Under Maryland Agency Law (Business Occupations and Professions Article, Title 17, Subtitle 5), a listing agent represents the seller and owes the seller the fiduciary duties of loyalty, obedience, disclosure, confidentiality, reasonable care, and accounting.
A primary fiduciary obligation is to promote the interests of the client at all times during the transaction, as outlined in the Maryland Real Estate Commission’s Agency Disclosure materials.
While the listing agent must disclose all material facts to all parties (facts that affect value or desirability), the agent’s duty of loyalty and advocacy is owed to the seller client.
Therefore, the correct answer is that a listing agent must promote the client’s interests throughout the entire transaction.
[Reference:, Maryland 60-Hour Principles and Practices of Real Estate Pre-Licensing Course – “Real Estate Brokerage and the Law of Agency” Module, Md. Business Occupations and Professions Article, Title 17, §17-532 – Duties of a Licensee Representing a Seller or Landlord., , , ]
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