Rhode Island Agency
Practice Questions & Answers (2026)
Agency law is one of the most tested subjects on the Rhode Island real estate exam, and it's also one of the most misunderstood. The Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation expects licensees to understand the legal duties owed to clients vs. customers, and the specific timing of required disclosures under Rhode Island law. Study these questions carefully — candidates who rely on national agency frameworks and don't account for RI-specific rules are among the most common failures on the state portion.
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Rhode Island Agency — Practice Questions & Answers
120 questions on Agency from the Rhode Island real estate question bank. First 10 are free — sign up to unlock all 120.
Q1. In Rhode Island, the agency disclosure form must be provided to a prospective buyer or seller:
Explanation
Rhode Island requires real estate licensees to provide the agency disclosure form at the first substantive contact with a prospective buyer or seller, before any real estate services are provided, so consumers understand the agent's role.
Q2. A Rhode Island agent who represents neither the buyer nor the seller, but assists both parties with the transaction, is acting as a:
Explanation
A facilitator or transaction broker assists both buyer and seller in completing a transaction without representing either party as a client. The facilitator owes limited duties to both parties but does not owe fiduciary duties such as loyalty or confidentiality.
Q3. Fiduciary duties owed by a Rhode Island buyer's agent to their client include all of the following EXCEPT:
Explanation
A buyer's agent owes fiduciary duties — loyalty, disclosure, obedience, confidentiality, reasonable care, and accounting — to the buyer client. Prioritizing the seller's interests would be a breach of the agent's duty to the buyer.
Q4. In Rhode Island, subagency means that a cooperating broker working with the buyer is actually an agent of the:
Explanation
In a subagency arrangement, the cooperating (buyer's) broker acts as a subagent of the listing broker and, through that relationship, is legally the agent of the seller. Subagency has largely been replaced by buyer agency in most transactions.
Q5. A Rhode Island listing agent learns that the seller's property has a leaking basement that was not disclosed. The agent's duty is to:
Explanation
Even though the agent represents the seller, Rhode Island law requires disclosure of known material facts (such as a leaking basement) to prospective buyers. Concealing a known material defect exposes both the agent and seller to liability.
Q6. Agency can be terminated by all of the following EXCEPT:
Explanation
A buyer making an offer does not terminate agency. Agency relationships typically end by mutual agreement, expiration of the contract term, completion of the purpose, revocation, renunciation, or death/incapacity of either party.
Q7. In Rhode Island, a buyer's agent who also represents the seller in the same transaction without full disclosure and consent is engaging in:
Explanation
Undisclosed dual agency — representing both buyer and seller in the same transaction without the knowledge and written consent of both parties — is illegal in Rhode Island and constitutes a serious violation of license law and fiduciary duty.
Q8. A Rhode Island seller's agent owes which of the following duties to a buyer who is NOT their client?
Explanation
A seller's agent owes fiduciary duties only to the seller. However, they owe all parties — including buyers who are not their clients — honest and fair dealing and disclosure of known material facts that could affect the transaction.
Q9. Apparent authority in agency arises when:
Explanation
Apparent authority (also called ostensible authority) exists when a principal's conduct leads a third party to reasonably believe an agent has authority to act, even if that authority was not expressly granted. The principal can be bound by such acts.
Q10. A Rhode Island buyer signs a buyer representation agreement with an agent. The agent's duties include all of the following EXCEPT:
Explanation
An agent representing the buyer has a duty of confidentiality to the buyer. Disclosing the buyer's maximum price to the seller would be a serious breach of fiduciary duty. All other options are proper duties of a buyer's agent.
Q11. Which type of listing agreement gives only ONE broker the right to sell, but the owner retains the right to sell the property themselves without paying a commission?
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