Massachusetts-specific topic map
This guide organizes state-specific legal study areas for review. The topic map does not promise that every listed subject will appear on a particular examination, does not provide individualized legal advice, and makes no pass-rate claim.
1. Agency disclosure and the facilitator role
RE57R07 and 254 CMR 3.00 address brokerage relationships and the licensee-consumer relationship disclosure. Massachusetts recognizes seller's agent, buyer's agent, dual agent, designated agent, and facilitator roles. A facilitator assists without representing either party and without fiduciary duties of loyalty or obedience, while duties such as accounting for funds honestly and disclosing known material defects still apply.
2. The Offer to Purchase and Massachusetts case law
Massachusetts case law has treated a signed Offer to Purchase containing all material terms as potentially enforceable even when the parties expect a later purchase-and-sale agreement. That makes the document more than an automatically nonbinding preliminary step. Review the current official offers curriculum and controlling Massachusetts law rather than treating this summary as transaction advice.
3. Escrow and client funds
254 CMR 3.10 governs escrow and client-fund handling, including deposit, recordkeeping, disbursement, and signing-authority requirements. Confirm the current rule directly in 254 CMR 3.00 before handling funds.
4. Chapter 93A consumer protection
Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 93A addresses unfair or deceptive acts and practices and creates consumer-protection exposure relevant to real estate activity. Review the official curriculum together with professional-conduct rules; this overview is not legal advice about a claim.
5. Residential rentals and broker fees
For residential leases entered on or after August 1, 2025, the party who hires a broker or salesperson pays that professional's fee. A broker hired by the landlord may not shift that fee to the tenant. Written fee disclosures remain relevant under current 254 CMR 7.00 and the Board's residential-rental curriculum, so verify the disclosure and timing rules from those direct sources.
6. Residential security deposits
A residential security deposit is limited to one month's rent and generally must be held in a separate, interest-bearing account at a Massachusetts bank. The tenant must receive written bank and account information within 30 days. After the tenancy ends, the landlord generally has 30 days to return the deposit or provide a lawful accounting and return any balance. Mishandling can carry statutory consequences under M.G.L. c. 186 § 15B; use the official guidance and obtain legal advice for an individual dispute.
7. Title 5 property-transfer requirements
A Title 5 septic-system inspection is generally required within two years before a property transfer. The inspection's validity may extend to three years when qualifying annual pumping records are available, and delayed inspection may be available when weather prevents completion. Specific family-transfer and other exemptions exist, so use current MassDEP guidance rather than assuming every septic property follows the same branch.
8. Lead-paint notification
Under current Massachusetts lead-notification guidance, a prospective buyer of residential property built before 1978 must receive the required notification before becoming contractually committed, along with known lead information and available reports. If a child under six will live or continue to live in the home, the new owner must have the property deleaded or brought under Interim Control within 90 days of taking title.
9. Smoke and carbon-monoxide transfer compliance
For a covered residential home sale or transfer, the seller must obtain the applicable local fire-department smoke and carbon monoxide alarm compliance certificate. Requirements depend on the property and its installation history. Schedule the local inspection after the closing date is known, and confirm local scheduling details rather than assuming a universal statewide inspection fee.
10. Foreclosure basics
Massachusetts commonly uses the power-of-sale, nonjudicial foreclosure route. The governing notice and sale framework must be followed, and under the standard power-of-sale route the borrower's equitable right of redemption ends at the foreclosure auction. Do not assume there is a general post-sale statutory redemption period. Consult current Massachusetts foreclosure-law resources and qualified counsel for an actual foreclosure.
11. License status and apartment-rental rules
License status and broker affiliation affect when licensed activity may be performed. Apartment rentals also have dedicated advertising, record, fee-disclosure, and conduct rules in 254 CMR 7.00; review the current regulation and Board curriculum rather than relying on a generic leasing summary.
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