2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 5 - Businesses and Professions › Chapter 5-20.6 - Relationships in Residential Real Estate Transactions › Section 5-20.6-2. - Definitions.

§ 5-20.6-2. Definitions.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(1)
“Affiliated licensee” means a licensed real estate salesperson or real estate broker as defined in § 5-20.5-1 associated with a particular principal broker.
(2)
“Brokerage” means a principal broker as defined in § 5-20.5-8 and his or her affiliated licensees.
(3)
“Buyer” means a person who acquires or seeks to acquire an ownership interest in real estate.
(4)
“Client” means a buyer, seller, tenant, or landlord who has agreed to representation by a licensee in a real estate transaction, evidenced by an executed, mandatory relationship disclosure, to whom a licensee owes the duties set forth in § 5-20.6-5.
(5)
“Client representation contract” means an express, written contract between a principal broker or his or her affiliated licensees and a client who authorizes the principal broker or his or her affiliated licensees to act as a client representative for a buyer, seller, landlord, or tenant and meets the requirements of § 5-20.6-10.
(6)
“Confidential information” means the following information:
(i)
A buyer’s or tenant’s willingness to pay more than the offered price;
(ii)
A seller’s or landlord’s willingness to accept less than the asking price;
(iii)
A buyer’s or tenant’s previous offers made to purchase or lease real estate;
(iv)
A seller’s or landlord’s previous offers received to purchase or lease real estate;
(v)
Any parties’ motivating factors;
(vi)
Any parties’ willingness to agree to other financing terms;
(vii)
Any facts or suspicions regarding circumstances, other than known, material defects of a property that a licensee must in all cases disclose, that may psychologically impact or stigmatize any real estate; or
(viii)
Any information about a party’s assets, liabilities, income, or expenses.
(7)
“Customer” means a buyer, seller, tenant, or landlord who has agreed to certain assistance by a licensee in a real estate transaction, evidenced by an executed, mandatory relationship disclosure, to whom a licensee owes the duties set forth in § 5-20.6-4.
(8)
“Designated client representative” means an affiliated licensee appointed by the principal broker or his or her designee to represent a buyer, seller, tenant, or landlord in a real estate transaction.
The affiliated licensee so designated shall obtain the informed, written consent of the buyer, seller, tenant, or landlord with a signed mandatory relationship disclosure pursuant to § 5-20.6-8.
(9)
“Designee” means an associate broker as defined in § 5-20.5-1 whom a principal broker authorizes to act on his or her behalf.
(10)
“Director” means the director of business regulation for the state.
(11)
“Dual facilitator” means a single licensee who, with the prior written consent of both parties, assists a seller client and a buyer client in the same transaction subject to the limitations set forth in § 5-20.6-6.
(12)
“Landlord” means a person who leases or attempts to lease his or her ownership interest in real estate to another person.
(13)
“Lease” means an express written or oral contract between a landlord and tenant for the use or occupancy by the tenant of real estate that is owned by another person.
(14)
“Licensee” means an individual licensed by the director as a real estate broker or real estate salesperson pursuant to chapter 20.5 of this title.
(15)
“Mandatory relationship disclosure” means a form that describes the relationship between a consumer and a principal broker and his or her affiliated licensees that meets the requirements of § 5-20.6-8.
(16)
“Ministerial acts” means acts of an administrative nature that licensees perform for client or customers, including, but not limited to, showing property; preparing offers or agreements to sell, purchase, exchange, rent, or lease; conveying offers or agreements to the parties; and providing information and assistance.
(17)
“Principal broker” means a real estate broker licensed by the director who is designated by the brokerage to be responsible for the supervision and activities of his or her affiliated licensees in accordance with this chapter and chapter 20.5 of this title.
(18)
“Real estate” refers to vacant land on which a building is intended to be constructed for use as one or two (2) residential dwellings or land with physical improvements consisting of a house and/or structure comprised of four (4) or fewer residential units.
(19)
“Sales agreement” means an express written contract signed by the buyer and seller for the purchase and sale of the real estate.
(20)
“Sell,” “sale,” or “sold” means a transaction for the transfer of real estate from a seller to a buyer, including, but not limited to, exchanges of real estate between the seller and buyer and transactions involving the creation of a sales agreement.
(21)
“Seller” means a person who sells or attempts to sell an ownership interest in real estate to another person.
(22)
“Tenant” means a person who acquired or seeks to acquire an interest in real estate that entitles him or her to occupy or use a property that is owned by another person.
(23)
“Transaction coordinator” means a principal broker or his or her designee who supervises a real estate transaction in a capacity in which one affiliated licensee represents a buyer or tenant as a designated client representative and another affiliated licensee represents a seller or landlord as a designated client representative in the same transaction. A transaction coordinator does not owe any fiduciary duties to any party in a transaction except the duties to protect the confidential information of the parties and to properly account for money placed in his or her care.
(24)
“Transaction facilitator” means a licensee who provides assistance to a buyer, seller, tenant, or landlord, or both, in a real estate transaction. A transaction facilitator does not owe any fiduciary duties to any party in a transaction but does owe the duties set forth in § 5-20.6-4.
History of Section.
P.L. 1989, ch. 141, § 2; P.L. 2007, ch. 344, § 1; P.L. 2007, ch. 403, § 1; P.L. 2009, ch. 310, § 28; P.L. 2011, ch. 352, § 1; P.L. 2011, ch. 364, § 1; P.L. 2013, ch. 27, § 2; P.L. 2013, ch. 38, § 2; P.L. 2014, ch. 528, § 2.