WHEN YOU THINK OF THE WORD “PROFESSIONAL,” what characteristics come to mind?

Are professionals honest? Do they act in the best interest of their clients and customers? Do they provide equal professional services to everyone? Of course! These questions admittedly get more complicated when considering requirements by the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of the National Association of Realtors®.

When NVAR receives a complaint filed against one of our members, the complaint is provided to our Grievance Committee for their review. The Grievance Committee is tasked with determining if the allegations in the complaint represent a possible violation of the Code of Ethics. This task may not be as straightforward as one might think, and not all behaviors that “feel” unethical are a violation of the Code of Ethics.

If the Grievance Committee finds that allegations do not represent a possible violation, they will vote to dismiss the complaint. If the Committee finds a possible violation, they will vote to forward the case to a Professional Standards hearing. If the Committee finds a possible violation that is eligible for NVAR’s Citation System, they will issue a citation.

As of June 18, NVAR has received 53 ethics complaints in 2019, and so far, these numbers are similar to those in 2018. Ray Powers, the vice-chair of the NVAR Professional Standards Committee, points out that almost 43 percent of the ethics complaints filed in 2019 allege that Realtors® are providing unauthorized access to properties.

How can we curb this behavior? Discipline (i.e. a $15,000 maximum fine) is a motivator, but by then the violation has already been committed. Proactive intervention needs to be exercised well in advance of the violation.

“First order of business: read the SentriLock Rules!” suggests Powers.

Most respondents are not acting unethically intentionally, and most violations can be avoided by education that leads to an understanding of what is required by the Code of Ethics and SentriLock Rules.

The number of ethics complaints filed to-date do not reflect the vast majority of Realtors® who, each and every day, abide by the Code of Ethics and proudly represent the profession. If Realtors® work together to prevent and eliminate unethical behaviors, the Realtor® brand will continue to represent professionalism at the highest levels.

2019 PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS CASES

ETHICS COMPLAINTS FILED JANUARY TO JUNE 18, 2019
Complaints filed – 53 | Of the 53 cases filed by June 18, 2019:

12 cases were forwarded to a Professional Standards Hearing by the Grievance Committee 

11 cases were dismissed by the Grievance Committee

15 cases resulted in an issued citation by the Grievance Committee

2 cases were withdrawn by the Complainant prior to review by the Grievance Committee 

13 cases are pending review by the Grievance Committee

22 complaints filed allege violations of the SentriLock Rules and related Articles of the Code of Ethics 

9 complaints filed relate to advertising under Article 12

12 complaints filed cite failure to be honest or to act in the best interests of your client under Article 1


ETHICS COMPLAINTS FILED JANUARY TO JUNE 17, 2018
Complaints filed – 55 | Of the 55 cases filed by June 17, 2018:

16 cases were forwarded to a PS hearing 

12 cases were dismissed

22 cases were issued a citation

5 cases were withdrawn by the complainant (4 prior to GC, one following GC)

ARBITRATION CLAIMS FILED JANUARY TO JUNE 17, 2019
Complaints filed – 7 | Of the 7 claims filed in 2019:

1 settled prior to GC review

1 settled prior to mandatory mediation 

2 settled in mandatory mediation

2 pending mandatory mediation 

1 pending GC review