Most real estate brokers and brokerage owners buy E&保险啊, along with the rest of their professional insurance program, with the understanding that these policies protect their firms and employees from lawsuits alleging malpractice, 身体伤害, 或网络犯罪.
All parties should know when, if, and how coverage might apply before something goes wrong. 不要对任何承保范围一概而论. 例如, one type of policy might cover an instance of 身体伤害—a client slips, 瀑布, 在一个开放的房子里受伤了, 但不是在放映期间. Another type of policy offers coverage for the exact opposite scenario.
明确权限
适用的保险范围, the representative of the real estate firm must be acting on behalf of, 并以…的权威, 指定被保险人. 换句话说, if an agent does something without the permission of the broker/owner and a claim results, 承保范围可以被拒绝.
Put all permissible activities and responsibilities of the agent in the independent contractor agreement, so everybody knows up front if property management, 商业销售, 券商价格意见, 或者其他任何事情都是允许的, 被禁止的, 或者需要特别批准.
If there is a claim resulting from the alleged actions or inactions of an agent, 谁负责免赔额? Be sure to include that information in the independent contractor agreement to avoid an ugly dispute during the already stressful time of a lawsuit.
信任过程
As policy requirements dictate when and how a claim must be filed, brokers should inform agents and employees of the importance of timely and accurate reporting of a potential problem. 如果提起诉讼, only the broker or a designated representative should be speaking with the attorneys. 所有其他通讯都要封锁. Please do not go on Facebook expressing your indignation and professing your innocence!
As computer network breaches and wire fraud become almost commonplace in the real estate industry, broker/owners can help lessen the risk by establishing clear and expected protocols. Almost all cybercrime is the result of human behavior. Training on the recognition of fraudulent emails, 链接, and attachments can be of considerable benefit. Requiring the use of company-approved and secured email addresses and websites can be extremely helpful.
阅读细则
The above only offers an overview of insurance issues and resulting potential conflicts.
如果你是一个经纪人, take a deep dive into your policies and convey the coverage as best possible to agents and employees. 如果你是代理人, it is OK to ask what is your share of the deductible or how you might be covered for certain activities. Consult with an insurance representative who is familiar with your industry and how it is insured.
The wrong time to find out about any of this is when you are holding the letter from the plaintiff’s attorney. Like many things in life, a little knowledge and prevention goes a long way!