In a seller-agency relationship, the agent owes the client (seller) fiduciary duties, which include loyalty, obedience (lawful instructions), disclosure, confidentiality, accounting, and reasonable care. Practical responsibilities include advising the seller on pricing and marketing strategy, actively marketing the property, presenting offers, and negotiating in the seller’s best interests. Duties owed to buyers (customers) are limited to honesty and disclosure of material facts, not advocacy. Therefore, “Market and sell the property” reflects the seller’s agent’s core duty; negotiating for the buyer or representing the buyer would conflict with loyalty to the seller unless properly disclosed and permitted as dual agency under Maryland law.
[References: Maryland pre-licensing curriculum—Real Estate Brokerage and the Law of Agency (fiduciary duties to clients; duties to customers; seller’s agent responsibilities; dual agency limitations)., , ]
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