Real Estate Massachusetts Real Estate Massachusetts-Real-Estate-Salesperson Question # 21 Topic 3 Discussion

A Massachusetts real estate licensee has a fiduciary duty of full disclosure and obedience to the client (the seller). That means the listing broker must present all offers promptly and in full to the seller, regardless of the order received or whether one seems more favorable.

The Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons emphasizes that withholding offers or “screening” them based on price, terms, or timing constitutes a violation of fiduciary duty and can result in disciplinary action. The seller has the exclusive right to decide which offer to accept, reject, or counter. The broker’s responsibility is only to deliver all offers in a timely fashion.

Therefore, at the 7 p.m. appointment, the listing broker must present all three offers that had been received. It would be improper to withhold later offers or to select the “best” offer unilaterally.