Agency and Fiduciary Duties, 17% of the examination
Principal
The person who authorizes an agent to act on the person's behalf.
A seller represented by a listing broker and a buyer represented by a buyer's broker are principals and clients. The agent owes fiduciary duties to that principal while still owing honesty, fair dealing, and required disclosure to non-client parties.
See also
Test the distinction
A relevant question from Agency and Fiduciary Duties, selected because its facts or explanation use this concept.
In an agency relationship, who is the fiduciary and who is the principal?
Written to DRE's published topic list. Not a real examination question, since reproducing those is a misdemeanor under B&P Code section 123.
Primary sources
Use these authorities when a course summary, forum answer, or older flashcard conflicts with the current California rule.