Can A Dual Agent Fairly Represent Both The Home Buyer And Home Seller?

Any licensed real estate sales agent or broker can be a buyer's agent representing the home buyer in the transaction. A buyer's agent can represent any home buyer and also accept listings of local homes for sale.

However, when a buyer's agent shows homes that have been listed for sale by himself or herself (or by another agent working for the same brokerage), then a dual agency situation arises.

A "dual agent" is when the same agent or brokerage represents both the home seller and home buyer. Many in the real estate industry view the dual agency senario as being undesirable. Questions need are often raised as to how the particular dual agent can fairly represent both parties in the real estate transaction.