Nebraska § 76-2418 - Buyer's agent or tenant's agent; powers and duties; confidentiality; immunity; disclosures required.

§ 76-2418. Buyer's agent or tenant's agent; powers and duties; confidentiality; immunity; disclosures required.

(1) A licensee representing a buyer or tenant as a buyer's or tenant's agent shall be a limited agent with the following duties and obligations:

(a) To perform the terms of any written agreement made with the client;

(b) To exercise reasonable skill and care for the client;

(c) To promote the interests of the client with the utmost good faith, loyalty, and fidelity, including:

(i) Seeking a price and terms which are acceptable to the client, except that the licensee shall not be obligated to seek other properties while the client is a party to a contract to purchase property or to a lease or letter of intent to lease;

(ii) Except as provided in section 76-2422.01, presenting all written offers to and from the client in a timely manner regardless of whether the client is already a party to a contract to purchase property or is already a party to a contract or a letter of intent to lease;

(iii) Disclosing in writing to the client adverse material facts actually known by the licensee; and

(iv) Advising the client to obtain expert advice as to material matters about which the licensee knows but the specifics of which are beyond the expertise of the licensee;

(d) To account in a timely manner for all money and property received;

(e) To comply with all requirements of sections 76-2401 to 76-2430, the Nebraska Real Estate License Act, and any rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to such sections or act; and

(f) To comply with any applicable federal, state, and local laws, rules, regulations, and ordinances, including fair housing and civil rights statutes or regulations.

(2) A licensee acting as a buyer's or tenant's agent shall not disclose any confidential information about the client unless disclosure is required by statute, rule, or regulation or failure to disclose the information would constitute fraudulent misrepresentation. No cause of action for any person shall arise against a licensee acting as a buyer's or tenant's agent for making any required or permitted disclosure.

(3)(a) A licensee acting as a buyer's or tenant's agent owes no duty or obligation to a seller, a landlord, or a prospective seller or landlord, except that the licensee shall disclose in writing to any seller, landlord, or prospective seller or landlord all adverse material facts actually known by the licensee. The adverse material facts may include, but are not limited to, adverse material facts concerning the client's financial ability to perform the terms of the transaction.

(b) A buyer's or tenant's agent owes no duty to conduct an independent investigation of the client's financial condition for the benefit of the customer and owes no duty to independently verify the accuracy or completeness of statements made by the client or any independent inspector.

(4) A buyer's or tenant's agent may show properties in which the client is interested to other prospective buyers or tenants without breaching any duty or obligation to the client. This section shall not be construed to prohibit a buyer's or tenant's agent from showing competing buyers or tenants the same property and from assisting competing buyers or tenants in attempting to purchase or lease a particular property.

(5)(a) A client may agree in writing with a buyer's or tenant's agent that other designated brokers may be retained and compensated as subagents.

(b) Any designated broker acting as a subagent on the buyer's or tenant's behalf shall be a limited agent with the obligations and responsibilities set forth in subsections (1) through (4) of this section.

A brokerage relationship is a limited agency relationship. Professional Mgmt. Midwest v. Lund Co., 284 Neb. 777, 826 N.W.2d 225 (2012).