Today, Washington REALTORS® Legal Hotline Lawyer Annie Fitzsimmons discusses how listing brokers should handle a Buyer’s request for more broker compensation than their seller originally offered. Tune in and learn what you can do to ensure your clients aren’t paying more compensation to the buyer’s side than they are expecting. Don't forget to share with other agents and subscribe! Starring Annie Fitzsimmons (WR's Legal Hotline Lawyer) WR's Friday Videos & Legal Hotline are also available as podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts & SoundCloud! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/washingt ..read more

In this episode of DBrief, Washington REALTORS® replays our informational webinar that was recorded live on November 21, 2024, a discussion on the increasing challenges in the residential insurance market. Numerous areas of Washington State are seeing cancellation or non-renewals of insurance for existing homeowners, lack of insurance for new homebuyers, or significant cost increases for coverage.  These issues are occurring in areas deemed higher risk because of recent or potential wildfire activity. Watch this replay to understand what is happening in the insurance market that affects t ..read more

Following up on last week’s video, Washington REALTORS® Legal Hotline Lawyer Annie Fitzsimmons discusses what happens when a Buyer Broker is unavailable to show their clients property within a certain timeframe and the broker they choose to step in works at a different firm. Annie explains why a Buyer Brokerage Service Agreement (BBSA) is needed for each broker in this situation and how this situation can affect broker compensation. Don't forget to share with other agents and subscribe! Starring Annie Fitzsimmons (WR's Legal Hotline Lawyer) WR's Friday Videos & Legal Hotline are also avail ..read more

In this week's video, Washington REALTORS® Legal Hotline Lawyer Annie Fitzsimmons talks about what happens when a Buyer Broker goes on vacation or is just plain unavailable to show their clients property in a certain timeframe. She answers questions about having another broker show your client properties and how having another broker show listings to your clients can affect your Buyer Brokerage Service Agreement (BBSA) with that client. Don't forget to share with other agents and subscribe! Starring Annie Fitzsimmons (WR's Legal Hotline Lawyer) WR's Friday Videos & Legal Hotline are also a ..read more

By being there, stepping up, and stepping in for more than 20 years, we’ve earned your trust. Now we hope to inspire you to join us and to make sure RRF remains poised to protect people and prepared to respond to any disaster at a moment’s notice. Natural disasters can be devastating in so many ways; not only do they damage homes and property, but they can also cause loss of life and completely unravel families. For those fortunate to escape with no injuries, the only options are often to totally rebuild a home or salvage what’s left. For over 20 years, the REALTORS® Relief Foundation has been ..read more

Tune in today as Washington REALTORS® Legal Hotline Lawyer Annie Fitzsimmons discusses the disclosures that Brokers need to provide their clients in different scenarios where a Broker is sharing a portion of their compensation with the broker or firm on the other side of the transaction. Tune in to learn what you need to let your clients know in the event your team leader is on the other side or a Finder’s fee is being paid to a Listing Broker when they refer a previously unrepresented buyer to a Buyer Broker and other situations involving cross-transaction disclosures. Don't forget to share w ..read more

Today, Washington REALTORS® Legal Hotline Lawyer Annie Fitzsimmons discusses questions that have come up on the Legal Hotline: What does it mean if the seller in a transaction offers compensation to a buyer broker? Does that mean that the seller is locked into that offer of compensation? Suppose the buyer in the transaction submits a request for inspection concessions. Can the seller counter the buyer's request for concessions by modifying the prior agreement to pay compensation to the buyer’s broker? Tune in and get these questions answered. Don't forget to share with other agents and subscri ..read more

Tune in today as Washington REALTORS® Legal Hotline Lawyer Annie Fitzsimmons talks about a question she's encountered on the Legal Hotline since the new agency laws have gone into effect in Washington State; “As a Listing Broker, does my liability increase if the buyer in a transaction is unrepresented?” Don't forget to share with other agents and subscribe! Starring Annie Fitzsimmons (WR's Legal Hotline Lawyer) WR's Friday Videos & Legal Hotline are also available as podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts & SoundCloud! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/washington-realtors/id1617122733 ..read more

Tune in today as Washington REALTORS® Legal Hotline Lawyer Annie Fitzsimmons discusses a question that has come up on the Legal Hotline since the new rules regarding Buyer Brokerage Service Agreements (BBSA) have gone into effect; “Do Listing Brokers need a BBSA in place before showing property to unrepresented buyers?” and how to avoid becoming an accidental Dual Agent. Don't forget to share with other agents and subscribe! Starring Annie Fitzsimmons (WR's Legal Hotline Lawyer) WR's Friday Videos & Legal Hotline are also available as podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts & SoundCloud! ht ..read more

Tune in today as Washington REALTORS® Legal Hotline Lawyer Annie Fitzsimmons and our 2024 President Jeff Smart discuss how to navigate a scenario where a buyer is asking their broker to share a portion of the broker's compensation with them to cover the buyer's closing costs. Learn how this situation affects your Buyer Brokerage Service Agreements (BBSA) and how to make sure that you, as a broker, don't leave a shared compensation transaction empty-handed. Don't forget to share with other agents and subscribe! Starring Annie Fitzsimmons (WR's Legal Hotline Lawyer) Co-starring Jeff Smart (WR's ..read more