*These figures account for totals between January 1 and July 1 of each year. 

What conclusions can NVAR members draw from these numbers? One trend that stands out is that NVAR has received fewer complaints – especially in the first six months of 2023. Is the current real estate market causing this drop? Are Realtors® more professional? Meaning are there fewer issues to report? Is there not enough awareness about the available dispute resolution processes? Feedback from NVAR’s volunteer leaders tells us that fewer complaints are likely a result of a combination of these factors.   

One positive reason for fewer complaints is an increased commitment from parties to engage in informal dispute-resolution efforts. These efforts include NVAR’s policy of encouraging communication between parties, including engaging the agent’s broker when appropriate. Sometimes disputes are a result of a misunderstanding. Other times, a complainant wants an apology and a commitment that the behavior will not occur in the future. Often, when there is not a clear or egregious violation, parties are able to work out a win-win resolution outside of the disciplinary process. 

NVAR offers a variety of dispute resolution services, most available at no additional charge. The formal processes include filing an ethics complaint or an arbitration claim. NVAR also offers informal and collaborative services such as mediation and the Ombudsman Program. These processes exist both to protect the public as well as to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and safeguard the reputations of all Realtors®.  

For more information about NVAR’s dispute resolution services, please visit https://www.nvar.com/realtors/laws-ethics/realtor-professionalism or email proservices@nvar.com.