No CMA (Comparable Market Analysis)

A CMA is the core tool for evaluating fair market price — your agent benchmarks recent comparable sales to give you a defensible offer range. Reserved for clients.

Without a CMA, you only have the asking price to anchor on — and asking can be deliberately under-priced (to manufacture multiple offers) or over-priced (testing the market). Direct result: you overpay or miss out.

No Negotiation Strategy

Closing price isn’t just a number — it’s a package of conditions (inspection, financing, closing date, chattels list, deposit). Clients get a full offer-strategy session; SRPs are on their own. You’ll write an offer the seller’s agent can pick apart, with no one optimizing the conditions for you.

Limited Access to Off-Public Info

Non-public information — prior offers the seller rejected, other buyers in the pipeline, the seller’s moving deadline pressure — is critical leverage. As a client, your agent can probe peer agents for these signals; as an SRP, no one will share them with you.

No Fiduciary Duty

Brokerages owe clients loyalty, confidentiality, disclosure, and reasonable care and skill. SRPs don’t get most of these. The brokerage can serve the seller’s interests simultaneously and has no duty to protect your private information.

Real-world example: you tell the agent “my max is $1.1M” — as an SRP, that line can flow to the listing agent because there’s no confidentiality obligation.

No Conditional-Period Guidance

The conditional period (5–10 business days) requires choosing the right inspector, interpreting the inspection report, reviewing the Status Certificate (for condos), confirming financing, verifying permits and zoning. Clients get hands-on guidance through every step; SRPs do not — and missing any one step can become a serious post-closing problem.

What happens if I don’t sign a BRA under TRESA 2023?

You’re an SRP. The brokerage can only give you objective information — no CMA, no negotiation guidance, no contract advice, no fiduciary protections.

Am I locked into one agent if I sign?

Within the term and scope, yes. Contracts can be ended by mutual agreement. Start with a short-term BRA after interviewing.

Most important BRA clauses?

Term and scope, commission, holdover, dual agency. All negotiable — read every line.

Is being asked to sign a BRA after viewings normal?

No — TRESA requires the discussion before showings. Reconsider the agent if it happens after the fact.