My faith in the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) has been shaken. My faith in the California Association of REALTORS® (CAR) has been shaken. My faith in the Sacramento Board of REALTORS® (SAR) has been shaken, too. I have adopted and work by the REALTOR® Code of Ethics. That link takes you to an article on About.com where I have defended the differences between agents and REALTORs®, especially for those readers who believe there is no difference.
The National Association of REALTORS® advertises to home buyers and home sellers on the pages I am paid to write for the Homebuying site at About.com. About.com is owned by The New York Times. I used to feel such joy and pride. Now I feel sadness when I look at those ads.
Did you know that by accepting membership in an Association of REALTORS®, an agent agrees that the Association can, at its discretion, file a complaint against that agent based upon a narrow interpretation of the Code of Ethics -- even if that interpretation and allegation is unfounded and untrue? The agent can't even discuss the allegations in public or the agent can risk a loss of membership in the MLS. The Association is free to make up its own rules.
If you are writing for a national publication or perhaps simply writing in a public forum that is recognized within your community, that exposure and recognition might come back to you bite you. While the grievance process is important, valid and needed to assure quality among agents -- because there are always a few agents who will try to the bend the rules -- that process can be abused.
The Code of Ethics is a shield that ensures the integrity of our profession. I believe in it. But what do you do if that shield gets turned into a weapon and it's pointed at you?
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Certified HAFA Specialist
My Sacramento Real Estate Listings
Elizabeth Weintraub is an author, home buying columnist for The New York Times-owned About.com, a Land Park resident, and a Land Park real estate agent who specializes in older, classic homes in Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown and East Sacramento. Weintraub is also a Sacramento Short Sale agent who lists and successfully sells short sales throughout the four-county Sacramento area. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put 35 years of real estate experience to work for you. Broker-Associate at Lyon Real Estate. DRE License # 00697006.
The Short Sale Savior, by Elizabeth Weintraub, available at Amazon.com.
Lyon Real Estate is not associated with the government, and our service is not approved by the government or your lender. Even if you accept this offer and use our service, your lender may not agree to change your loan.
Photo: Unless otherwise noted in this blog, the photo is copyrighted by Big Stock Photo and used with permission.
The views expressed herein are Weintraub's personal views and do not reflect the views of Lyon Real Estate.
Disclaimer: If this post contains a listing, information is deemed reliable as of the date it was written. After that date, the listing may be sold, listed by another brokerage, canceled, pending or taken temporarily off the market, and the price could change without notice. It could blow up, explode or vanish. To find out the present status of any listing, please go to elizabethweintraub.com.
