Florida No Brokerage Relationship Disclosure for Referrals

A referral-only license plan can keep a Florida license active, but it doesn't erase agency law. Florida no brokerage relationship rules matter when your contact with a buyer or seller moves beyond a simple introduction.

If you don't show homes, write offers, or negotiate terms, you may wonder whether you need a written disclosure. The answer depends on your actual conduct, the type of transaction, and your broker's policy. This guide covers the rule and practical limits for referral-only agents. It provides general educational information, not legal advice.

What Florida no brokerage relationship means

A no brokerage relationship means the licensee doesn't represent the buyer or seller as an agent. The relationship carries only the duties listed in Florida law, rather than the broader responsibilities associated with transaction brokerage or single agency.

Under Florida Statutes section 475.278, Florida presumes that a licensee is acting as a transaction broker unless a single-agent relationship or no brokerage relationship is established in writing.

The phrase describes the legal relationship with a customer. It doesn't describe whether your brokerage is traditional, virtual, part-time, or referral-only. Your business model can limit your activities, but your conduct still determines which rules may apply.

The three duties under a no brokerage relationship

When a no brokerage relationship applies to a residential sale, the licensee owes these statutory duties:

• Deal honestly and fairly with the buyer or seller.
• Disclose known facts that materially affect the value of residential real property and aren't readily observable to the buyer.
• Account for all funds entrusted to the licensee.

These are minimum duties. A no brokerage disclosure isn't a waiver of every other law, rule, or brokerage requirement. It also doesn't authorize you to provide services that your referral-only agreement or broker prohibits.

The residential-sale limitation matters. Section 475.278 includes exceptions and doesn't apply in the same way to every rental, commercial transaction, auction, appraisal, or business opportunity.

When must a referral-only agent provide written disclosure?

Florida requires the no brokerage duties to be disclosed in writing before the showing of property. That timing applies when your role includes conduct covered by the brokerage relationship rules.

A referral-only agent who only identifies a prospect and sends the contact to an active agent may never show property. However, you shouldn't assume that the referral label answers every disclosure question. An in-person property tour, offer discussion, or negotiation can change the analysis.

The Florida Real Estate Commission licensing syllabus also identifies written disclosure before showing property as the statutory requirement.

Timing and delivery requirements

The notice must reach the buyer or seller before the showing , not after the appointment or once negotiations begin. Your brokerage may require earlier delivery as part of its compliance process.

If the notice appears inside another document, Florida law requires conspicuous placement. The type can't be smaller than the other provisions, and the first sentence of the notice must appear in uppercase bold type.

A signature or acknowledgment may be required by your brokerage's form or electronic system. Follow the procedure your broker gives you, keep records of delivery, and don't edit approved language without permission.

Situations with statutory exceptions

Section 475.278 contains exceptions for limited communications about the licensee's or brokerage firm's qualifications, background, and services. That allows you to explain who you are and what your brokerage does without turning every introductory conversation into a property showing.

A bona fide open house or model home showing may also fall within an exception when the activity doesn't involve eliciting confidential information, signing an offer or representation agreement, or negotiating price, terms, or conditions.

That exception is narrow. It isn't a blanket exemption for any property tour. If you plan to attend an open house, meet a prospect at a property, or help with a walkthrough, ask your broker which policy applies before you go.

How the three Florida brokerage relationships differ

Florida no brokerage relationship isn't the same as transaction brokerage or single agency. The distinction affects what the licensee may say, do, and promise to the customer.

Transaction brokerage is the default

Transaction brokerage gives limited representation to a buyer, seller, or both. The licensee doesn't act as a fiduciary or single agent, but still has duties beyond the no-brokerage relationship.

The default matters because silence doesn't automatically create nonrepresentation. If you want a no brokerage relationship, the relationship must be established in writing when the law requires it.

Single agency is a different responsibility

Florida defines a single agent as a broker who represents either the buyer or seller as a fiduciary, but not both in the same transaction. The statutory definition appears in section 475.01, Florida Statutes.

A referral-only licensee shouldn't suggest that the prospect has a single-agent relationship with them. The active receiving agent and that agent's brokerage must establish and disclose the appropriate relationship for the services they provide.

Florida law also prohibits disclosed and nondisclosed dual agency. A referral arrangement shouldn't be used to create confusion about who represents whom.

What a Referral-Only Real Estate Agent can do

A Referral-Only Real Estate Agent connects a buyer, seller, landlord, or investor with an active agent who will handle the transaction. The referral agent may keep a Florida license active without taking on showings, listing appointments, contract preparation, or closing work.

The safest role is narrow and clear. You can identify a potential client, explain your brokerage's referral process, obtain permission to share contact information, and submit the referral through your broker's approved system.

You can also provide general information about your qualifications and services. Keep the conversation focused on the handoff instead of giving property-specific advice or presenting yourself as the customer's representative.

Direct Connect Brokerage provides Florida referral-only brokerage FAQs covering referral-agent logistics, licensing, and how referrals move to active agents.

Keep the first conversation limited

A referral conversation can establish the person's basic needs, preferred location, property type, and contact details. Still, avoid gathering confidential financial information unless your broker has approved that process.

Don't analyze whether the person should buy, tell them what price to offer, advise them about inspection responses, or interpret contract terms. Those tasks belong with the active agent and, when appropriate, the customer's attorney or other licensed professional.

Use plain language when describing your role. For example, tell the prospect that you are making an introduction and that an active agent will discuss representation, property services, and transaction details.

Make the handoff through your brokerage

Use the brokerage's referral intake system, referral agreement, and communication channel. The agreement between brokerages may control how the referral fee is documented and paid.

Don't promise the consumer a particular commission, closing date, price, or result. Don't collect a deposit, earnest money, or other transaction funds unless your broker has specifically authorized the activity and the law allows it.

Once the receiving agent accepts the referral, let that agent handle property questions and representation discussions. Document the referral date, the prospect's consent to the contact, and the receiving agent's acceptance according to brokerage policy.

When conduct can change the analysis

A label doesn't control if your actions look like brokerage services. The fact that you call yourself referral-only doesn't protect conduct that goes beyond an introduction.

Potential warning signs include:

• Arranging or conducting a private property tour.
• Advising a buyer or seller about price, offer terms, or negotiation strategy.
• Preparing, presenting, or explaining an offer or representation agreement.
• Soliciting confidential information for purposes beyond the referral.

These activities don't automatically answer every legal question, but they should prompt a call to your broker before you continue. A no brokerage disclosure doesn't authorize services that belong to an active transaction agent.

Referral compensation alone doesn't decide the relationship

Receiving or expecting a referral fee doesn't automatically establish agency, transaction brokerage, or nonrepresentation. Florida law looks at the written relationship and the licensee's conduct, not compensation alone.

At the same time, compensation doesn't excuse unlicensed activity or improper payment arrangements. Chapter 475 of the Florida Statutes contains the licensing framework that governs Florida brokers and sales associates.

A referral fee should flow through the proper brokers and approved agreements. Never negotiate a side payment or accept compensation directly if your brokerage rules prohibit it.

Your broker's policy may be stricter

A brokerage can restrict activities even when a statute doesn't require a particular disclosure. Your broker may prohibit property access, open-house attendance, contract discussions, or direct customer counseling for referral-only agents.

Ask for written guidance on the exact tasks you may perform. Also confirm whether your brokerage requires its own no-brokerage form for referrals, even when you don't believe the statutory showing trigger applies.

A practical workflow for Florida referral-only agents

A consistent process reduces confusion and protects the boundaries of your role.

1. Confirm your license status and broker association. The Florida Real Estate Commission licensure information page provides official licensing resources. Your brokerage should confirm that your license is properly associated before you accept referrals.
2. Use the approved intake process. Record the prospect's name, contact information, general request, consent to contact, and referral source. Avoid collecting information your role doesn't require.
3. Explain the handoff. Tell the prospect that an active agent will discuss services, representation, property details, and transaction terms. Don't imply that you personally represent the prospect.
4. Send the referral promptly. Use the brokerage portal, CRM, email process, or other approved system. Record when the referral was submitted and which active agent received it.
5. Stop when the conversation becomes transactional. If the prospect asks about an offer, valuation, contract, inspection, negotiation, or property access, transfer the question to the active agent.
6. Ask before making an exception. If you want to attend a showing, open house, inspection, listing appointment, or closing, get broker approval first. A verbal assumption about your role isn't a substitute for written policy.

Questions agents often ask about the disclosure

Do I need the form if I never show property?

Not every referral conversation requires a no brokerage disclosure. If you only provide general information and make an introduction, the statutory showing requirement may not be triggered.

However, the answer can depend on what you actually say and do, whether the matter involves a residential sale, and how your brokerage defines referral activity. Ask your broker before taking on tasks that resemble representation.

Can the form cover a property showing?

The form discloses the limited duties in a no brokerage relationship. It doesn't give you permission to negotiate, prepare an offer, provide representation, or perform activities outside your approved role.

If you will show property, get instructions before scheduling the appointment. Your broker may require a different relationship, a separate form, or an active agent to handle the entire contact.

Does the phrase "no brokerage relationship" remove all risk?

No. The disclosure identifies a limited relationship, but it doesn't cure misleading statements, mishandling of funds, improper compensation, undisclosed material facts, or activity beyond your license and brokerage permissions.

The safest referral practice is to make the introduction, document it, and hand the prospect to an active agent before substantive real estate services begin.

Conclusion

A Florida no brokerage relationship disclosure is part of a larger compliance process. Florida presumes transaction brokerage unless a different relationship is established in writing, and the no-brokerage notice must be delivered before a covered property showing.

For referral-only agents, the clearest boundary is practical: make the introduction, avoid transaction advice and property activity, use your brokerage's approved systems, and transfer substantive questions to the active agent. A written disclosure can clarify duties, but your conduct and broker policy still control the limits of your role .