Definition of "Proxy"

The term proxy comes from the power of attorney by which the holder of stockholders in a real estate company transfers voting rights to another stockholder. A proxy fight may arise in which groups compete in the gathering of proxies to give them toting control. In many fields, a proxy is an individual legally authorized to act, vote, or sign on behalf of someone else, like an investor, a party, or another entity. Like this, the individual who authorized the proxy is not required to be present when votes are cast.

How does a Proxy Work?

Even if proxy voting is allowed in many businesses, the management team prefers and encourages their shareholders to vote in person. However, when a shareholder is unable to attend a meeting, proxy voting is allowed and accepted so that the voting can take place. 

A person can not simply state that they are legally authorized to vote as a proxy for a shareholder. For an individual to be legally authorized to act as a proxy, they require formal documentation that explains the extent to which the proxy can act, speak or vote on someone else’s behalf.

For this, they might even require a formal power of attorney document to have the right to complete particular actions. The shareholder must sign the document to extend the legal authorization to the individual chosen to be their proxy, to vote on their behalf at an annual meeting, for example.

Proxy in Real Estate

In the real estate industry, a proxy can be someone that is legally authorized to speak on your behalf. This type of relationship can occur between a homebuyer and a real estate agent if the buyer is unavailable and the home is scheduled for a home inspection. The real estate agent can act as a proxy and go to the inspection on behalf of the buyer. 

Another situation where a proxy can be used in real estate is during auctions. An individual can hire another person to act as a proxy on their behalf if they can not attend the auction in person. The proxy will be told what they are allowed to do, the value they are allowed to offer for each property that the bidder is interested in, and follow any other instructions regarding the auction. Essentially, during an auction, a proxy bids according to your instructions. Even companies offer bidding services, or you can simply work with someone you trust.

For more information regarding this subject, we suggest that you contact a real estate attorney. The information mentioned above is general and should not be considered “legal advice”.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

A stated of years. The length of time something is effective, such as a two-year rental. A condition specified in an agreement. An example is that the tenant must not have a cat in ...

Marketing attractive space at the appropriate location at a good time in the correct square footage at a reasonable price or rental charge. An example is the renting out of space for retail ...

Under law, a warranty in effect even if not expressly stated. It provides that real property sold is warranted to be appropriate for sale and is in proper condition even if not stated, ...

The basic home inspection definition is well-known for everyone, right?However, when it comes to real estate, the term “inspection” can serve a bunch of purposes – but the ...

A collection of packaged residential mortgage loans for sale in the secondary mortgage market to investors. Companies with mortgage pools expect to earn a short-term profit and use the ...

The definition of a census-designated place or CDP is rather complex and difficult to understand. We are going to try to explain it as much as possible. Starting from the top and working ...

Locating a structure after considering such factors as the homeowner's desired privacy, noise, wind, and sunlight. Position of a structure on a specific location relative to ...

Income derived from a collection of asset investments. Real property investments produce rental and lease payment income. Investments in mortgages and other long term debt instruments ...

In order to define allotment, we have to take into consideration what it refers to. While generally, it refers to a certain amount of something that is allocated to a particular person, the ...

Popular Real Estate Questions