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REAL ETHICS by Steve Stazel | July 2010 | Index of all Real Ethics columns
Have you ever seen an ethics violation and done nothing?
What follows are my thoughts on why you should talk with the other broker when you see an ethics violation.
When you see a broker doing something that you think is a violation of the REALTOR® Code of Ethics, the first thing you should do is to contact him or her in a very non-threatening manner.
You could say, “Excuse me, but what you are doing seems to me to be a violation of the Code of Ethics. Am I missing something?” This is a request for information and you are not accusing anyone of anything at this point.
Once you have asked this question, the other broker will likely give you one of three answers.
1) “Oh, I see what you mean. I didn’t know. I will make changes immediately.” You have just solved the problem with a phone call.
2) “Oh, I see what you mean, but let me tell you the entire situation.” After the other broker tells you the new information, you see that it was not a violation.
Here’s a question for you: What would you have thought of the other REALTOR® (for the rest of your real estate life) had you not approached him or her? Does the term “pond scum” come to mind? Now here is where it REALLY COMES HOME. What if someone saw YOU doing something he or she thought was unethical? Wouldn’t you want that person to come to you so you could explain why it was not unethical behavior on your part? What if the other broker did not approach you? What would that broker think of you for the rest of your real estate life?
Does the term “pond scum” come to mind? If that broker never gave you a chance to explain, then he or she would never know your actions were ethical. Let’s communicate with each other. Let’s be sure we know what really happened.
3) “So what? I’m going to keep doing it.” You then have a decision to make: To what kind of an Association of REALTORS® do you want to belong? To me, an Association of REALTORS® is very much like an individual—you get exactly what you deserve. If you don’t report that broker to the Association, it cannot serve you fully and you get the kind of Association you deserve. If you do report that person, both you and the other broker get the benefit of the services of the Association that you deserve. The question you have to ask yourself is…"To what kind of Association do I want to belong?"
Each month, the Aurora Outlook features RealEthics, a column by Steve Stazel devoted to explaining Code of Ethics issues for members. The comments stated in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Association of REALTORS®, the Colorado Association of REALTORS® or the Aurora Association of REALTORS®. Ultimately, a hearing panel of the Professional Standards Committee determines whether a violation of the Code of Ethics has occurred on a case-by-case basis. These comments should not serve as the foundation of any ethics complaint, arbitration request or response.
If you have an ethical concern or an issue you would like
to see addressed, please call Stazel at (303) 773-3333 or e-mail him at
stazels@msn.com. The comments of this article reflect the understanding and
opinions of the author and do not represent an official expression of policy by the National Association
of REALTORSŪ.
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