452.133(1)(f)(f) The duty to safeguard trust funds and other property held as required by rules promulgated under s. 452.13 (5). 452.133(1)(g)(g) When the firm is negotiating on behalf of a party, the duty to present contract proposals in an objective and unbiased manner and disclose the advantages and disadvantages of the proposals. 452.133(2)(2) Duties to clients. A firm providing brokerage services to a client owes the client the duties that the firm owes to a party under sub. (1) and all of the following additional duties: 452.133(2)(a)(a) The duty to loyally represent the client’s interests by doing all of the following: 452.133(2)(a)1.1. Placing the client’s interests ahead of the interests of the firm. 452.133(2)(a)2.2. Placing the client’s interests ahead of the interests of persons in the transaction who are not the firm’s clients by not disclosing to persons in the transaction other than the firm’s clients information or advice the disclosure of which is contrary to the interests of a client of the firm, unless the disclosure is required by law. 452.133(2)(am)(am) The duty to provide, when requested by the client, information and advice to the client on matters that are material to the client’s transaction and that are within the scope of the knowledge, skills, and training required under this chapter. 452.133(2)(b)(b) The duty to disclose to the client all information known by the firm that is material to the transaction and that is not known by the client or discoverable by the client through reasonably vigilant observation, except for confidential information under sub. (1) (d) and other information the disclosure of which is prohibited by law. 452.133(2)(c)(c) The duty to fulfill any obligation required by the agency agreement, and any order of the client that is within the scope of the agency agreement, that is not inconsistent with another duty that the firm has under this chapter or any other law. 452.133(3)(3) Prohibited conduct. In providing brokerage services, a licensee may not do any of the following: 452.133(3)(a)(a) Accept any fee or compensation related to the transaction from any person other than the licensee’s client, principal firm, or firm, without the prior written consent of all parties to the transaction. 452.133(3)(b)(b) Act in a transaction on the licensee’s own behalf, on behalf of the licensee’s immediate family if the firm is an individual, on behalf of the licensee’s firm, or on behalf of any organization or business entity in which the licensee has an interest, without the prior written consent of all parties to the transaction. For the purpose of complying with this paragraph, a licensee shall obtain the written consent in the offer to purchase, option, lease, or other transaction contract. 452.133(3)(c)(c) Except as provided in s. 452.19 (1), refer, recommend, or suggest to a party to the transaction the services of an individual or entity from which the licensee may receive compensation for a referral or in which the licensee has an interest, unless the licensee has disclosed in writing the fact that the licensee may receive compensation or has disclosed in writing an interest in the individual or entity providing the services. 452.133(3)(d)(d) Negotiate the sale, exchange, purchase, or rental of personal property unless related to the transaction. The licensee may use a form approved by the board under s. 452.05 (1) (b) for the conveyance of the seller’s interest in the personal property. In this paragraph, “use a form” has the meaning given in s. 452.40 (1) (a). 452.133(4)(a)(a) A subagent owes all parties to whom the subagent is providing brokerage services in a transaction the duties specified in sub. (1) but does not owe the clients of the principal firm the duties under sub. (2). 452.133(4)(b)1.1. Place the subagent’s interests ahead of the interests of the clients of the principal firm in the transaction in which the subagent has been engaged by the principal firm. 452.133(4)(b)2.2. Provide advice or opinions to parties in the transaction if providing the advice or opinions is contrary to the interests of the clients of the principal firm in the transaction in which the subagent has been engaged by the principal firm, unless required by law. 452.133(4m)(4m) Duties and prohibitions; application to licensees. 452.133(4m)(a)(a) Subject to par. (d), a firm’s duties under sub. (1) extend to each licensee associated with that firm, and each licensee associated with a firm owes the same duties to a party that the firm owes to that party under sub. (1). 452.133(4m)(b)(b) Except as provided in s. 452.134 (3) (b) and subject to par. (d), a firm’s duties under sub. (2) extend to each licensee associated with that firm, and each licensee associated with a firm owes the same duties to a client of the firm that the firm owes to that client under sub. (2). 452.133(4m)(c)1.1. Subject to par. (d), a subagent’s duties under sub. (4) (a) extend to each licensee associated with that subagent, and each licensee associated with a subagent owes the same duties to a party that the subagent owes to that party under sub. (4) (a). 452.133(4m)(c)2.2. Subject to par. (d), the prohibitions that apply to a subagent under sub. (4) (b) extend to each licensee associated with that subagent, and no licensee associated with a subagent may take any action that the subagent is prohibited from taking under sub. (4) (b). 452.133(4m)(d)(d) The duties and prohibitions under pars. (a) to (c) extend only to a licensee providing brokerage services to a party to the transaction. 452.133(5)(5) Duties without agency or subagency relationship. If a firm is providing brokerage services to a person who is a party or a prospective party to a current or prospective transaction, and the firm does not have an agency agreement with the person and is not a subagent of another firm in the transaction, then the firm and any licensees associated with the firm owe the person the duties under sub. (1) and may not, unless required by law, provide advice or opinions relating to the transaction in which the person is receiving brokerage services if providing the advice or opinions is contrary to the interests of a party to a current or prospective transaction with the person receiving the brokerage services. 452.133(6)(6) Waiver of duties. The duties imposed by subs. (1), (2) (a), (am), (b), and (c), (4), and (5) may not be waived. A client may waive, in part or in full, the duty under sub. (2) (d), except that a waiver under this subsection is not effective unless the firm or a licensee associated with the firm provides to the client a written disclosure containing all of the following: 452.133(6)(a)(a) A copy of the text of sub. (2) (d) and s. 452.01 (5m), and a statement that, as a consequence of the client’s waiver, the firm and any licensees associated with the firm will have no legal duty to perform the duty imposed by sub. (2) (d). 452.133(6)(b)(b) A statement that as a consequence of the client’s waiver, the client may require the assistance of an attorney or another service provider to fulfill the client’s goals and contractual duties in the transaction. 452.133 Cross-referenceCross-reference: See also ch. REEB 24, Wis. adm. code. 452.133 AnnotationThe New Real Estate Agency Law: Redefining the Role of Real Estate Brokers. Smith and Staff. Wis. Law. Oct. 1994.
452.133 AnnotationThe ‘New’ Chapter 452: Defining Real Estate Broker Practice. Leibsle. Wis. Law. June 2006.
452.134452.134 Agency relationships; multiple representation relationships. 452.134(1)(a)(a) Subject to par. (b), a firm and any licensees associated with the firm may provide brokerage services to any party, whether or not the firm has entered into an agency agreement with a party or the firm has been engaged to provide brokerage services as a subagent. 452.134(1)(b)(b) A firm and any licensees associated with the firm may not negotiate on behalf of a party to a transaction unless a party to the transaction is one of the following: 452.134(1)(b)2.2. A client of a principal firm who has engaged the firm as a subagent. 452.134(2)(2) Multiple representation relationships. A firm and any licensees associated with the firm may not provide brokerage services in a multiple representation relationship unless all of the firm’s clients in the multiple representation relationship have consented to a multiple representation relationship in writing. 452.134(3)(a)(a) A firm in a multiple representation relationship may not engage in designated agency unless all of the firm’s clients in the relationship have consented to designated agency in writing. A client may withdraw consent to designated agency by written notice to the firm at any time. 452.134(3)(b)(b) If a firm is engaged in designated agency, the licensee associated with the firm that is negotiating on behalf of a client of the firm in the transaction may provide to the client on whose behalf the licensee is negotiating information, opinions, and advice to assist the client in the negotiations, whether or not the information, opinions, and advice place the interests of one of the firm’s clients ahead of the interests of another client of the firm. 452.134(4)(4) Multiple representation relationships without designated agency. If a firm’s client in a multiple representation relationship does not consent to designated agency or withdraws consent to designated agency, the firm and any licensees associated with the firm may not place the interests of any client ahead of the interests of any other in the negotiations. 452.134 AnnotationThe ‘New’ Chapter 452: Defining Real Estate Broker Practice. Leibsle. Wis. Law. June 2006.
452.135452.135 Disclosure of duties. 452.135(1)(a)(a) No firm, and no licensee associated with a firm, may negotiate on behalf of a party who is not the firm’s client unless the firm, or a licensee associated with the firm, provides to the party a copy of the following written disclosure statement: DISCLOSURE TO CUSTOMERS
You are a customer of the brokerage firm (hereinafter firm). The firm is either an agent of another party in the transaction or a subagent of another firm that is the agent of another party in the transaction. A broker or a salesperson acting on behalf of the firm may provide brokerage services to you. Whenever the firm is providing brokerage services to you, the firm and its brokers and salespersons (hereinafter agents) owe you, the customer, the following duties:
The duty to provide brokerage services to you fairly and honestly.
The duty to exercise reasonable skill and care in providing brokerage services to you.
The duty to provide you with accurate information about market conditions within a reasonable time if you request it, unless disclosure of the information is prohibited by law.
The duty to disclose to you in writing certain material adverse facts about a property, unless disclosure of the information is prohibited by law.
The duty to protect your confidentiality. Unless the law requires it, the firm and its agents will not disclose your confidential information or the confidential information of other parties.
The duty to safeguard trust funds and other property held by the firm or its agents.
The duty, when negotiating, to present contract proposals in an objective and unbiased manner and disclose the advantages and disadvantages of the proposals.
Please review this information carefully. An agent of the firm can answer your questions about brokerage services, but if you need legal advice, tax advice, or a professional home inspection, contact an attorney, tax advisor, or home inspector.
This disclosure is required by section 452.135 of the Wisconsin statutes and is for information only. It is a plain-language summary of the duties to a customer under section 452.133 (1) of the Wisconsin statutes.
452.135(1)(b)(b) If a firm is providing brokerage services as a subagent to a principal firm, the subagent, or a licensee associated with the subagent, shall provide a copy of the written disclosure statement under par. (a) to any person who is not the principal firm’s client and who receives brokerage services from the subagent within the scope of the agreement between the subagent and the principal firm. 452.135(2)(a)(a) Except as provided in par. (b), a firm shall provide to a client a copy of the following written disclosure statement not later than the time the firm enters into an agency agreement with the client: DISCLOSURE TO CLIENTS
Under Wisconsin law, a brokerage firm (hereinafter firm) and its brokers and salespersons (hereinafter agents) owe certain duties to all parties to a transaction:
The duty to provide brokerage services to you fairly and honestly.
The duty to exercise reasonable skill and care in providing brokerage services to you.
The duty to provide you with accurate information about market conditions within a reasonable time if you request it, unless disclosure of the information is prohibited by law.
The duty to disclose to you in writing certain material adverse facts about a property, unless disclosure of the information is prohibited by law.
The duty to protect your confidentiality. Unless the law requires it, the firm and its agents will not disclose your confidential information or the confidential information of other parties.
The duty to safeguard trust funds and other property the firm or its agents holds.
The duty, when negotiating, to present contract proposals in an objective and unbiased manner and disclose the advantages and disadvantages of the proposals.
Because you have entered into an agency agreement with a firm, you are the firm’s client. A firm owes additional duties to you as a client of the firm:
The firm or one of its agents will provide, at your request, information and advice on real estate matters that affect your transaction, unless you release the firm from this duty. The firm or one of its agents must provide you with all material facts affecting the transaction, not just adverse facts.
The firm and its agents will fulfill the firm’s obligations under the agency agreement and fulfill your lawful requests that are within the scope of the agency agreement.
The firm and its agents will negotiate for you, unless you release them from this duty.
The firm and its agents will not place their interests ahead of your interests. The firm and its agents will not, unless required by law, give information or advice to other parties who are not the firm’s clients, if giving the information or advice is contrary to your interests.
If you become involved in a transaction in which another party is also the firm’s client (a “multiple representation relationship”), different duties may apply.
MULTIPLE REPRESENTATION RELATIONSHIPS AND DESIGNATED AGENCY
A multiple representation relationship exists if a firm has an agency agreement with more than one client who is a party in the same transaction. If you and the firm’s other clients in the transaction consent, the firm may provide services through designated agency, which is one type of multiple representation relationship.
Designated agency means that different agents with the firm will negotiate on behalf of you and the other client or clients in the transaction, and the firm’s duties to you as a client will remain the same. Each agent will provide information, opinions, and advice to the client for whom the agent is negotiating, to assist the client in the negotiations. Each client will be able to receive information, opinions, and advice that will assist the client, even if the information, opinions, or advice gives the client advantages in the negotiations over the firm’s other clients. An agent will not reveal any of your confidential information to another party unless required to do so by law.
If a designated agency relationship is not authorized by you or other clients in the transaction, you may still authorize or reject a different type of multiple representation relationship in which the firm may provide brokerage services to more than one client in a transaction but neither the firm nor any of its agents may assist any client with information, opinions, and advice which may favor the interests of one client over any other client. Under this neutral approach, the same agent may represent more than one client in a transaction.
If you do not consent to a multiple representation relationship the firm will not be allowed to provide brokerage services to more than one client in the transaction.
CHECK ONLY ONE OF THE THREE BELOW:
________The same firm may represent me and the other party as long as the same agent is not representing us both. (multiple representation relationship with designated agency)
________The same firm may represent me and the other party, but the firm must remain neutral regardless if one or more different agents are involved. (multiple representation relationship without designated agency)
________The same firm cannot represent both me and the other party in the same transaction. (I reject multiple representation relationships)
