Utility Easements and Land Use

In order for not-for-profits to best leverage their real estate assets, they must first have a good understanding of their assets, their options, and market conditions. Join CohnReznick, along with Goldstein Hall, Denham Wolf, and Think Forward Financial, for an informative webinar that will provide not-for-profits with practical advice and best practices for leveraging real estate to support their missions, operations, and financial needs.

Get a Bigger Bang – With Your Mystery Shops: Why do we think mystery shops are an essential development tool? When judging is the driving force on reality shows like AGT or Iron Chef, we need to remember that a mystery shop is not used to judge but rather to track performance to develop and guide adults on a career path.

The Advanced Real Estate Finance course will provide the intermediate to senior level real estate professional with techniques used to analyze, finance and structure real estate transactions. It was designed to provide a decision-making framework that offers attendees an intuitive understanding of real estate finance and investment and provides the ability to analyze a broad range of real estate problems and decisions.

When buying a commercial real estate property, the brokerage agreement is between the buyer or seller and the broker. The broker is an agent of the buyer or seller and, as an agent, has fiduciary duties to the client. Sometimes the broker could act as a dual agent, which creates potential conflicts of interest. Real estate counsel can serve to ensure the broker will represent a client's interest in a transaction by crafting a detailed agreement that meets those needs. Most states recognize that real estate brokers occupy a position of trust through a fiduciary relationship with the parties they represent. A fiduciary relationship brings with it requirements of fidelity and good faith. These issues are often raised in claims that an agent has acted as a real estate broker and a buyer (or seller) of a property. It is a potentially dangerous position for an agent to occupy. The benefit of the brokerage agreement is clear communication between the buyer (or seller) and the broker. It is an excellent opportunity to discuss who will perform what tasks. At a minimum, the best agreements shall establish: (1) the timing for completing tasks, (2) when and how the broker is paid, (3) how to handle broker expenses, and (4) when the broker's representation ends. The broker agreement should limit liability and include indemnification language that protects the broker from the client's acts and ensures that clients are not held responsible for the broker's act. Because this is an agency relationship, the client must communicate to the broker what representations or statements the broker can make on behalf of the buyer or seller. If a dual agent situation cannot be avoided, the issues of potential conflicts of interest should be addressed in the agreement. Listen as our expert panel discusses what constitutes an enforceable broker agreement, clarifies provisions to establish clear fiduciary duties, and outlines how to avoid conflicts of interest while limiting potential liability for the acts of others.