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, 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.

Beware of these most common Real Estate Board violations by licensees. You’ll notice one common theme: escrow funds. Violations involving escrow funds continue to be some of the most frequently violated regulations for real estate licensees. Brokers, make sure you have policies in your office policy manual and provide education to prevent you and your licensees from engaging in any of these common offenses.

This case highlights the importance of broker supervision, and how it is important to ensure that only licensed individuals engage in licensed activity. Further, it demonstrates the importance of having policies pertaining to advertising and that you must enforce the policies in your office.

This case highlights the importance of broker supervision regardless of the size of the firm. It is important for brokers to maintain appropriate records, and know the activities of their agents. While this task may seem particularly important when a brokerage firm has multiple salespeople, it is required by the regulations regardless of the size of the firm.