Senate Bill 478
Changes regarding the laws governing real estate practice. (FE)
Topics: Housing, Real Estate Examining Board, Real property, Real property: Agent or appraiser
Stopped before the full Senate voted
The recommended passing it, but the full Senate never voted on it. The last day for votes this session was Mar 19, 2026. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.
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Introduced, passed
Oct 2, 2025
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Senate vote, stopped here
Stopped here. The full Senate never voted on it.
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Assembly vote, not reached
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Governor, not reached
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Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Mar 23, 2026: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
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The same bill was also filed in the Assembly as AB 456. That version became law.
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary
Author
A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.
Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate. More in the glossary
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
This bill makes various changes to the law governing the practice of real estate, specifically with respect to transactions involving residential property with one to four dwelling units (residential property). Changes in the bill include the following:
1. Creates obligations for listing firms to share information, respond to inquiries, show property, and advertise property on Internet platforms for transactions involving residential property. The bill contains exceptions that allow an owner to a) withhold the owner’s property from public marketing or advertising identified by the owner and b) identify by name any real estate broker or salesperson (licensee), prospective buyer, or prospective tenant that the owner does not wish to work with or allow to view the property, provided that such restrictions comply with all applicable state and federal laws. The bill provides civil immunity to a licensee who, in good faith, acts to fulfill the duties under the bill for any disclosure or representation made in fulfilling those duties, unless the licensee knowingly makes a false, deceptive, or misleading representation. The bill also requires the Real Estate Examining Board to develop a brochure covering the benefits and impacts of publicly marketing property and the disclosures described above.
Read the full summary Show less
2. Requires, in a transaction involving residential property, that if a seller agrees to pay compensation to a firm that is not the listing firm for brokerage services provided to a buyer, the agreement a) be expressly stated in the fully executed offer to purchase or option to purchase and b) be signed by the buyer and the seller as part of the contract. The bill prohibits a firm that is not the listing firm from receiving compensation from a party to a transaction who is not the client of the firm unless the agreement to pay the compensation is documented in the executed offer to purchase or option to purchase. The bill also prohibits a listing contract from requiring or implying that a seller will pay compensation to a firm that is not the listing firm, as prohibited under the bill, unless that obligation is contingent upon its inclusion in the executed offer to purchase or option to purchase as described above. The bill requires a listing contract to include a statement as to whether the seller authorizes the listing firm to disclose if the seller is offering compensation to a firm other than the listing firm.
3. Prohibits a firm from accepting compensation of any kind from another firm in connection with brokerage services performed as part of a real estate transaction involving a residential property containing one to four dwelling units. The prohibition does not apply to compensation for a referral or as a finder’s fee.
4. Requires licensees, when developing advertising for property, to disclose if the advertising has been altered or modified using technology, including artificial intelligence, to add, remove, or change elements of the property that creates a false or misleading impression of the property.
Current law prohibits licensees from accepting any fee or compensation without the prior written consent of all parties to a transaction. The bill provides that this does not prohibit the acceptance of a fee or compensation in the context of certain arrangements involving out-of-state brokers acting pursuant to cooperative agreements with in-state real estate firms.
Who's behind it
John Jagler, a Republican, is its .
13 more lawmakers .
See all 14 names Hide the names
Author (1)
- John Jagler · Republican, Senate
Signed on in support (13)
- Scott Allen · Republican, Assembly
- Rob Brooks · Republican, Assembly
- Barbara Dittrich · Republican, Assembly
- Joy Goeben · Republican, Assembly
- Rob Kreibich · Republican, Assembly
- Scott Krug · Republican, Assembly
- Dave Murphy · Republican, Assembly
- Lori Palmeri · Democrat, Assembly
- Will Penterman · Republican, Assembly
- Jim Piwowarczyk · Republican, Assembly
- Kelda Roys · Democrat, Senate
- Lee Snodgrass · Democrat, Assembly
- Rob Summerfield · Republican, Assembly
What it would cost
State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.
How lawmakers voted
There was one vote on this bill.
Senate Committee on Insurance vote to recommend it
Passed, 5 to 0 · Oct 23, 2025
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report passage recommended by Committee on Insurance, Housing, Rural Issues and Forestry, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Mar 23, 2026
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Oct 23, 2025
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 5 to 0.
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Oct 15, 2025
The committee held a public hearing.
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Oct 8, 2025
1 more senator signed on in support.
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Oct 8, 2025
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Oct 6, 2025
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Oct 2, 2025
Sent to the Senate Committee on Insurance, Housing, Rural Issues and Forestry.
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Oct 2, 2025
Introduced in the Senate.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Oct 2, 2025 · Senate
Introduced by Senator Jagler; cosponsored by Representatives Krug, Allen, Brooks, Dittrich, Goeben, Kreibich, Penterman, Piwowarczyk, Summerfield, Murphy and Palmeri
- Oct 2, 2025 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Insurance, Housing, Rural Issues and Forestry
- Oct 6, 2025 · Senate
Representative Snodgrass added as a cosponsor
- Oct 8, 2025 · Senate
Fiscal estimate received
- Oct 8, 2025 · Senate
Senator Roys added as a coauthor
- Oct 15, 2025 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Oct 23, 2025 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Oct 23, 2025 · Senate
Report passage recommended by Committee on Insurance, Housing, Rural Issues and Forestry, Ayes 5, Noes 0
- Oct 23, 2025 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Mar 23, 2026 · Senate
Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary
Author
A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.
Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate. More in the glossary
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary
From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote