2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 37. Professions and Occupations › Chapter 51. Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons › Part 3. Licensing › 37-51-314. Relationship disclosure requirements

37-51-314. Relationship disclosure requirements.
(1) A broker or salesperson shall disclose the existence and nature of relevant agency or other relationships to the parties to a real estate transaction as provided in this section.
(2) A seller agent shall make the required relationship disclosures as follows:
(a) The initial disclosure, as provided in subsection (6), must be made to the seller at the time the listing agreement is executed.
(b) If a broker or salesperson is acting as a seller subagent, a subsequent disclosure, as provided in subsection (7), must be made to the seller at the time negotiations commence.
(c) The subsequent disclosure established in subsection (7) must be made to the buyer or buyer agent at the time negotiations commence.
(3) A buyer agent shall make the required relationship disclosures as follows:
(a) The initial disclosure, as provided in subsection (6), must be made to the buyer at the time the buyer broker agreement is executed.
(b) If a broker or a salesperson is acting as a buyer subagent, a subsequent disclosure, as provided in subsection (7), must be made to the buyer at the time negotiations commence.
(c) The subsequent disclosure established in subsection (7) must be made to the seller or seller agent at the time negotiations commence.
(4) A statutory broker shall make the required relationship disclosures as follows:
(a) The initial disclosure, as provided in subsection (6), must be made to the buyer at the time the statutory broker first endeavors to locate property for the buyer.
(b) The subsequent disclosure, as provided in subsection (7), must be made to the seller or seller agent at the time negotiations commence.
(5) A buyer agent or seller agent who contemplates becoming or subsequently becomes a dual agent shall disclose the potential or actual relationship to the buyer and seller and receive their consent prior to the time or at the time that the dual agency arises. If the buyer agent or seller agent who contemplates becoming a dual agent has not previously given the buyer or seller the initial disclosure, as provided in subsection (6), the initial disclosure must be used, but if the initial disclosure has been given, any subsequent disclosures must take the form of the disclosure provided in subsection (7).
(6) The initial disclosure as required by subsections (2)(a), (3)(a), (4)(a), and (5) must be written and contain substantially the following information:
(a) a description of the duties owed by the broker and the salesperson as set forth in 37-51-313;
(b) a statement that reads as follows: "IF A SELLER AGENT IS ALSO REPRESENTING A BUYER OR A BUYER AGENT IS ALSO REPRESENTING A SELLER WITH REGARD TO A PROPERTY, THEN A DUAL AGENCY RELATIONSHIP MAY BE ESTABLISHED. IN A DUAL AGENCY RELATIONSHIP, THE DUAL AGENT IS EQUALLY OBLIGATED TO BOTH THE SELLER AND THE BUYER. THESE OBLIGATIONS MAY PROHIBIT THE DUAL AGENT FROM ADVOCATING EXCLUSIVELY ON BEHALF OF THE SELLER OR BUYER AND MAY LIMIT THE DEPTH AND DEGREE OF REPRESENTATION THAT YOU RECEIVE. A BROKER OR A SALESPERSON MAY NOT ACT AS A DUAL AGENT WITHOUT THE SIGNED, WRITTEN CONSENT OF BOTH THE SELLER AND THE BUYER".
(c) a definition of "adverse material fact";
(d) identification of the type of relationship disclosed;
(e) the signature of the seller or the buyer to whom the disclosure is given;
(f) the signature of the broker or the salesperson making the disclosure; and
(g) the date of the disclosure.
(7) The subsequent disclosure required by subsections (2)(b), (2)(c), (3)(b), (3)(c), (4)(b), and (5) or otherwise necessitated by a change or prospective change in a relationship described in a previous disclosure must be written, must contain the information required in subsections (6)(d), (6)(e), and (6)(g), and may be included in other documents involved in the real estate transaction. If a seller or buyer has not previously consented to the entry of the broker or the salesperson into a dual agency relationship, a subsequent disclosure must include all the information required in subsection (6), including the seller's or buyer's written consent to the dual agency relationship.
(8) A broker or salesperson, while managing properties for owners, shall disclose to all customers and clients the contractual relationship of the broker or salesperson.
(9) When a broker or salesperson is acting only as a property manager, another relationship disclosure is not required and a disclosure that complies with subsection (8) must be construed as a sufficient disclosure of the contractual relationship.
(10) Any disclosure required by this section may contain the following information:
(a) a description of the other relationships and corresponding duties available under this part, as long as the disclosure clearly indicates the relationship being disclosed;
(b) a consent to the creation of a dual agency relationship;
(c) other definitions in or provisions of this chapter; and
(d) other information not inconsistent with the information required in the disclosure.
(11) A written disclosure that complies with the provisions of this section must be construed as a sufficient disclosure of the relationship between a broker or salesperson and a buyer or seller and must be construed as conclusively establishing the obligations owed by a broker or salesperson to a buyer or seller in a real estate transaction.
History: En. Sec. 4, Ch. 565, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 170, L. 1999; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 389, L. 2005.