Log inStart free

Can a listing agent share the highest offer with other buyers in California?

Allowed with the seller's permission

No prohibition; C.A.R. Statewide Buyer and Seller Advisory expressly warns offers are non-confidential unless a written confidentiality agreement (Form CND) is signed.

The rule

C.A.R. SBSA 'Non-Confidentiality of Offers'; Form CND; Form PRBS

Read the source · Source dated 2018-2021

How this works in practice

In California, the seller decides whether other buyers can learn about competing offers. Before a listing agent shares the highest offer price, the seller should give permission in writing, and it helps to have that on file before the first buyer asks.

Every invited buyer should get the same information at the same time: the highest offer price and the deadline. Buyers should also be told up front that their own offer price may be shared with the other invited buyers.

The main risk is uneven treatment, not disclosure itself. Telling one buyer's agent the current highest offer and leaving the others out can break fair-dealing rules even where sharing is allowed. Share the same information with everyone, present every written offer to the seller, and keep a record.

Running an offer round in California

A BindingOffers round is built this way: the seller signs a disclosure consent before the round can go live, every buyer agrees that their offer price may be shown before they can submit, everyone sees the same highest offer at the same moment, and every offer is timestamped and passed to the seller.

Run your first round free

Last reviewed September 20, 2026. Confidence: high.

General information, not legal advice. Check with your broker or your state's real estate commission.

Report an update