When marketing a property with known boundary disputes, which action best aligns with ethical marketing?

• A. Withhold all boundary information to avoid buyer concern.
• B. Blame adjacent property owners publicly for the dispute.
• C. Disclose known boundary issues and recommend professional surveys; avoid misrepresenting property extent.
• D. Provide speculative boundary lines.

Answer: (C)

The main concept here is ethical disclosure and due diligence when marketing a property with known boundary disputes. The right approach is to be transparent about the issues and to guide the buyer toward an objective determination of boundaries by a professional survey, without misrepresenting the property’s extent. This protects buyers with the information they need to decide and protects the seller and agent from liability by adhering to standards of honesty and accuracy. Disclosing known boundary issues and recommending a professional survey shows responsibility and maintains trust, which is essential in real estate practice.

withholding boundary information misleads buyers and can create liability; blaming neighbors is unprofessional and unproductive; and providing speculative boundary lines is misleading because only a licensed survey establishes true boundaries.