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House passes bill to require buyer agency agreements before showings to comply with court ruling
Summary
The House approved House Bill 596, removing the words "or while" from an agency-agreement statute in response to litigation; sponsors said the change brings Missouri into compliance with Burnett v. NAR.
The Missouri House on March 25, 2025, approved House Bill 596 on third reading, a technical change that requires a real estate buyer agency agreement to be executed before agents show property. Supporters described the bill as a compliance measure following litigation and said it protects both consumers and agents. The House vote was recorded as 123 yeas and 4 nays.
Sponsor remarks said the bill strikes two words from the existing statute (removing "or while") so that a written agency agreement must be in place before a designated broker acts as a single agent for a buyer or tenant. The sponsor told colleagues the change brings Missouri law into compliance with the court decision Burnett v. NAR (02/2024).
During floor discussion, lawmakers who are licensed real estate agents described industry practices and said many brokers already use early written agreements; proponents said the bill mainly aligns practice with the law. One member, a licensed agent, said she had a client working with her for months only to have the client leave without a signed agreement and called the change appropriate.
No substantive exceptions, new penalties or fiscal impacts were discussed on the floor. The bill passed on third reading and will proceed to the Senate.
