Working With Real Estate Agents in North Carolina

How agency relationships work at Joy Watson Real Estate

North Carolina law is very specific about how real estate agency relationships are formed, and we want you to understand your options before you share confidential information with any broker, including us.

The Working With Real Estate Agents Disclosure

At first substantial contact with a prospective buyer or seller, North Carolina brokers are required by North Carolina Real Estate Commission Rule 21 NCAC 58A .0104 to provide and review the official Working With Real Estate Agents Disclosure. This one page disclosure explains the types of agency relationships available to you, including seller agency, buyer agency, and dual agency. You can read the current disclosure and the companion brochure anytime on the Commission's website at ncrec.gov.

Visiting this website, emailing us, or filling out a contact form does not by itself create an agency relationship. Until an agency relationship is established, we can provide general information, but you should not share confidential details such as your maximum budget or your motivation to sell.

Written Agency Agreements

Listing agreements with sellers must be in writing and signed when the agency relationship is formed. Buyer agency agreements must be in writing and signed no later than the time an offer is made, and as a Realtor, Joy enters a written buyer agreement with you before touring homes together. Every written agreement will state its duration, the services provided, and how compensation works.

Compensation Is Negotiable

Broker compensation is fully negotiable and is not set by law or by any board or association. We will discuss and agree on compensation with you in writing before we represent you.

Dual Agency

In some transactions, Joy Watson Real Estate may be asked to represent both the buyer and the seller. Under Commission rules, we may only do so with the written authority of each party, obtained when the relationship is formed or as otherwise permitted by Rule 58A .0104. Dual agency limits what a broker can do for each side, and we will explain those limits clearly before you decide whether to consent. You are always free to decline dual agency.

Seller Disclosure Duties

Sellers in North Carolina have separate disclosure duties under the Residential Property Disclosure Act, North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 47E, including the Residential Property and Owners' Association Disclosure Statement. Material facts about a property must always be disclosed, and at Joy Watson Real Estate we treat unpermitted improvements and similar issues as material facts that get disclosed up front.

Download the Official Disclosure Forms

These are the current North Carolina Real Estate Commission publications, provided here so you can read them before we ever talk. Signing a disclosure only means you received it; it is not a contract.

Working With Real Estate Agents Disclosure for Buyers (PDF)
Working With Real Estate Agents Disclosure for Sellers (PDF)
Questions and Answers on Working With Real Estate Agents, NCREC brochure (PDF)

The Commission may revise these forms from time to time. The versions on ncrec.gov under Publications are always the most current. If you are a landlord or tenant in a lease transaction, we will review the appropriate lease disclosure form with you directly.

Questions

If you have any questions about agency relationships, the Working With Real Estate Agents Disclosure, or how we would represent you, please contact us before we begin working together. We would rather over explain than have you sign anything you do not fully understand.

Joy Watson, Broker-in-Charge, Joy Watson Real Estate, 909 W Wendover Ave, Greensboro, NC 27408. License #307423, Firm License #C37131. Eric Hunsucker is not a licensed real estate broker. This page is a consumer education summary and does not replace the official Working With Real Estate Agents Disclosure reviewed at first substantial contact. Equal Housing Opportunity.