You Make the Call: Did the Broker Commit Fraud?

In their eagerness to get the lease signed, brokers may be inclined to make statements about what the document says (or doesn’t say) to allay the concerns of one of the parties. So, what happens if the landlord or tenant takes the broker at its word and signs the lease, only to discover that the broker’s assurances were wrong? Does the party that relied on the assurances have a valid claim for fraud against the broker? A recent case from California sheds some light on this question.