Two people may receive help in a transaction without having the same relationship with the brokerage. A client is represented through an agency relationship. A customer may receive services without that representation. Picture the agent representing the seller while showing the property to an unrepresented buyer. In this example, the seller is the client and the buyer is a customer. Customer does not mean no protection. Duties required by law still apply. The key is to distinguish representation from assistance, and to explain the actual relationship rather than let someone assume they are represented. Quick check: does answering a buyer's question automatically establish that the agent represents the buyer? No. Identify the agency relationship and governing rules; assistance alone does not settle the question.