Member Updates

Homes with Solar Lunch and Learn Webinar on June Seventeenth with Dever Haffner Ratliffe

The Solar Market is Growing Fast! Are You Ready to Keep Up?

Time is running out to register for our June 17th webinar at 12:00 PM with Dever Haffner-Ratliffe! In this focused one-hour session, you'll learn to confidently navigate solar system evaluations, ownership documents, warranties, and more. Whether you're new to solar or just need a refresher, don't miss out!

Register Here →

MEMBER SURVEY REMINDER

What is Your State Association Doing to Help Your Business Succeed?

Don't forget, Washington REALTORS® is conducting our annual member survey to help us serve you better! It only takes about 10 minutes, and members who complete the survey may choose to be entered in a drawing for one of three $100 gift cards!

COMPLETE THE SURVEY

We've partnered with a survey research firm, American Strategies, to conduct the survey. Your answers will be anonymous, and results will only be viewed in total. You can read more about American Strategies at www.amstrat.com. If you have any technical issues with the survey link, please email surveys@amstrat.com. If you have any questions for Washington REALTORS®, please contact info@warealtor.org.

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STAY INFORMED

NAR Post-RLM Advocacy Recap

Catch the latest Advocacy Scoop Podcast for a rundown of last week's REALTORS® Legislative Meetings, where they discussed tax reform, new federal advocacy priorities for 2025, and polling insights on capital gains. Plus, hear bonus analysis from NAR tax experts on what the latest legislation could mean for you and your clients.

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NATIONAL HOMEOWNERSHIP MONTH

Celebrating Homeownership Month 2025

Washington REALTORS® see National Homeownership Month as more than a celebration; it’s a call to action! Owning a home remains a central piece of the American Dream, and so many Washingtonians face challenges when it comes to making that dream a reality. Read more about how Washington REALTORS® are helping open doors for buyers statewide through advocacy, resources, and real-world impact.

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LAST CHANCE TO APPLY

DOL Seeking Applicants: Investigator Supervisor (INV4)

The Department of Licensing's Centralized Investigations & Audits Unit (CIAU) within the Business and Professions Division (BPD) is recruiting an Investigations Supervisor experienced in leading teams through change while diving into investigations and growing a distanced team. Click the link below for more information about this position, the interview process, and how to apply. Applications close June 11th, don't wait!

Apply Here →

Did You Know?

Learn More & Save BIG at The CE Shop!

Tomorrow only, save 40% on real estate, appraisal, and mortgage education at The CE Shop! You'll find everything you need to grow your career and stay ahead - simply visit the link below and use promo code PICK40 on 6/11/25 to save BIG!

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Use Promo Code PICK40 at The CE Shop to Save Big Tomorrow June Eleventh Only

Legal Hotline Q&A of the Week

Question

If a buyer has a Buyer Agency Agreement with an agent who has shown them properties, and the buyer decides to make an offer on one of that agent’s own listings, how should Part 16 "Agency Disclosure" of Form 21 be completed? If the buyer’s agent writes the offer, can they still receive compensation if they mark the buyer as unrepresented, or does the relationship shift to limited dual agency? Which form is required to obtain written consent from both the buyer and the seller for this change in representation?

Answer

There is no discretion in the answer to this question. The answer to this question was determined before buyer decided or even viewed, seller's home. The answer to this question was established in the listing agreement and in the Buyer Brokerage Services Agreement. Broker must understand the fundamental nature of establishing agency relationships because broker must properly fulfill the role of the agency relationship while broker is showing the home, discussing the home and advocating for the home. By the time broker drafts the PSA, and completes section 16, broker's drafting of that section should be a mere reflection of the agency duties broker has already been performing.

Simply put, this broker is a limited dual agent and when broker introduced seller's home to buyer, the limited dual agent should have been fulfilling the duties of a limited dual agent and not the duties of either an exclusive seller's broker or an exclusive buyer's broker.

Washington law is clear that when a broker enters an agency agreement with a buyer or seller, the broker represents that buyer or seller exclusively UNLESS broker has already entered an agency agreement with the other party associated with the property or the purchase. In that case, broker is a limited dual agent. However, broker is prohibited from serving as a limited dual agent unless both buyer and seller agreed, by separately initialing the provision in the agency agreement signed by the party, that the party consents to broker serving as a limited dual agent. If either party chose not to initial that provision in the agency agreement signed by the party, then broker may NOT serve as a limited dual agent. If broker is prohibited from serving as a limited dual agent, that means that broker should never have shown seller's listing to buyer in the first place. Instead, broker would have had to get separate representation for either buyer or seller as it relates to this specific buyer and property and sever broker's relationship with that buyer or seller, again, only as related to this specific buyer and property.

By the time broker is writing an offer for broker's buyer to purchase broker's listing, broker and both parties should be fully aware that broker is a limited dual agent and that broker has proper authorization from both buyer and seller, to serve as a limited dual agent.

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