In this case study, an agent takes funds that are supposed to be put into an escrow account and deposits them into her personal bank account without letting her broker know of her actions. Immediately upon learning of her actions, the Principal Broker reports the behavior to DPOR and returns her license, demonstrating her commitment to safeguarding the public and supervising the agents in her firm.

In this case study, the agent failed to make a timely deposit of the escrow funds. Despite having signed an acknowledgment of the Broker’s Policy and Procedure Manual, the agent still failed to input the contract and timely deposit the funds. Nevertheless, because of these policies and procedures, the Principal Broker was still able to discover the error and report the escrow violation to DPOR, ensuring that she properly supervised the agents in the firm.

In this case, an agent performs regulated activities outside of her brokerage firm. Real estate licensees must not perform regulated activities outside of their brokerage firm.

Business continuity planning creates systems and procedures for what happens when the unexpected happens—whether that’s weather, illness, or death. This type of planning is essential to agents, teams, brokers, and firms. The law in Virginia addresses what happens if the sole broker at a firm dies or becomes disabled.

In this case, an agent failed to get an updated signed buyer brokerage agreement with the purchaser in what was supposed to be a dual agency transaction. Virginia requires that all agency agreements be in writing.

Antitrust laws are made up of a series of federal and state laws aimed at preventing unfair business practices that limit or restrain free trade. Learn how to avoid antitrust violations.

In this case, an agent failed to protect the public by hiring an unlicensed contractor, signing over a check to the contractor, and promising work would be complete by the deadline when no work had been performed. Make sure to check the status of any contractors, follow all regulations, and keep clients updated.

In this case, a broker signed her clients’ name to multiple documents, exceeding the scope of her authority and engaging in fraudulent activity. Brokers need to ensure that they are acting within the scope of their agency.

In this case, a broker acted outside of the scope of his license and agency by representing a client in a real estate transaction under an entity that was not a licensed real estate firm in Virginia. It highlights the importance of operating within the scope of your license and firm when representing others in real estate transactions.

This case examines an escrow case where the agent neglected to check certain boxes on the contract. While this does not void the contract, it does create an escrow violation for the real estate licensee. It highlights the importance of verifying the completeness of contracts and paying attention to details.

This case study highlights the importance of disclosing a licensee’s interest in the transaction, regardless of the role he or she plays in the transaction, and engaging in behavior that is honest and not deceptive to the public.

This case looks to an escrow violation, where the agent failed to timely deposit the EMD check by one day. Even a late deposit of only one day is an escrow violation. However, the brokerage firm had clear policies regarding escrow and the agent took full responsibility for his actions, which the board took into consideration.

This case study highlights how agents must access property only on the terms provided, and not in a fraudulent or dishonest manner. In this instance, the broker was not held liable for the agent’s actions, and it is important to note that the firm took immediate action to prevent future occurrences from happening.

As a property manager, there are a number of letters or notices that you can send if a tenant isn’t complying with the lease. Read summaries about the five most commonly used lease violation notices.

This case demonstrates the importance of fully disclosing one’s past to the Board when applying for a salesperson’s or broker’s license and keeping the Board informed if a real estate licensee pleads guilty or no contest, is convicted or found guilty of a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude, sexual offense, drug distribution or physical injury, or any felony.

This case study highlights how brokers may be held responsible for errors of their employees in the handling of earnest money deposits (EMD). It again demonstrates the importance of following the regulations pertaining to earnest money deposits.

This case study highlights the importance of performing licensed activities under a licensed business entity and exercising ordinary care in your management of properties.

This case study highlights the importance of reporting disciplinary action taken against a licensee who holds real estate licenses in multiple states to the real estate board in a timely manner.

Glean information about escalation clauses from this article that was in accordance with the “Escalation Clauses” episode of the Caveat REALTOR® podcast, published in September 2020.

We are still hearing about REALTORS® receiving demand letters from law firms claiming that the REALTOR’S® website is inaccessible to those with visual and hearing impairments. In a new twist, however, some of these letters request that the REALTOR® call the law firm directly to discuss the problem.

This case study highlights the importance of following the real estate regulations when holding earnest money deposits.

This case highlights the importance of delivering documents to your clients, whether they have been requested or not.

With an increased number of questions on the Legal Hotline about what is required by sellers with regard to septic systems, we wanted to take this opportunity to do a deeper dive into what is required by law and the Virginia REALTORS® contract, and what you can do to keep your transactions moving smoothly.

As of July 1, 2020, there are now 12 protected classes in Virginia fair housing law, including source of funds. It is now illegal to discriminate in the sale or rental of a residential property based on a person’s source of funds. Read this article to find out real-life examples of how this might work in practice.

On July 1, 2020, the Virginia Fair Housing Act had four new protected categories added: sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and source of funds. What does this mean for sales transactions?