Uh-oh.

In Maryland, a licensee owes clients fiduciary duties that include reasonable skill and care, loyalty, obedience to lawful instructions, disclosure, confidentiality, accounting, and prompt presentation of all written offers. Failing to present an offer promptly breaches the duty of reasonable care and the professional standard of practice and is treated as negligence (a failure to exercise the care a reasonably prudent licensee would exercise under similar circumstances). This is distinct from:

Fraud (intentional deception),

Misrepresentation (false statement or omission of material fact),

Puffing (non-factual opinion or sales talk).

Because the buyer’s financial harm flowed from the licensee’s carelessness (delay), the appropriate theory is negligence.

References (Maryland Sources / Pre-Licensing Core Content):

Maryland Business Occupations and Professions Article, Title 17 (Real Estate Brokers Act) — duties to clients; grounds for discipline for incompetence or negligence.

COMAR 09.11.02 (MREC Code of Ethics) — obligation to promptly present all written offers and perform with reasonable skill and care.

Maryland 60-Hour Pre-Licensing Course: “Real Estate Brokerage and the Law of Agency” (fiduciary duties; standards of care; prompt presentation of offers).