Final answer:
Brokers who share office space without maintaining separate status can be charged as ostensible partners.
Step-by-step explanation:
If two or more brokers share office space without maintaining their separate status as independent brokers, they could be charged as being ostensible partners. Ostensible partners are individuals who hold themselves out as partners or allow others to believe they are partners, even though they may not have a formal partnership agreement. This concept is commonly found in business law.