The North Carolina Real Estate Commision adopted residential square footage guidelines May 9, 2001. These guidelines include agent responsibilities, including:
“Real estate agents are expected to be able to accurately calculate the square footage of most dwellings. When reporting square footage, whether to a party to a real estate transaction, another real estate agent, or others, a real estate agent is expected to provide accurate square footage information.”
“While an agent is expected to use reasonable skill, care and diligence when calculating square footage, it should be noted that the Commission does not expect absolute perfection. Because all properties are unique and no guidelines can anticipate every possibility, minor discrepancies in deriving square footage are not considered by the Commission to constitute negligence on the part of the agent.”
“Differences which are based upon an agent’s thoughtful judgment reasonably founded on these or other similar guidelines will not be considered by the Commission to constitute error on the agent’s part. Deviations in calculated square footage of less than five percent will seldom be cause for concern.”
More information on North Carolina residential square footage guidelines can be found at the North Carolina Real Estate Commission website.