If you’re buying or selling property in Colorado this year, there’s a new law worth knowing about before you sign anything. House Bill 26-1426 takes effect August 12, 2026, and it changes how real estate brokers — including our team — are required to work with clients from the very first conversation. This applies whether you’re purchasing a home in a Colorado Springs subdivision or selling acreage down a gravel road outside Woodland Park. The rules are the same across the state, no matter how rural your property is.
What Changed
The Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) issued an official bulletin explaining the new requirement. In short: before a broker can perform any licensed duties on your behalf — negotiating an offer, or preparing a listing agreement, for example — that broker must first put your working relationship in writing.
The statute itself, C.R.S. § 12-10-403, now states plainly that “a broker shall establish either a transaction-broker or a single-agency relationship through a written agreement between the broker and the party or parties to be represented by the broker.” That written agreement also has to “specify and conspicuously disclose the amount or rate of any compensation to be paid to the broker,” and it has to be completed before the broker performs any of the licensed activities described in C.R.S. § 12-10-201(6)(a).
Everyday activities — touring a home, attending an open house, or getting a market analysis — aren’t affected. Those don’t require a written agreement in advance. It’s the point where your broker starts actively working a transaction on your behalf that triggers the requirement.
Why This Law Exists
This wasn’t a real estate industry initiative — it came out of consumer protection, from the Department of Law under the Colorado Attorney General’s office. You can read more about their broader consumer protection work on the Colorado Attorney General’s site. The goal is straightforward: make sure buyers and sellers know upfront who their broker represents and exactly how that broker gets paid, before any negotiating happens.
An educated, informed consumer is good for everyone at the table — the broker, the brokerage, and you. Clarity at the start of a relationship heads off confusion (and disputes) later.
What This Means for You
If you’re a buyer or seller working with Keener Team Realty — or any Colorado broker — after August 12, 2026, expect to see a written agreement early in the process that spells out whether we’re acting as your transaction-broker or single agent, and exactly how compensation works. That’s not new paperwork for paperwork’s sake; it’s now the law.
If you’re presented with a non-standard contract — one drafted by a builder, a bank, or directly by a seller rather than on a Commission-approved form — you should be encouraged to seek independent legal counsel before signing it. That’s especially relevant if you’re buying new construction or a for-sale-by-owner property.
A note for our rural clients: Because we cover quite a bit of rural Colorado in addition to Woodland Park and the surrounding area, this law matters just as much — arguably more — out here. Rural transactions more often involve custom or non-standard contracts: land sales, properties with well and septic considerations, owner-carry financing, or builder agreements on new construction. Those are exactly the situations where the law’s legal-counsel recommendation is worth taking seriously, and where having clear, written terms with your broker from day one protects you.
Learn More
This post is a plain-language summary, not legal advice. For the full picture, these are the primary sources:
- DORA Bulletin on HB 26-1426 — the Division of Real Estate’s official explanation
- HB26-1426, Colorado General Assembly — full bill text and legislative history
- C.R.S. § 12-10-403 — the written agreement and compensation disclosure requirement
- C.R.S. § 12-10-201 — definitions of licensed broker activities
- Colorado Division of Real Estate — the regulator overseeing brokers and Commission-approved forms
- Colorado Attorney General, Consumer Protection — the office behind the law
- Colorado Association of REALTORS® coverage — practitioner-level guidance on the August 12 changes
If you have questions about how this affects your specific transaction, reach out — I’m happy to walk through it with you.
Keener Team Realty 719-687-2200 | margie@keenerteamrealty.com | www.keenerteamrealty.com Woodland Park, CO 80863