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Trends in Real Estate Claims

3/5/19

By: Peter Catalanotti

In representing real estate brokers through their Errors & Omissions insurance for over a decade, I often get asked what types of claims are trending. What follows is my experience regarding real estate broker claim trends.
Real estate broker claims tend to track the economy.
In increasing and level markets, the claims against real estate brokers often include equitable relief such as specific performance. Often times the plaintiff/buyer will be a plaintiff/attempted buyer. With increasing or level markets, sellers may receive multiple offers. The decision of which offer a seller should take is sometimes a close call. When something goes wrong during the transaction or delays the close of escrow, the seller often prefers to get out of the purchase contract and sell to a backup buyer. Sellers may think that the backup buyer will be less trouble. Occasionally, the seller will offer to repurchase the property.
In decreasing markets and recessions, we see more claims for misrepresentation, failure to disclose, and fraud cases. Sometimes, these cases often involve buyer’s remorse. Plaintiff/buyer then sues for damages. The property they purchased is worth less than they paid for it, so the buyer has an interest in recouping this loss. At least in California, there is almost always a defect in a transaction that an expert can exploit. A buyer who was marginally able to afford a property may be looking for a way out. Buyers behind on mortgage payments may sue the lender, mortgage broker, and real estate broker in an attempt to renegotiate the terms of their mortgage.
One of the reasons that real estate broker claims are hard to track is that the cases that make it to an appellate court or state supreme court were most likely filed years earlier. Therefore, when analyzing a real estate broker claim, it is important to take note of the economy at the time of purchase and the motivations of the plaintiff. Understanding the plaintiff’s motivation can at times help bring the case close to an early resolution.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Peter Catalanotti at pcatalanotti@fmglaw.com.