A listing broker receives a signed offer from a buyer. Although the broker must present the offer to the seller as soon as possible, under the North…

According to the North Carolina Real Estate Commission (NCREC) Rule 21 NCAC 58A .0106(a), a broker has a duty to deliver copies of any written offer to purchase to the parties involved. While the rule emphasizes immediate delivery ("as soon as possible"), it establishes a firm, maximum deadline. The rule explicitly states that this delivery must occur "in no event later than three days from the date of execution" of the document. Therefore, the absolute latest a broker can present an offer to the seller is within three days.

A. The rule does not specify a 24-hour deadline, although the duty of diligence implies prompt presentation.

B. The rule uses calendar days, not business days, and sets a three-day limit, not the end of the next business day.

C. The maximum timeframe mandated by the NCREC rule is specifically three days, not two.

1. North Carolina Administrative Code. (2023). Title 21, Chapter 58A, Section .0106: Delivery of Instruments. "Every broker shall immediately, but in no event later than three days from the date of execution, deliver to the parties thereto a copy of any written agency agreement, contract, offer to purchase, lease, or option."

2. North Carolina Real Estate Commission. (2023). North Carolina Real Estate Manual. Chapter 7, Agency Relationships and Practices, p. 238. The manual reiterates the broker's duty to deliver all offers and contracts to their clients immediately, but never later than three days after execution.

3. UNC School of Government. (2022). Introduction to North Carolina Property Law. In discussions of real estate brokerage duties, the text references the NCREC rules, including the three-day delivery requirement for instruments as a critical component of a broker's statutory obligations under 21 NCAC 58A .0106.