Iowa · Agency disclosureIowa agency disclosure: at the first specific assistance, and signed in writing before any offer

An Iowa licensee may not represent a party unless the licensee makes an agency disclosure to the party represented (Iowa Code §543B.57(1)). The disclosure is made when the licensee provides specific assistance to the client, meaning eliciting or accepting confidential information about the party's needs, motivation or finances, or information about a proposed offer on specific property; open houses, preliminary conversations about price range and location, and answers to general questions about advertised property do not count (§543B.57(2)(a), (c)). A written disclosure must be made before an offer is made or accepted, acknowledged by separate signatures of the represented parties (§543B.57(2)(b)). The form states who the licensee's client is and the licensee's duties under §543B.56 (§543B.57(3)). A buyer's licensee tells the listing licensee about the agency relationship, verbally or in writing, before negotiations begin (§543B.57(5)), and representing both buyer and seller requires both parties' written consent (§543B.58).