agency
procuring cause
Procuring cause is the broker whose efforts started an uninterrupted chain of events that led to a completed sale. It is used to settle commission disputes, especially under open listings or between cooperating brokers. Simply being the first to show a property does not always make a broker the procuring cause; courts and arbitration panels look at the full sequence of events.
- Exam tip
- Procuring cause decides who earns the commission in a dispute; the key phrase is an unbroken chain of events leading to the sale.
- Example
- Agent A shows a buyer a home, writes the offer, and negotiates the deal. Agent B, who showed the buyer the home once a year earlier, is not the procuring cause.
Related terms & state variants
Sources
Source verification pending. Confirm current requirements with your state regulator.
Last verified: 2026-10-23