Code of Ethics and Standards of
Practice
of the
National Association of Realtors®
Effective January 1, 2008
Where
the word
Realtors® is used in this Code and Preamble, it
shall be deemed to include
Realtor-Associate®s.
While
the Code of Ethics establishes
obligations that may be higher than
those mandated by law, in any
instance where the Code of Ethics
and the law conflict, the
obligations of the law must take
precedence.
Preamble
Under
all is the land. Upon its wise
utilization and widely allocated
ownership depend the survival and
growth of free institutions and of
our civilization.
Realtors® should
recognize that the interests of the
nation and its citizens require the
highest and best use of the land and
the widest distribution of land
ownership. They require the creation
of adequate housing, the building of
functioning cities, the development
of productive industries and farms,
and the preservation of a healthful
environment.
Such
interests impose obligations beyond
those of ordinary commerce. They
impose grave social responsibility
and a patriotic duty to which
Realtors® should
dedicate themselves, and for which
they should be diligent in preparing
themselves.
Realtors®,
therefore, are zealous to maintain
and improve the standards of their
calling and share with their fellow
Realtors® a common
responsibility for its integrity and
honor.
In
recognition and appreciation of
their obligations to clients,
customers, the public, and each
other,
Realtors®
continuously strive to become and
remain informed on issues affecting
real estate and, as knowledgeable
professionals, they willingly share
the fruit of their experience and
study with others. They identify and
take steps, through enforcement of
this Code of Ethics and by assisting
appropriate regulatory bodies, to
eliminate practices which may damage
the public or which might discredit
or bring dishonor to the real estate
profession.
Realtors® having
direct personal knowledge of conduct
that may violate the Code of Ethics
involving misappropriation of client
or customer funds or property,
willful discrimination, or fraud
resulting in substantial economic
harm, bring such matters to the
attention of the appropriate Board
or Association of
Realtors®.
(Amended 1/00)
Realizing that cooperation with
other real estate professionals
promotes the best interests of those
who utilize their services,
Realtors® urge
exclusive representation of clients;
do not attempt to gain any unfair
advantage over their competitors;
and they refrain from making
unsolicited comments about other
practitioners. In instances where
their opinion is sought, or where
Realtors® believe
that comment is necessary, their
opinion is offered in an objective,
professional manner, uninfluenced by
any personal motivation or potential
advantage or gain.
The term
Realtor® has come
to connote competency, fairness, and
high integrity resulting from
adherence to a lofty ideal of moral
conduct in business
relations. No inducement of profit
and no instruction from clients ever
can justify departure from this
ideal.
In the
interpretation of this obligation,
Realtors® can take
no safer guide than that which has
been handed down through the
centuries, embodied in the Golden
Rule, “Whatsoever ye would that
others should do to you, do ye even
so to them.”
Accepting this standard as their
own,
Realtors® pledge
to observe its spirit in all of
their activities whether conducted
personally, through associates or
others, or via technological means,
and to conduct their business in
accordance with the tenets set forth
below. (Amended 1/07)
Duties to Clients and Customers
Article 1
When
representing a buyer, seller,
landlord, tenant, or other client as
an agent,
Realtors® pledge
themselves to protect and promote
the interests of their client. This
obligation to the client is primary,
but it does not relieve
Realtors® of their
obligation to treat all parties
honestly. When serving a buyer,
seller, landlord, tenant or other
party in a non-agency capacity,
Realtors® remain
obligated to treat all parties
honestly. (Amended 1/01)
• Standard
of Practice 1-1
Realtors®,
when acting as principals in a real
estate transaction, remain obligated
by the duties imposed by the Code of
Ethics.
(Amended 1/93)
• Standard
of Practice 1-2
The
duties imposed by the Code of Ethics
encompass all real estate-related
activities and transactions whether
conducted in person, electronically,
or through any other means.
The
duties the Code of Ethics imposes
are applicable whether
Realtors® are
acting as agents or in legally
recognized non-agency capacities
except that any duty imposed
exclusively on agents by law or
regulation shall not be imposed by
this Code of Ethics on
Realtors® acting
in non-agency capacities.
As used in this Code of Ethics,
“client” means the person(s) or
entity(ies) with whom a
Realtor® or a
Realtor®’s firm
has an agency or legally recognized
non-agency relationship; “customer”
means a party to a real estate
transaction who receives
information, services, or benefits
but has no contractual relationship
with the
Realtor® or the
Realtor®’s firm;
“prospect” means a purchaser,
seller, tenant, or landlord who is
not subject to a representation
relationship with the
Realtor® or
Realtor®’s firm;
“agent” means a real estate licensee
(including brokers and sales
associates) acting in an agency
relationship as defined by state law
or regulation; and
“broker” means a real estate
licensee (including brokers and
sales associates) acting as an agent
or in a legally recognized
non-agency capacity. (Adopted
1/95, Amended 1/07)
• Standard
of Practice 1-3
Realtors®,
in attempting to secure a listing,
shall not deliberately mislead the
owner as to market value.
• Standard
of Practice 1-4
Realtors®,
when seeking to become a
buyer/tenant representative, shall
not mislead buyers or tenants as to
savings or other benefits that might
be realized through use of the
Realtor®’s
services.
(Amended
1/93)
• Standard
of Practice 1-5
Realtors®
may represent the seller/landlord
and buyer/tenant in the same
transaction only after full
disclosure to and with informed
consent of both parties.
(Adopted 1/93)
• Standard
of Practice 1-6
Realtors®
shall submit offers and
counter-offers objectively and as
quickly as possible.
(Adopted 1/93,
Amended 1/95)
• Standard
of Practice 1-7
When
acting as listing brokers,
Realtors® shall
continue to submit to the
seller/landlord all offers and
counter-offers until closing or
execution of a lease unless the
seller/landlord has waived this
obligation in writing.
Realtors® shall
not be obligated to continue to
market the property after an offer
has been accepted by the
seller/landlord.
Realtors® shall
recommend that sellers/landlords
obtain the advice of legal counsel
prior to acceptance of a subsequent
offer except where the acceptance is
contingent on the termination of the
pre-existing purchase contract or
lease. (Amended 1/93)
• Standard
of Practice 1-8
Realtors®,
acting as agents or brokers of
buyers/tenants, shall submit to
buyers/tenants all offers and
counter-offers until acceptance but
have no obligation to continue to
show properties to their clients
after an offer has been accepted
unless otherwise agreed in writing.
Realtors®, acting
as agents or brokers of
buyers/tenants, shall recommend that
buyers/tenants obtain the advice of
legal counsel if there is a question
as to whether a pre-existing
contract has been terminated.
(Adopted 1/93,
Amended 1/99)
• Standard
of Practice 1-9
The
obligation of
Realtors® to
preserve confidential information
(as defined by state law) provided
by their clients in the course of
any agency relationship or
non-agency relationship recognized
by law continues after termination
of agency relationships or any
non-agency relationships recognized
by law.
Realtors® shall
not knowingly, during or following
the termination of professional
relationships with their clients:
1) reveal
confidential information of clients;
or
2) use
confidential information of clients
to the disadvantage of clients;
or
3) use
confidential information of clients
for the
Realtor®’s
advantage or the advantage of third
parties unless:
a) clients
consent after full disclosure; or
b) Realtors®
are required by court order; or
c) it
is the intention of a client to
commit a crime and the information
is necessary to prevent the crime;
or
d) it
is necessary to defend a
Realtor® or the
Realtor®’s
employees or associates against an
accusation of wrongful conduct.
Information concerning latent
material defects is not considered
confidential information under this
Code of Ethics. (Adopted 1/93,
Amended 1/01)
• Standard
of Practice 1-10
Realtors®
shall, consistent with the terms and
conditions of their real estate
licensure and their property
management agreement, competently
manage the property of clients with
due regard for the rights, safety
and health of tenants and others
lawfully on the premises.
(Adopted 1/95,
Amended 1/00)
• Standard
of Practice 1-11
Realtors®
who are employed to maintain or
manage a client’s property shall
exercise due diligence and make
reasonable efforts to protect it
against reasonably foreseeable
contingencies and losses.
(Adopted 1/95)
• Standard
of Practice 1-12
When
entering into listing contracts,
Realtors® must
advise sellers/ landlords of:
1) the
Realtor®’s company
policies regarding cooperation and
the amount(s) of any compensation
that will be offered to subagents,
buyer/tenant agents, and/or brokers
acting in legally recognized
non-agency capacities;
2) the
fact that buyer/tenant agents or
brokers, even if compensated by
listing brokers, or by
sellers/landlords may represent the
interests of buyers/tenants; and
3) any
potential for listing brokers to act
as disclosed dual agents, e.g.,
buyer/tenant agents. (Adopted
1/93, Renumbered 1/98, Amended
1/03)
• Standard
of Practice 1-13
When
entering into buyer/tenant
agreements,
Realtors® must
advise potential clients of:
1) the
Realtor®’s company
policies regarding cooperation;
2) the
amount of compensation to be paid by
the client;
3) the
potential for additional or
offsetting compensation from other
brokers, from the seller or
landlord, or from other parties;
4) any
potential for the buyer/tenant
representative to act as a
disclosed dual agent, e.g., listing
broker, subagent, landlord’s agent,
etc., and
5) the
possibility that sellers or sellers’
representatives may not treat the
existence, terms, or conditions of
offers as confidential unless
confidentiality is required by law,
regulation, or by any
confidentiality agreement between
the parties. (Adopted 1/93,
Renumbered 1/98, Amended 1/06)
• Standard
of Practice 1-14
Fees
for preparing appraisals or other
valuations shall not be contingent
upon the amount of the appraisal or
valuation.
(Adopted 1/02)
• Standard
of Practice 1-15
Realtors®,
in response to inquiries from buyers
or cooperating brokers shall, with
the sellers’ approval, disclose the
existence of offers on the property.
Where disclosure is authorized,
Realtors® shall
also disclose whether offers were
obtained by the listing licensee,
another licensee in the listing
firm, or by a cooperating broker.
(Adopted 1/03, Amended 1/06)
Article 2
Realtors®
shall avoid exaggeration,
misrepresentation, or concealment of
pertinent facts relating to the
property or the transaction.
Realtors® shall
not, however, be obligated to
discover latent defects in the
property, to advise on matters
outside the scope of their real
estate license, or to disclose facts
which are confidential under the
scope of agency or non-agency
relationships as defined by state
law.
(Amended 1/00)
• Standard
of Practice 2-1
Realtors®
shall only be obligated to discover
and disclose adverse factors
reasonably apparent to someone with
expertise in those areas required by
their real estate licensing
authority. Article 2 does not impose
upon the
Realtor® the
obligation of expertise in other
professional or technical
disciplines.
(Amended 1/96)
• Standard
of Practice 2-2
(Renumbered as Standard of Practice
1-12 1/98)
• Standard
of Practice 2-3
(Renumbered as Standard of Practice
1-13 1/98)
• Standard
of Practice 2-4
Realtors®
shall not be parties to the naming
of a false consideration in any
document, unless it be the naming of
an obviously nominal consideration.
• Standard
of Practice 2-5
Factors
defined as “non-material” by law or
regulation or which are expressly
referenced in law or regulation as
not being subject to disclosure are
considered not “pertinent” for
purposes of Article 2. (Adopted
1/93)
Article 3
Realtors®
shall cooperate with other brokers
except when cooperation is not in
the client’s best interest. The
obligation to cooperate does not
include the obligation to share
commissions, fees, or to otherwise
compensate another broker.
(Amended 1/95)
• Standard
of Practice 3-1
Realtors®,
acting as exclusive agents or
brokers of sellers/landlords,
establish the terms and conditions
of offers to cooperate. Unless
expressly indicated in offers to
cooperate, cooperating brokers may
not assume that the offer of
cooperation includes an offer of
compensation. Terms of compensation,
if any, shall be ascertained by
cooperating brokers before beginning
efforts to accept the offer of
cooperation.
(Amended 1/99)
• Standard
of Practice 3-2
Realtors®
shall, with respect to offers of
compensation to another
Realtor®, timely
communicate any change of
compensation for cooperative
services to the other
Realtor® prior to
the time such
Realtor® produces
an offer to purchase/lease the
property.(Amended
1/94)
• Standard
of Practice 3-3
Standard of Practice 3-2 does not
preclude the listing broker and
cooperating broker from entering
into an agreement to change
cooperative compensation.
(Adopted 1/94)
• Standard
of Practice 3-4
Realtors®,
acting as listing brokers, have an
affirmative obligation to disclose
the existence of dual or variable
rate commission arrangements (i.e.,
listings where one amount of
commission is payable if the listing
broker’s firm is the procuring cause
of sale/lease and a different amount
of commission is payable if the
sale/lease results through the
efforts of the seller/landlord or a
cooperating broker). The listing
broker shall, as soon as practical,
disclose the existence of such
arrangements to potential
cooperating brokers and shall, in
response to inquiries from
cooperating brokers, disclose the
differential that would result in a
cooperative transaction or in a
sale/lease that results through the
efforts of the seller/landlord. If
the cooperating broker is a
buyer/tenant representative, the
buyer/ tenant representative must
disclose such information to their
client before the client makes an
offer to purchase or lease.
(Amended 1/02)
• Standard
of Practice 3-5
It is
the obligation of subagents to
promptly disclose all pertinent
facts to the principal’s agent prior
to as well as after a purchase or
lease agreement is executed.
(Amended 1/93)
• Standard
of Practice 3-6
Realtors®
shall disclose the existence of
accepted offers, including offers
with unresolved contingencies, to
any broker seeking cooperation.
(Adopted
5/86, Amended 1/04)
• Standard
of Practice 3-7
When
seeking information from another
Realtor®
concerning property under a
management or listing agreement,
Realtors® shall
disclose their
Realtor® status
and whether their interest is
personal or on behalf of a client
and, if on behalf of a client, their
representational status. (Amended
1/95)
• Standard
of Practice 3-8
Realtors®
shall not misrepresent the
availability of access to show or
inspect a listed property.
(Amended 11/87)
Article 4
Realtors®
shall not acquire an interest in or
buy or present offers from
themselves, any member of their
immediate families, their firms or
any member thereof, or any entities
in which they have any ownership
interest, any real property without
making their true position known to
the owner or the owner’s agent or
broker. In selling property they
own, or in which they have any
interest,
Realtors® shall reveal their ownership or interest
in writing to the purchaser or the
purchaser’s representative.
(Amended 1/00)
• Standard
of Practice 4-1
For the
protection of all parties, the
disclosures required by Article 4
shall be in writing and provided by
Realtors® prior to
the signing of any contract.
(Adopted 2/86)
Article 5
Realtors®
shall not undertake to provide
professional services concerning a
property or its value where they
have a present or contemplated
interest unless such interest is
specifically disclosed to all
affected parties.
Article 6
Realtors®
shall not accept any commission,
rebate, or profit on expenditures
made for their client, without the
client’s knowledge and consent.
When
recommending real estate products or
services (e.g., homeowner’s
insurance, warranty programs,
mortgage financing, title insurance,
etc.),
Realtors® shall
disclose to the client or customer
to whom the recommendation is made
any financial benefits or fees,
other than real estate referral
fees, the
Realtor® or
Realtor®’s firm
may receive as a direct result of
such recommendation. (Amended 1/99)
• Standard
of Practice 6-1
Realtors®
shall not recommend or suggest to a
client or a customer the use of
services of another organization or
business entity in which they have a
direct interest without disclosing
such interest at the time of the
recommendation or suggestion.
(Amended 5/88)
Article 7
In a
transaction,
Realtors® shall
not accept compensation from more
than one party, even if permitted by
law, without disclosure to all
parties and the informed consent of
the
Realtor®’s client
or clients. (Amended 1/93)
Article 8
Realtors®
shall keep in a special account in
an appropriate financial
institution, separated from their
own funds, monies coming into their
possession in trust for other
persons, such as escrows, trust
funds, clients’ monies, and other
like items.
Article 9
Realtors®,
for the protection of all parties,
shall assure whenever possible that
all agreements related to real
estate transactions including, but
not limited to, listing and
representation agreements, purchase
contracts, and leases are in writing
in clear and understandable language
expressing the specific terms,
conditions, obligations and
commitments of the parties. A copy
of each agreement shall be furnished
to each party to such agreements
upon their signing or initialing.
(Amended
1/04)
• Standard
of Practice 9-1
For the
protection of all parties,
Realtors® shall
use reasonable care to ensure that
documents pertaining to the
purchase, sale, or lease of real
estate are kept current through the
use of written extensions or
amendments. (Amended 1/93)
• Standard
of Practice 9-2
When
assisting or enabling a client or
customer in establishing a
contractual relationship (e.g.,
listing and representation
agreements, purchase agreements,
leases, etc.) electronically,
Realtors® shall
make reasonable efforts to explain
the nature and disclose the specific
terms of the contractual
relationship being established prior
to it being agreed to by a
contracting party. (Adopted 1/07)
Duties to the Public
Article 10
Realtors®
shall not deny equal professional
services to any person for reasons
of race, color, religion, sex,
handicap, familial status, or
national origin.
Realtors® shall not be parties to any plan or
agreement to discriminate against a
person or persons on the basis of
race, color, religion, sex,
handicap, familial status, or
national origin.
(Amended 1/90)
Realtors®,
in their real estate employment
practices, shall not discriminate
against any person or persons on the
basis of race, color, religion, sex,
handicap, familial status, or
national origin.
(Amended
1/00)
• Standard
of Practice 10-1
When
involved in the sale or lease of a
residence,
Realtors® shall
not volunteer information regarding
the racial, religious or ethnic
composition of any neighborhood nor
shall they engage in any activity
which may result in panic selling,
however,
Realtors® may
provide other demographic
information. (Adopted 1/94,
Amended 1/06)
• Standard
of Practice 10-2
When
not involved in the sale or lease of
a residence,
Realtors® may
provide demographic information
related to a property, transaction
or professional assignment to a
party if such demographic
information is (a) deemed by the
Realtor® to be
needed to assist with or complete,
in a manner consistent with Article
10, a real estate transaction or
professional assignment and (b) is
obtained or derived from a
recognized, reliable, independent,
and impartial source. The source of
such information and any additions,
deletions, modifications,
interpretations, or other changes
shall be disclosed in reasonable
detail. (Adopted 1/05, Renumbered
1/06)
• Standard
of Practice 10-3
Realtors®
shall not print, display or
circulate any statement or
advertisement with respect to
selling or renting of a property
that indicates any preference,
limitations or discrimination based
on race, color, religion, sex,
handicap, familial status, or
national origin.
(Adopted 1/94,
Renumbered 1/05 and 1/06)
• Standard
of Practice 10-4
As used
in Article 10 “real estate
employment practices” relates to
employees and independent
contractors providing real
estate-related services and the
administrative and clerical staff
directly supporting those
individuals. (Adopted 1/00,
Renumbered 1/05 and 1/06)
Article 11
The
services which
Realtors® provide
to their clients and customers shall
conform to the standards of practice
and competence which are reasonably
expected in the specific real estate
disciplines in which they engage;
specifically, residential real
estate brokerage, real property
management, commercial and
industrial real estate brokerage,
real estate appraisal, real estate
counseling, real estate syndication,
real estate auction, and
international real estate.
Realtors®
shall not undertake to provide
specialized professional services
concerning a type of property or
service that is outside their field
of competence unless they engage the
assistance of one who is competent
on such types of property or
service, or unless the facts are
fully disclosed to the client. Any
persons engaged to provide such
assistance shall be so identified to
the client and their contribution to
the assignment should be set forth.
(Amended
1/95)
• Standard
of Practice 11-1
When
Realtors® prepare
opinions of real property value or
price, other than in pursuit of a
listing or to assist a potential
purchaser in formulating a purchase
offer, such opinions shall include
the following:
1) identification
of the subject property
2) date
prepared
3) defined
value or price
4) limiting
conditions, including statements of
purpose(s) and intended user(s)
5) any
present or contemplated interest,
including the possibility of
representing the seller/landlord or
buyers/tenants
6) basis
for the opinion, including
applicable market data
7) if
the opinion is not an appraisal, a
statement to that effect
(Amended 1/01)
• Standard
of Practice 11-2
The
obligations of the Code of Ethics in
respect of real estate disciplines
other than appraisal shall be
interpreted and applied in
accordance with the standards of
competence and practice which
clients and the public reasonably
require to protect their rights and
interests considering the complexity
of the transaction, the availability
of expert assistance, and, where the
Realtor® is an
agent or subagent, the obligations
of a fiduciary. (Adopted 1/95)
• Standard
of Practice 11-3
When
Realtors® provide
consultive services to clients which
involve advice or counsel for a fee
(not a commission), such advice
shall be rendered in an objective
manner and the fee shall not be
contingent on the substance of the
advice or counsel given. If
brokerage or transaction services
are to be provided in addition to
consultive services, a separate
compensation may be paid with prior
agreement between the client and
Realtor®.
(Adopted 1/96)
• Standard
of Practice 11-4
The
competency required by Article 11
relates to services contracted for
between
Realtors® and
their clients or customers; the
duties expressly imposed by the Code
of Ethics; and the duties imposed by
law or regulation. (Adopted 1/02)
Article 12
Realtors®
shall be honest and truthful in
their real estate communications and
shall present a true picture in
their advertising, marketing, and
other representations.
Realtors® shall
ensure that their status as real
estate professionals is readily
apparent in their advertising,
marketing, and other
representations, and that the
recipients of all real estate
communications are, or have been,
notified that those communications
are from a real estate professional.
(Amended
1/08)
• Standard
of Practice 12-1
Realtors®
may use the term “free” and similar
terms in their advertising and in
other representations provided that
all terms governing availability of
the offered product or service are
clearly disclosed at the same time.
(Amended
1/97)
• Standard
of Practice 12-2
Realtors®
may represent their services as
“free” or without cost even if they
expect to receive compensation from
a source other than their client
provided that the potential for the
Realtor® to obtain
a benefit from a third party is
clearly disclosed at the same time.
(Amended
1/97)
• Standard
of Practice 12-3
The
offering of premiums, prizes,
merchandise discounts or other
inducements to list, sell, purchase,
or lease is not, in itself,
unethical even if receipt of the
benefit is contingent on listing,
selling, purchasing, or leasing
through the
Realtor® making
the offer. However,
Realtors® must
exercise care and candor in any such
advertising or other public or
private representations so that any
party interested in receiving or
otherwise benefiting from the
Realtor®’s offer
will have clear, thorough, advance
understanding of all the terms and
conditions of the offer. The
offering of any inducements to do
business is subject to the
limitations and restrictions of
state law and the ethical
obligations established by any
applicable Standard of Practice.
(Amended 1/95)
• Standard
of Practice 12-4
Realtors®
shall not offer for sale/lease or
advertise property without
authority. When acting as listing
brokers or as subagents,
Realtors® shall
not quote a price different from
that agreed upon with the
seller/landlord.
(Amended 1/93)
• Standard
of Practice 12-5
Realtors®
shall not advertise nor permit any
person employed by or affiliated
with them to advertise listed
property in any medium (e.g.,
electronically, print, radio,
television, etc.) without disclosing
the name of that
Realtor®’s firm in
a reasonable and readily apparent
manner.
(Adopted 11/86, Amended 1/07)
• Standard
of Practice 12-6
Realtors®,
when advertising unlisted real
property for sale/lease in which
they have an ownership interest,
shall disclose their status as both
owners/landlords and as
Realtors® or real
estate licensees.
(Amended 1/93)
• Standard
of Practice 12-7
Only
Realtors® who
participated in the transaction as
the listing broker or cooperating
broker (selling broker) may claim to
have “sold” the property. Prior to
closing, a cooperating broker may
post a “sold” sign only with the
consent of the listing broker.
(Amended 1/96)
• Standard
of Practice 12-8
The
obligation to present a true picture
in representations to the public
includes information presented,
provided, or displayed on
Realtors®’
websites.
Realtors® shall
use reasonable efforts to ensure
that information on their websites
is current. When it becomes apparent
that information on a
Realtor®’s website
is no longer current or accurate,
Realtors® shall
promptly take corrective action.
(Adopted 1/07)
• Standard
of Practice 12-9
Realtor®
firm websites shall disclose the
firm’s name and state(s) of
licensure in a reasonable and
readily apparent manner.
Websites of
Realtors® and
non-member licensees affiliated with
a
Realtor® firm
shall disclose the firm’s name and
that
Realtor®’s or
non-member licensee’s state(s) of
licensure in a reasonable and
readily apparent manner. (Adopted
1/07)
• Standard
of Practice 12-10
Realtors®’
obligation to present a true picture
in their advertising and
representations to the public
includes the URLs and domain names
they use, and prohibits
Realtors® from:
1) engaging
in deceptive or unauthorized framing
of real estate brokerage websites;
2) manipulating
(e.g., presenting content developed
by others) listing content in any
way that produces a deceptive or
misleading result; or
3) deceptively
using metatags, keywords or other
devices/ methods to direct, drive,
or divert Internet traffic, or to
otherwise mislead consumers.
(Adopted 1/07)
• Standard
of Practice 12-11
Realtors®
intending to share or sell consumer
information gathered via the
Internet shall disclose that
possibility in a reasonable and
readily apparent manner.
(Adopted 1/07)
• Standard
of Practice 12-12
Realtors®
shall not:
1) use
URLs or domain names that present
less than a true picture, or
2) register
URLs or domain names which, if used,
would present less than a true
picture. (Adopted 1/08)
• Standard
of Practice 12-13
The
obligation to present a true picture
in advertising, marketing, and
representations allows
Realtors® to use
and display only professional
designations, certifications, and
other credentials to which they are
legitimately entitled. (Adopted
1/08)
Article 13
Realtors®
shall not engage in activities that
constitute the unauthorized practice
of law and shall recommend that
legal counsel be obtained when the
interest of any party to the
transaction requires it.
Article 14
If
charged with unethical practice or
asked to present evidence or to
cooperate in any other way, in any
professional standards proceeding or
investigation,
Realtors® shall
place all pertinent facts before the
proper tribunals of the Member Board
or affiliated institute, society, or
council in which membership is held
and shall take no action to disrupt
or obstruct such processes.
(Amended 1/99)
• Standard
of Practice 14-1
Realtors®
shall not be subject to disciplinary
proceedings in more than one Board
of
Realtors® or
affiliated institute, society, or
council in which they hold
membership with respect to alleged
violations of the Code of Ethics
relating to the same transaction or
event.
(Amended 1/95)
• Standard
of Practice 14-2
Realtors®
shall not make any unauthorized
disclosure or dissemination of the
allegations, findings, or decision
developed in connection with an
ethics hearing or appeal or in
connection with an arbitration
hearing or procedural review.
(Amended 1/92)
• Standard
of Practice 14-3
Realtors® | 
