Agent's Duty to Inspect & Disclose

Several states (California's Easton rule most famously) require listing and cooperating agents to conduct a reasonably competent VISUAL inspection of accessible areas and disclose what it reveals; everywhere, agents must disclose material facts they actually know. Agents are not home inspectors — they need not open walls or crawl under houses — but they cannot close their eyes to red flags: stains on a ceiling, doors that don't shut, a sump pump running on a dry day. The professional-practice answer on the exam is always: disclose the observation, recommend a qualified inspector, document both.