Common relationships: seller agent, buyer agent, dual agent, designated agent, and transaction (no-agency) licensee.
Before you read
Test yourself first: 5 questions
Question 1 of 5
In Pennsylvania, an agency relationship between a licensee and a client is created by:
Answer: B. Pennsylvania's agency model is contract-based: a client (agency) relationship is created by a written agreement, such as a listing agreement or a buyer agency agreement, that sets out duties, term, and compensation. Simply showing property or handing over the Consumer Notice does not by itself create an agency relationship.
Question 2 of 5
In Pennsylvania, when must a licensee provide the Consumer Notice describing agency relationships and the licensee's duties?
Answer: B. Pennsylvania requires the Consumer Notice to be provided at the initial interview, i.e., at the first substantive contact with a consumer, before any confidential information is disclosed.
Question 3 of 5
Before the Commission may suspend or revoke a Pennsylvania real estate license for a violation, the licensee is entitled to which protection?
Answer: A. Due process under the Administrative Agency Law requires the Commission to give the licensee written notice of the charges and an opportunity to be heard before imposing discipline.
Question 4 of 5
Under Pennsylvania law, when must a licensee provide the Consumer Notice that explains the available agency relationships?
Answer: C. Pennsylvania requires the Consumer Notice describing possible agency relationships to be provided at the initial interview, meaning the first substantive contact with the consumer, before any confidential information is exchanged.
Question 5 of 5
What is the primary purpose of Pennsylvania's Consumer Notice?
Answer: B. The Consumer Notice is an informational disclosure that explains the different agency relationships (such as seller agent, buyer agent, dual agent, and transaction licensee) available to a consumer. It is not a contract and creates no agency relationship by itself.
Keep the streak going with more questions like these, each with a full rationale.
Must-know rules
- The Consumer Notice explaining the available agency relationships must be provided at the initial interview / first substantive contact.
- Common relationships: seller agent, buyer agent, dual agent, designated agent, and transaction (no-agency) licensee.
- Agency duties are owed to the principal/client; reasonable care and honesty are owed to all parties.
- Dual agency requires informed written consent from all parties before it begins.
- Designated agency lets a broker name different licensees within the firm to represent buyer and seller separately.
- A transaction licensee provides services without creating an agency (fiduciary) relationship.
- Agency relationships are formed by a written agreement; the Consumer Notice itself is a disclosure, not a contract.
Pennsylvania Agency Model Cheat Sheet: FAQs
Is Pennsylvania Agency Model Cheat Sheet on the real estate exam?
Yes. State License Law is a scored domain on the Pennsylvania real estate licensing exam, and this topic appears in the state license-law portion.
Is this cheat sheet free?
Yes — every page on Cinna RE's resource library is free to read, print and share. The app adds practice questions, mock exams and a readiness score.
Does Pennsylvania test this differently?
Pennsylvania applies its own license law on top of the national portion. This page covers the Pennsylvania rules specifically, which is what the state section of your exam tests.
