In November 2020, the Board of Directors of the National Association of Realtors® (“NAR”) adopted an update to Article 10 of the Realtor® Code of Ethics (“Code of Ethics”). This update provided a new Standard of Practice (SOP 10-5) that went into effect immediately and states:

Many brokers are asking: “Can my firm advertise resales, vacant land and new construction properties that are for-sale-by-owner (“FSBO”) on our website without listing it in the MLS?”

THE VIRGINIA FAIR HOUSING LAW (Virginia Code Ann. §§ 36-96.1 et seq. (the “Act”)) recites the policy of the Commonwealth to “provide for fair housing … to all its citizens … and … prohibit discriminatory practices with respect to residential housing…”

Q. What does the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (“VRLTA”) require of nonresident property owners who wish to lease their Virginia residential properties?

Ensuring that all citizens have fair access to housing is essential “[to protect] the peace, health, safety, prosperity, and general welfare of all the inhabitants of the Commonwealth …

Q. As a real estate licensee, I market myself as a member of a team. What do I need to know about the newly-enacted team legislation?

GDPR stands for the General Data Protection Regulation. This European Union regulation took effect on May 25, 2018.

Q. I represent a landlord and recently received an application from five friends seeking to rent a single-family residence in Fairfax. Is it a Fair Housing violation to reject the application, even though the property has five bedrooms?

THE REALTORS® CODE OF ETHICS is more than a guide to right and wrong.

IN 1990, Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), with the aim of providing equal access and protection to millions of Americans living with disabilities. Title III of the ADA requires that public accommodations and commercial facilities provide adequate accessibility to disabled persons.

Providing for more than one walk-through inspection gives buyers the ability to check on the progress of work as early as one week before settlement.

Something creative about what kind of information a licensee can release to a landlord during the rental application process.

On January 1, NVAR and five neighboring Realtor® Associations announced the opportunity for certain Article 12 violation allegations under the Code of Ethics to be filed anonymously.

What should you advise your clients about making a video recording of a home listed for sale or rent?

The purchaser has a fixed number of days to elect to either provide notice that the contract is void or to proceed as if there were no Home Inspection Contingency and take the property AS-IS.

The following guidance is offered for brokers and agents in connection with marketing and sale of property for which flood insurance may be required

Depending on the circumstances and the cost of the repair, it may be a good business decision for the agent to offer to repair the damage.

Improperly placed open house signs can cost you more than a sale. They can also result in confiscated signs and a loss of hard-earned money.

An accommodation request under the FHA isn't limited to a particular type of service animal, and so could require accommodations for such animals as snakes or birds