Fewer professions than most people realize even have an Official Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice.
Many folks confuse the notion of “Professional” to mean that there are ethical guidelines. In many professions this doesn’t hold water.
Attorneys have The Attorneys‘ Code of Ethics and The Lawyer’s Code of Professional Responsibility
Doctors have an Hippocratic Oath
REALTORS have the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of the National Association of REALTORS
Not all real estate licensees are required to adhere to this Code of Ethics . . . Only those who are member of the National Association of REALTORS (Often through membership with a local Association of REALTORS) at which point they can designate themselves as “REALTOR”
The National Association of REALTORS has some training mandates to ensure that the members receive periodic training on the Code which is up-dated annually . . . The most common form training is a quadrennial requirement for a 3 hour Ethics Course.
That’s a great course which I take EVERY year as part of my requirements to serve on the Board of Professional Standards at my local Association. I take great comfort knowing that ALL REALTORS are required to have this training.
Does this 3 hours of training once every 4 years guarantee ethical awareness and practice of ALL REALTORS ALL of the time? Not likely, but it sure does go a LONG way in helping us “Police our own.” This course is thorough enough to cover all of the up-dates and drive home some of the main ethical pitfalls of the industry.
Each year, I offer a more exhaustive overview of this Code of Ethics in the form of a 2 hour “reading” of the Preamble and the 17 Articles along with all “Standards of Practice.”
I always invite any REALTOR who wants to show up, and we do this together.
Why do I do this session every year?
Because it forces me to read the entire code EVERY YEAR . . . and gives me great peace of mind to know that the other REALTORS who join me in the reading will radiate back into the marketplace and make an ethical impact on other Real Estate Professionals and the General Public Throughout the year.
All this to say . . . You’re invited:
Friday January 13, 2012
9 AM SHARP
We’ll be gathering to read the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of the National Association of REALTORS Effective January 1, 2012.
Will you join us?
Contact me to RSVP
All in the name of service and integrity.
Let’s get this market MOVING – ETHICALLY – in 2012
Just sayin’
Best,
b