Can the intermediary delegate to another license holder the authority to appoint license holders associated with the broker intermediary?
The intermediary may delegate to another license holder the authority to appoint license holders. If the intermediary authorizes another license holder to appoint associated license holders to work with the respective principals, that license holder cannot designate himself/herself as one of the appointed license holders. This is an improper combination of the different functions of intermediary and appointed license holder. It is important to remember that there will always be a single intermediary broker even if another license holder has been authorized to make the specific appointments. The intermediary is prohibited from acting so as to favor one principal over the other, and may not reveal confidential information obtained from one principal without the written instructions of that principal, unless disclosure is required by TRELA, court order, or the information materially relates to the condition of the property. The intermediary and any associated license holders appointed by the intermediary broker are prohibited from disclosing, without the written authorization from the seller, that the seller will accept a price less than the asking price or that the buyer will pay a price greater than the price submitted in a written offer. [TRELA § 1101.558]