Professional Standards
Maintaining high ethical standards has been at the center of the Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS® since our organization began in 1924. The information and links on this page pertain to enforcement of the REALTOR® Code of Ethics, including ethics complaints and violations, disciplining of Members, and the mediation and arbitration of disputes as defined in Article 17 of the REALTOR® Code of Ethics.
Every REALTOR® takes an oath pledging to uphold the Code of Ethics of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (NAR) upon joining the Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS®. The Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS® administers the Code of Ethics process for its Realtor members. The Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS® members subscribe to the REALTOR® Code Ethics as a condition of membership and agree to uphold the Code of Ethics in their business dealings with clients, customers and other REALTORS®.
Consumer/REALTOR® Help Line
The Consumer/REALTOR® Help Line is referred to as an Ombudsman Program. An Ombudsman Program is an informal telephone mediation. It can address and solve minor complaints from the public, in addition to inter-REALTOR® conflicts before they become serious problems. Like a mediator, an Ombudsman helps parties find solutions. The Ombudsman process does not replace mediation and that will, if successful, avoid the need for a more formal mediation process and potentially a formal ethics hearing or arbitration hearing.
Be sure to download the Ombudsman/Ethics Complaint Workflow.
Mediation
The Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS® has created a program that provides mediation services to interested parties as an attractive alternative to arbitration and litigation.
What is mediation? - Mediation is a voluntary and private process in which a neutral party helps individuals resolve arbitrational disputes. During mediation, the parties tend to concentrate on their highest priorities and move towards a compromise on lower priority issues. The mediator will attempt to create and maintain an atmosphere of communication between the parties while facilitating their negotiation.
Requesting Mediation - To request mediation, please download and return the form titled Request for Mediation.
Questions? Please contact Randi Clodfelter at 919-654-5400 or via email at [email protected].
Ethics
Any person having reason to believe that a member is guilty of any unethical conduct subject to disciplinary action may file a complaint in writing with the Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS®.
Filing an Ethics Complaint
- Complete Form #E-1 (Ethics Complaint Form).
- Attach a written summary of the situation and provide all documentation (such as listing agreements, purchase agreements, buyer contracts or disclosure forms) that support your complaint.
- Complaints must be filed with the Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS® within one hundred eight (180) days from the time a complainant knew (or reasonably should have known) the potentially unethical conduct took place.
For all additional questions and inquiries, please contact Randi Clodfelter at 919-654-5400 or via email at [email protected] - For complete details on the ethics complaint process, please read the form titled "Before You File an Ethics Complaint."
Ethics Cases throughout the Years
Over the past several years, the Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS® continues to see ethics cases brought forth by the membership. During this time, four articles of the Code of Ethics stand out as those that are more prevalent than others: Article 1, Article 2, Article 15 & Article 16. See case interpretations below for the National Association of REALTORS® examples of each case interpretation.
All Case Interpretations
Questions? Please contact Randi Clodfelter at 919-654-5400 or via email at [email protected].
Arbitration
Traditionally, real estate industry disputes rely on negotiation for solutions. If negotiation fails, litigation is often initiated.
Arbitration, a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), is a legal technique for the resolution of disputes outside the courts. The parties to a dispute refer it to one or more persons (the "arbitrators", "arbiters," or "arbitral tribunal"), whose decision (the "award") they agree to be bound. It is a settlement technique in which a third party reviews the case and imposes a decision that is legally binding for both sides.
Questions? Please contact Randi Clodfelter at 919-654-5400 or via email at [email protected]