Brokers prepare for lawsuits 

A lawsuit in California against a real estate agent by a homeowner who claims she overpaid for her house could be the first of many against buyers’ agents as the housing market slows. “Agents have a lot of fiduciary duties, but they don’t make money unless they close the sale,” said Joel Ruben, a real estate lawyer in Manhattan Beach, Calif. “In an inflated market, there are built-in temptations to cut corners.” The defendant in the case says the buyer failed to do research and due diligence. The buyer claims the agent withheld information and exaggerated the house’s virtues.