Final answer:
Brokers and salespeople are obligated to inspect a property for physical defects due to due diligence, legal responsibilities, and ethical standards set by real estate law and regulatory organizations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The obligation of a broker or salesperson to inspect a property for physical defects was based on due diligence and legal responsibilities.
In many jurisdictions, brokers and salespeople have a duty to perform a reasonable inspection of the property and to disclose any material facts that affect the property's value or desirability.
This comes from real estate law and the ethical standards established by real estate regulatory organizations, which are meant to protect buyers from purchasing properties with undisclosed issues and to ensure the integrity of the transaction.