. Whenever the broker is providing brokerage services to you, the broker owes you, the customer, the following duties:
The duty to provide brokerage services to you fairly and honestly.
The duty to exercise reasonable skill and care in providing brokerage services to you.
The duty to provide you with accurate information about market conditions within a reasonable time if you request it, unless disclosure of the information is prohibited by law.
The duty to disclose to you in writing certain material adverse facts about a property, unless disclosure of the information is prohibited by law.
The duty to protect your confidentiality. Unless the law requires it, the broker will not disclose your confidential information or the confidential information of other parties.
The duty to safeguard trust funds and other property the broker holds.
The duty, when negotiating, to present contract proposals in an objective and unbiased manner and disclose the advantages and disadvantages of the proposals.
Please review this information carefully. A broker or salesperson can answer your questions about brokerage services, but if you need legal advice, tax advice, or a professional home inspection, contact an attorney, tax advisor, or home inspector.
This disclosure is required by section 452.135 of the Wisconsin statutes and is for information only. It is a plain-language summary of a broker's duties to a customer under section 452.133 (1) of the Wisconsin statutes.
452.135(1)(b)
(b) If a broker is providing brokerage services as a subagent to a principal broker, the broker shall provide a copy of the written disclosure statement under
par. (a) to any person who is not the principal broker's client and who receives brokerage services from the broker within the scope of the agreement between the broker and the principal broker.
452.135(2)(a)(a) Except as provided in
par. (b), a broker shall provide to a client a copy of the following written disclosure statement not later than the time the broker enters into an agency agreement with the client:
BROKER DISCLOSURE TO CLIENTS
Under Wisconsin law, a broker owes certain duties to all parties to a transaction:
The duty to provide brokerage services to you fairly and honestly.
The duty to exercise reasonable skill and care in providing brokerage services to you.
The duty to provide you with accurate information about market conditions within a reasonable time if you request it, unless disclosure of the information is prohibited by law.
The duty to disclose to you in writing certain material adverse facts about a property, unless disclosure of the information is prohibited by law.
The duty to protect your confidentiality. Unless the law requires it, the broker will not disclose your confidential information or the confidential information of other parties.
The duty to safeguard trust funds and other property the broker holds.
The duty, when negotiating, to present contract proposals in an objective and unbiased manner and disclose the advantages and disadvantages of the proposals.
Because you have entered into an agency agreement with a broker, you are the broker's client. A broker owes additional duties to a client.
The broker will provide, at your request, information and advice on real estate matters that affect your transaction, unless you release the broker from this duty. The broker must provide you with all material facts affecting the transaction, not just adverse facts.
The broker will fulfill the broker's obligations under the agency agreement and fulfill your lawful requests that are within the scope of the agency agreement.
The broker will negotiate for you, unless you release the broker from this duty.
The broker will not place the broker's interests ahead of your interests. The broker will not, unless required by law, give information or advice to other parties who are not the broker's clients, if giving the information or advice is contrary to your interests.
If you become involved in a transaction in which another party is also the broker's client (a "multiple representation relationship"), different duties may apply.
MULTIPLE REPRESENTATION RELATIONSHIPS AND DESIGNATED AGENCY
A multiple representation relationship exists if a broker has an agency agreement with more than one client who is a party in the same transaction. In a multiple representation relationship, if all of the broker's clients in the transaction consent, the broker may provide services to the clients through designated agency.
Designated agency means that different salespersons employed by the broker will negotiate on behalf of you and the other client or clients in the transaction, and the broker's duties will remain the same. Each salesperson will provide information, opinions, and advice to the client for whom the salesperson is negotiating, to assist the client in the negotiations. Each client will be able to receive information, opinions, and advice that will assist the client, even if the information, opinions, or advice gives the client advantages in the negotiations over the broker's other clients. A salesperson will not reveal any of your confidential information to another party unless required to do so by law.
If a designated agency relationship is not in effect you may authorize or reject a multiple representation relationship. If you authorize a multiple representation relationship the broker may provide brokerage services to more than one client in a transaction but neither the broker nor any of the broker's salespersons may assist any client with information, opinions, and advice which may favor the interests of one client over any other client. If you do not consent to a multiple representation relationship the broker will not be allowed to provide brokerage services to more than one client in the transaction.
INITIAL ONLY ONE OF THE THREE LINES BELOW:
________I consent to designated agency.
________I consent to multiple representation relationships, but I do not consent to designated agency.
________I reject multiple representation relationships.
NOTE: YOU MAY WITHDRAW YOUR CONSENT TO DESIGNATED AGENCY OR TO MULTIPLE REPRESENTATION RELATIONSHIPS BY WRITTEN NOTICE TO THE BROKER AT ANY TIME. YOUR BROKER IS REQUIRED TO DISCLOSE TO YOU IN YOUR AGENCY AGREEMENT THE COMMISSION OR FEES THAT YOU MAY OWE TO YOUR BROKER. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE COMMISSION OR FEES THAT YOU MAY OWE BASED UPON THE TYPE OF AGENCY RELATIONSHIP YOU SELECT WITH YOUR BROKER YOU SHOULD ASK YOUR BROKER BEFORE SIGNING THE AGENCY AGREEMENT.
SUBAGENCY
The broker may, with your authorization in the agency agreement, engage other brokers who assist your broker by providing brokerage services for your benefit. A subagent will not put the subagent's own interests ahead of your interests. A subagent will not, unless required by law, provide advice or opinions to other parties if doing so is contrary to your interests.
Please review this information carefully. A broker or salesperson can answer your questions about brokerage services, but if you need legal advice, tax advice, or a professional home inspection, contact an attorney, tax advisor, or home inspector.
This disclosure is required by
s. 452.135 of the Wisconsin statutes and is for information only. It is a plain-language summary of a broker's duties to you under section 452.133 (3) of the Wisconsin statutes.
452.135(2)(b)
(b) If a client enters into an agency agreement with a broker to receive brokerage services related to real estate primarily intended for use as a residential property containing one to 4 dwelling units, and the written disclosure statement under
par. (a) is not incorporated into the agency agreement, the broker shall request the client's signed acknowledgment that the client has received a copy of the written disclosure statement.
452.135 History
History: 1993 a. 127;
2005 a. 87.
452.135 Annotation
The `New' Chapter 452: Defining Real Estate Broker Practice. Leibsle. Wis. Law. June 2006.
452.138
452.138
Brokers providing services in more than one transaction. A broker may provide brokerage services simultaneously to more than one party in different transactions unless the broker agrees with a client that the broker is to provide brokerage services only to that client. If the broker and a client agree that the broker is to provide brokerage services only to that client, the agency agreement shall contain a statement of that agreement.
452.138 History
History: 1993 a. 127;
2005 a. 87.
452.138 Cross-reference
Cross Reference: See also ch.
RL 24, Wis. adm. code.
452.139
452.139
Changes in common law duties and liabilities of brokers and parties. 452.139(1)
(1)
Common law duties of broker. The duties of a broker specified in this chapter or in rules promulgated under this chapter shall supersede duties or obligations under common law to the extent that those common law duties or obligations are inconsistent with the duties specified in this chapter or in rules promulgated under this chapter.
452.139(2)(a)(a) A client is not liable for a misrepresentation made by a broker in connection with the broker providing brokerage services, unless the client knows or should have known of the misrepresentation or the broker is repeating a misrepresentation made to him or her by the client.
452.139(2)(b)
(b) A broker who is providing brokerage services to a client and who retains another broker to provide brokerage services to that client is not liable for a misrepresentation made by the other broker, unless the broker knew or should have known of the other broker's misrepresentation or the other broker is repeating a misrepresentation made to him or her by the broker.
452.139(2)(c)
(c) Nothing in this subsection limits the liability of a broker under
s. 452.12 (3) for misrepresentations made by an employee who is a broker. Nothing in this subsection limits the liability of a client for a misrepresentation that the client makes in connection with brokerage services.
452.139 Cross-reference
Cross Reference: See also ch.
RL 24, Wis. adm. code.
452.14
452.14
Investigation and discipline of licensees. 452.14(1)(1) The department shall, upon motion of the board or upon its own determination, conduct investigations and, as appropriate, may hold hearings and make findings, if the department receives credible information that a broker, salesperson or time-share salesperson has violated this chapter or any rule promulgated under this chapter.
452.14(2)
(2) The department shall present the findings of any investigation of a licensee or registrant to the board for its consideration. The department shall upon motion of the board, and may, upon its own determination, commence disciplinary proceedings on any matter under investigation concerning a licensee or registrant. No investigation of a licensee or registrant may be closed without motion of the board.
452.14(3)
(3) Disciplinary proceedings shall be conducted by the board according to rules adopted under
s. 440.03 (1). The board may revoke, suspend or limit any broker's, salesperson's or time-share salesperson's license or registration, or reprimand the holder of the license or registration, if it finds that the holder of the license or registration has:
452.14(3)(a)
(a) Made a material misstatement in the application for a license or registration, or in any information furnished to the board or department;
452.14(3)(b)
(b) Made any substantial misrepresentation with reference to a transaction injurious to a seller or purchaser in which the broker, salesperson or time-share salesperson acts as agent;
452.14(3)(c)
(c) Made any false promises of a character such as to influence, persuade or induce the seller or purchaser to his or her injury or damage;
452.14(3)(d)
(d) Pursued a continued and flagrant course of misrepresentation or made false promises through agents or salespersons or advertising;
452.14(3)(f)
(f) Accepted from any person except the broker's, salesperson's, or time-share salesperson's employer, if the broker, salesperson, or time-share salesperson is employed as a salesperson or time-share salesperson by a broker, a commission or valuable consideration as a salesperson or time-share salesperson for the performance of any act specified in this chapter or as compensation for referring a person to another broker, salesperson, or time-share salesperson or to any other person in connection with a transaction;
452.14(3)(g)
(g) Represented or attempted to represent a broker other than the employer, without the express knowledge and consent of the employer;
452.14(3)(h)
(h) Failed, within a reasonable time, to account for or remit any moneys coming into the broker's, salesperson's or time-share salesperson's possession which belong to another person;
452.14(3)(i)
(i) Demonstrated incompetency to act as a broker, salesperson or time-share salesperson in a manner which safeguards the interests of the public;
452.14(3)(j)
(j) Paid or offered to pay a commission or valuable consideration to any person for acts or services in violation of this chapter;
452.14(3)(jm)
(jm) Intentionally encouraged or discouraged any person from purchasing or renting real estate in a particular area on the basis of race. If the board finds that any broker, salesperson or time-share salesperson has violated this paragraph, the board shall, in addition to any temporary penalty imposed under this subsection, apply the penalty provided in
s. 452.17 (4);
452.14(3)(k)
(k) Been guilty of any other conduct, whether of the same or a different character from that specified herein, which constitutes improper, fraudulent or dishonest dealing;
