What must an original listing agent maintain confidential after a listing agreement expires?

The original listing agent must maintain the confidentiality of offers received while the property was listed, even after the listing agreement expires. This responsibility stems from the fiduciary duty that real estate agents owe their clients, which includes safeguarding sensitive information that could influence the client’s position in negotiations or adversely affect their interests if disclosed.

Confidentiality surrounding offers is crucial because revealing such information could enable competing buyers to leverage knowledge of previous offers, potentially reducing the seller's negotiating power. Thus, protecting the details of those offers aligns with the agent's obligation to act in the best interests of their client.

While there are other sensitive aspects of a real estate transaction, such as the physical condition of the property or disclosures made to buyers, these do not carry the same level of confidentiality mandate as offers received during the listing period. The price of the listed property may also not need to be kept confidential once the listing has expired, as it can often become public information. Therefore, maintaining the confidentiality of offers received is essential to uphold the trust placed in the agent by their client.