C.A.R. urges Gov. Brown to sign bill increasing accountability of licensees managing real estate sales offices

LOS ANGELES, CA – August 31, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — Under current law, the Department of Real Estate (DRE) cannot hold an office manager responsible for failing to supervise licensees within the office. Current law only allows the DRE to hold the principal broker responsible even in situations where that broker has delegated supervisorial responsibilities to an office manager.

Senate Bill 510 (Correa, D-Santa Ana), sponsored by the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.), increases the responsibility and accountability of licensees managing real estate offices.  Under this measure, a broker of record would be permitted to appoint an eligible real estate broker or salesperson to supervise branch office operations, provided that a contract detailing the duties and responsibilities to be performed by the office manager is in writing and DRE is notified.   Principal brokers would remain accountable for their own supervisorial responsibilities; the DRE would also be able to discipline office managers for failure to supervise.

“SB 510 will make office managers accountable if they fail to properly supervise their sales agents,” said C.A.R. President Beth L. Peerce.  “This bill will ensure that California consumers receive the protections to which they’re entitled when they walk into a real estate sales office.”

SB 510 passed off the Assembly floor today by a vote of 57-11.  It now goes to Gov. Brown for his signature.

Leading the way…® in California real estate for more than 100 years, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (www.car.org) is one of the largest state trade organizations in the United States, with more than 160,000 members dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate. C.A.R. is headquartered in Los Angeles.