Dual Agency: What Agents & Clients Need to Know

Real estate brokers and salespersons play an integral role in the purchase and sale of residential real estate. In 2018, the average homeownership rate in California was 55.2% and there were more than 440,000 unique residential real estate transactions. On average, 90% percent of all California buyers and sellers used a real estate agent in their transaction.

For most of the 20th century, the traditional residential real estate transaction conformed to a model whereby the seller retained a broker who listed the home on a multiple listing service (MLS). Te listing was then noticed by a “cooperating” agent who showed the property to potential buyers. Standard MLS agreements made the cooperating agent a subagent of the seller. It was common practice for the listing broker and the cooperating agent, who were both acting as agents for the seller, to help the buyer purchase the property.

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