Several reasons real estate agents can be sued

When Maryland residents purchase their homes, they work with real estate agents to help ensure that they end up with the house of their dreams. Home buyers work with these professionals because they know that real estate agents have information about the industry and the market that they as buyers may not have access to. When things work out, the homeowner gets the home they wanted, the agent gets their fees, and everyone is happy.

Real estate transactions don’t always work out, however. Some home buyers find out that the reason they have issues with their transactions or the sale didn’t work out in their favor is because of professional negligence on the part of the real estate agent.

What constitutes negligence on the part of a real estate agent?

There are several instances where a real estate agent could get sued for professional negligence. These include the following:

• An agent could get sued if there are serious defects found in the house found after closing. The listing agent has to identify any issues they find during walkthroughs that take place before the closing.
• Agents can be held liable if their clients’ sensitive personal information or data falls into the wrong hands due to their negligence.
• Agents can get sued for breach of contract for issues like not sticking to agreed-upon deadlines or not performing other duties outlined in the contract.
• Agents can get sued if they represent clients in areas of town that they’re not familiar with. Any issues that come up because of the location might be blamed on the real estate agent’s lack of knowledge.
• Real estate agents open themselves up to liability if they give legal advice that hurts their clients down the road. All legal advice in the transaction should come from attorneys assigned to represent the client.

Who can people turn to for help with professional negligence?

Buying a home is difficult enough, and dealing with negligence on the part of a real estate agent makes it that much harder. People who need help with this issue may benefit by working with attorneys who have experience dealing with this type of law.