In 1996 (Public Act 96-159), the Connecticut Real Estate Commission enacted agency laws that encouraged buyer representation. Before such an act, it was presumed that in cooperating sales (where there are two different brokers involved) the broker working with the buyer was the subagent of the seller and therefore represented the seller's interests only. As such, no agency relationship existed with tbe buyer prior to the 1996 Act.

Buyer Agency laws help protect the Buyer in that it is now CT law to have agency relationship with a buyer. Buyers are now afforded all the duties and rights of an agency relationship from their broker including confidentiality, fiduciary obligation, and proper disclosure.

Buyers choosing representation will be asked to sign a Buyer Agency Agreement which must list the timeframe, the area in which the buyer would like to search for homes, and compensation to the broker, if any. It is CT State Law that all buyers must sign such an agency agreement before a broker or licensed salesperson shows the buyer any property.

Buyers choosing not to be represented will be asked to sign a Disclosure of Unrepresented Persons. This is not an agency agreement. It is a disclosure stating that the buyer understands that the broker represents the seller's interests and chooses to be unrepresented. The broker can then only show that company's listings and not those of any other company or broker.

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