What fiduciary duty ensures that an agent places the client's interests first?

The fiduciary duty that ensures an agent places the client's interests first is loyalty. This duty requires the agent to act in the best interests of their client, prioritizing the client’s needs and desires above their own or anyone else's. In the realm of real estate, this means providing honest advice, negotiating fiercely on behalf of the client, and avoiding any conflicts of interest that could harm the client’s position.

While other options like accounting of funds, fidelity, and disclosure are also important fiduciary duties, they serve different purposes. Accounting pertains to the accurate management and reporting of the client's funds, ensuring transparency and integrity in financial dealings. Fidelity involves the agent's obligation to be faithful and trustworthy, which is indeed closely related to loyalty but doesn't capture the active prioritization of the client's interests in decision-making. Disclosure relates to informing the client about all relevant information that could affect their decisions. Each of these duties is critical in fostering trust and professionalism in the agent-client relationship, but the essence of loyalty is specifically about commitment to putting the client's interests first, which makes it the correct choice in this context.