Tennessee Agency
Practice Questions & Answers (2026)

Agency law is one of the most tested subjects on the Tennessee real estate exam, and it's also one of the most misunderstood. The Tennessee Real Estate Commission (TREC) expects licensees to understand the legal duties owed to clients vs. customers, and the specific timing of required disclosures under Tennessee law. Study these questions carefully — candidates who rely on national agency frameworks and don't account for TN-specific rules are among the most common failures on the state portion.

Practice Questions

Tennessee Agency — Practice Questions & Answers

134 questions on Agency from the Tennessee real estate question bank. First 10 are free — sign up to unlock all 134.

Q1. In Tennessee, when representing a buyer, an affiliate broker is required to:

A.Always charge the buyer a separate fee
B.Provide the buyer with an agency disclosure before substantive discussions
C.Obtain a written buyer representation agreement before showing any property
D.Disclose the buyer's financial qualifications to all sellers

Explanation

Tennessee law requires agency disclosure to be provided to a buyer before any substantive discussion about real property, so they understand who the broker represents.

Q2. A Tennessee affiliate broker is working with a buyer but has no buyer representation agreement. The broker is most likely acting as:

A.A buyer's agent
B.A subagent of the seller
C.A transactional broker
D.A designated agent

Explanation

Without a buyer representation agreement, an affiliate broker working with a buyer is typically a subagent of the seller (the listing broker's principal). This means the broker's duties run to the seller, not the buyer.

Q3. A principal broker in Tennessee owes which of the following duties to a customer (non-client)?

A.Loyalty and confidentiality
B.Honest and fair dealing and disclosure of material facts
C.Full fiduciary duties including obedience
D.Advocacy for the customer's best interests

Explanation

To customers (non-clients), a broker owes the duties of honest and fair dealing and disclosure of material facts. Full fiduciary duties—including loyalty, obedience, and confidentiality—are owed only to clients.

Q4. In Tennessee, the duty of confidentiality to a client means the broker may NOT disclose:

A.The existence of multiple offers on the property
B.Known material defects in the property
C.That the seller will accept less than the listed price
D.That the property is located in a flood zone

Explanation

The duty of confidentiality prohibits disclosing a client's bargaining position, such as the seller's willingness to accept less than the asking price. Material defects and flood zone information are facts that must be disclosed to all parties.

Q5. An agency relationship is generally terminated by all of the following EXCEPT:

A.Expiration of the listing agreement
B.Death of the principal
C.Transfer of the listing to another agent within the same brokerage
D.Mutual consent of the parties

Explanation

Transferring a listing to another agent within the same brokerage does not terminate the agency relationship between the brokerage and the seller. The agency relationship ends by expiration, completion, mutual consent, death of a party, or other legally recognized events.

Q6. A Tennessee broker who represents neither party in a transaction but assists both in completing the transaction is known as a:

A.Dual agent
B.Transaction broker / facilitator
C.Designated agent
D.Subagent

Explanation

A transaction broker (also called a facilitator) assists both parties in a transaction without acting as an agent for either. They do not owe fiduciary duties to either party but must treat both honestly and fairly.

Q7. In Tennessee, a 'designated agency' arrangement means:

A.The brokerage represents both buyer and seller simultaneously
B.The principal broker designates one licensee to represent the buyer and another to represent the seller within the same firm
C.The agent is designated by the court to handle a real estate transaction
D.TREC has designated the brokerage as the lead agency in a multi-offer transaction

Explanation

Designated agency in Tennessee allows a principal broker to appoint one licensee in the firm to represent the seller exclusively and another to represent the buyer exclusively, even within the same transaction, to avoid true dual agency.

Q8. The Tennessee Agency Disclosure document must be provided to a prospective buyer or seller:

A.At closing
B.Before or at the first substantive contact
C.Only after a listing agreement is signed
D.At the time of the offer presentation

Explanation

Tennessee law requires that the agency disclosure be provided before or at the first substantive contact with a buyer or seller, so the consumer understands who the licensee represents before any confidential information is shared.

Q9. A seller's agent in Tennessee MUST disclose to a buyer:

A.The seller's minimum acceptable price
B.That the seller has received other offers
C.Material defects the agent knows about the property
D.The seller's reason for moving

Explanation

Even a seller's agent owes the duty to disclose known material defects to buyers. This duty exists regardless of the agency relationship. The seller's bargaining position and personal information are confidential.

Q10. Implied agency arises when:

A.A written agency contract is signed by both parties
B.A court appoints an agent for an incapacitated person
C.Conduct and actions of the parties indicate an agency relationship without a formal agreement
D.TREC assigns a licensee to an unrepresented seller

Explanation

Implied agency is created through the actions and conduct of the parties rather than a formal written agreement. In real estate, this can arise when a licensee's behavior leads a consumer to reasonably believe the licensee is their agent.

Q11. A Tennessee broker who represents both the buyer and seller in the same transaction without disclosure and written consent is guilty of:

A.Designated agency
B.Subagency
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