National curriculum lesson 92 · Agency

Non-Agency, Customers, Ministerial Acts, and Authority

A client is represented under an agency or brokerage relationship; a customer is not represented but still receives honesty, required disclosure, and competent ministerial service. Ministerial acts are factual or administrative tasks that do not require discretion or advocacy. Actual authority comes from the principal; apparent authority arises from the principal's manifestations to a third party, not solely from the agent's claim.

Facts checked against the current PSI Candidate Information Bulletin and GREC sources. Last reviewed August 2, 2026. Editorial standards.

What is the exam-ready answer?

Official syllabus mapping for Non-Agency, Customers, Ministerial Acts, and Authority
Roadmap lesson	92 of 500
Official syllabus topic	Non-Agency, Customers, Ministerial Acts, and Authority
Official PSI area	Agency
Published area weight	13% of the 100-question national portion
Exam portion	National salesperson portion
Source edition	PSI Georgia Candidate Information Bulletin dated July 1, 2026
Last verified	August 2, 2026

The Rule

PSI publishes the weight for the complete content area, not a fixed question count for this lesson. Learn the rule well enough to apply it when PSI changes names, numbers, or parties in a new scenario.

Complete lesson

Read each concept as part of one decision system. The exam often gives one accurate statement and three statements that belong to a nearby concept.

Clients and customers

The brokerage advocates within lawful duties for a client. A customer may receive property facts, forms, scheduling, and other neutral assistance without receiving fiduciary representation.

Ministerial acts

Examples can include identifying available property, providing preprinted information, scheduling appointments, and conveying communications without advice or discretion.

Actual authority

Express authority is directly granted. Implied authority includes acts reasonably necessary to perform the express assignment, within legal and contractual limits.

Apparent authority and ratification

Apparent authority depends on what the principal causes a third party reasonably to believe. Ratification occurs when the principal knowingly affirms an unauthorized act.

Decision rule

Ask who made the representation of authority and whether the conduct requires judgment for one party's benefit.

Georgia-specific distinction

BRRETA allows Georgia brokers to perform ministerial acts for an unrepresented person without creating a brokerage engagement. The licensee should clearly disclose whom the firm represents and avoid slipping from neutral assistance into undisclosed advocacy.

Worked example

Scenario. A listing licensee gives an unrepresented buyer a property flyer and schedules a showing without advising what price to offer.

Reason it through. The tasks are factual and administrative and do not show advocacy for the buyer.

Answer. These can be ministerial acts and do not alone create buyer representation.

Common exam traps

Treating courtesy as agency automatically
Giving strategic advice while calling it ministerial
Basing apparent authority only on the agent's claim
Withholding material facts from a customer

Original practice questions with detailed explanations

These questions were written for instruction and mapped to the current outline. They are not copied from PSI or any live examination. Choose an answer before opening the explanation.

Question 1

Who creates apparent authority through manifestations to a third party?

A. Principal
B. Agent alone
C. Customer alone
D. Appraiser

Show answer and explanation →

Answer: A. Principal

Apparent authority rests on the principal's words or conduct reasonably perceived by the third party.

Question 2

Which is most likely ministerial?

A. Advising a buyer's maximum offer
B. Scheduling a showing
C. Negotiating against the seller
D. Choosing a legal remedy

Show answer and explanation →

Answer: B. Scheduling a showing

Scheduling is an administrative task that generally does not require discretion or advocacy.

Question 3

Is a customer owed truthful treatment and required material-fact disclosure?

A. Yes
B. No
C. Only after closing
D. Only if paying the commission

Show answer and explanation →

Answer: A. Yes

Nonrepresentation does not authorize dishonesty or concealment of facts that must be disclosed.

Mastery tracking

Mark this lesson mastered only when every statement is true.

State the direct answer and decision rule without notes.
Explain every core concept in plain English.
Solve the worked example after changing one important fact.
Identify the Georgia distinction before reading answer choices.
Answer all three questions correctly and reject every distractor.
Repeat the topic in mixed practice on a later day.

Recommended next lesson

Continue with Agent Duties to Clients and Customers. Continue to roadmap lesson 93 and build on this decision rule.

Return to the Agency hub to see every official branch and the complete lesson sequence for this content area.

Non-Agency, Customers, Ministerial Acts, and Authority questions

Facts checked against the current PSI Candidate Information Bulletin and GREC sources. Last reviewed August 2, 2026. Editorial standards.

Is Non-Agency, Customers, Ministerial Acts, and Authority on the Georgia real estate exam?

Yes. It belongs to PSI's Agency content area, which is 13% of the 100-question national portion. PSI publishes content-area weights, not a guaranteed question count for this individual lesson.

What is the main rule for Non-Agency, Customers, Ministerial Acts, and Authority?

Ask who made the representation of authority and whether the conduct requires judgment for one party's benefit.

What Georgia-specific distinction should I remember?

How do I know I have mastered this lesson?

Explain the rule without notes, solve the worked example again with changed facts, answer all original questions correctly, explain every distractor, and repeat mixed practice on a later day.