Protect Yourself and Know Your Rights:
Do not share any confidential information with a real estate agent or assume that the agent is acting on your behalf until you have entered into a written agreement with the agent to represent you. Otherwise, the agent can share your confidential information with others and this could hurt your ability to negotiate the best deal.
To assist buyers and sellers in understanding the roles of real estate agents, the Real Estate Commission requires agents in sales transactions to:
Review a “Working With Real Estate Agents Disclosure” with you at first substantial contact - before asking for or receiving your confidential information.
Give you a copy of the Disclosure form after you sign it.
***The Disclosure form is for your education and protection and is not a contract.
In North Carolina, first substantial contact in real estate is when a buyer or seller starts sharing personal or confidential information to an agent.
It’s important to fully understand who will be representing your interests throughout the buying or selling process.
This video from the NC Real Estate Commission explains what buyer agents do for their clients and why you should be careful about what you say until you've hired one.
This informative video from the NC Real Estate Commission clearly explains the role of sellers' agents and emphasizes the importance of exercising caution in any discussions until you formally hire an agent to assist you.
IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT RACIAL EQUALITY AND FAIR HOUSING: The North Carolina Real Estate Commission is committed to the principles of excellence, fairness, and respect for all people. It is their goal to ensure that brokerage activities are conducted in fairness to all and to end discrimination in the sale or rental of all real estate. In residential sales and rental transactions, agents must comply with the Fair Housing Act which prohibits discrimination on the basis of the race, color, religion, sex, national origin, handicap, or familial status of any party or prospective party.
For more information on the NC Fair Housing Act, you may visit https://www.oah.nc.gov/civil-rights-division/housing-discrimination.
Be sure to visit the North Carolina Real Estate Commissions Official Website for additional resources and information. https://www.ncrec.gov/
Additional Videos on NC Real Estate: https://www.ncrec.gov/Resources/VideoLibrary