YPN and Professional Standards Advisory Group Partner to Promote Professionalism
DISGUISES AND CODED MESSAGES were conspicuously absent in NVAR’s Fairfax classroom on April 17, when YPN teamed up with the Professional Standards Advisory Group (ProSAG) to host the “Realtor® Protection Program.”
Moderated by ProSAG Chair Evan Lacopo, Vice-chair Lisa Dubois, and YPN Vice-chair Nicole Canole, this interactive session covered best practices, plus dos and don’ts for the packed room of Realtors® interested in protecting their clients and businesses.
Professional Standards Advisory Group (ProSAG) Chair, Evan Lacopo, introduces the April 17 joint YPN-ProSAG program about best practices for protecting business and client interests.
Presenters covered procedures for handling agent-to-agent and consumer- to-agent grievances, emphasizing NVAR’s Ombudsman Program as an ideal option for addressing disagreements through a non- adversarial volunteer-facilitated process.
Options for parties wishing to use the more formal grievance process were also explained.
That process begins with the filing of a complaint using NVAR’s online system. The Grievance Committee then decides, based solely on the information provided in the complaint and supporting materials, whether the allegations represent a possible violation of the Code of Ethics. The committee may take one of three actions:
- Cite the respondent through the NVAR Citation System; the respondent may choose not to accept the citation and instead have the complaint sent to the Professional Standards Committee for a hearing.
- Dismiss the complaint.
- Forward the complaint to the Professional Standards Committee for a hearing.
If a case is forwarded to the Professional Standards Committee, in additional to the complaint and supporting materials, a hearing panel will also receive a response and supporting materials from the respondent. The panel will also hear evidence from both parties. The burden of proof is on the complainant to deliver clear, strong and convincing evidence of a violation. Decisions of the Professional Standards Committee are reviewed by the NVAR Board of Directors for their final action.
Learn more about resolution services at
NVAR.com/professionalism.
After the April 17 presentation, participants competed in a cloud-based Kahoot quiz to test their understanding of the Code of Ethics and the grievance process. Winning Realtors® took home Starbucks gift cards and the assurance that they are well equipped to protect their clients and their business.