A Welcome Home reader asked about Realtors’ “fiduciary duty” to their clients, and practically, what that means. Realtor Elizabeth Johnstone explains:

“Fiduciary duty is a legal obligation. In short, real estate agents must act in the best interest of their clients. There are six fiduciary duties real estate agents owe their clients: Loyalty, in that their clients’ interests always come first; confidentiality; and disclosure—meaning all material facts, including any relationship to a party to the transaction must be disclosed to the client. There’s also obedience—in other words, a client’s lawful instructions must be followed. A Realtor must demonstrate reasonable care and diligence, and keep accurate accounting records for all funds and property involved in the transaction.”

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Elizabeth Johnstone

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

New England Properties (Mystic)

Mobile: (860) 287-1641

elizabethjohnstone@bhhsne.com