Attorney Bruce Aydt, ABR, CRB, SRS, is a national real estate educator, a Missouri real estate broker, and past chair of the National Association of REALTORS® Professional Standards Committee.
There are a number of software tools that allow you upload a photograph of an empty room and then add computerized images of furnishings, fixtures, and even paint colors. But is this kind of marketing allowed under the Code of Ethics?
If a "Just Sold!" flyer would lead a reasonable consumer to believe the REALTOR® who sent the flyer actually "sold" the property, then it's a violation of the Code of Ethics.
An acquaintance asked me discuss possibly taking on their listing. Would it be in violation of the Code of Ethics for me to follow through with this request without first getting permission from the broker who currently holds the listing? Or would this be OK because my acquaintance approached me about it?
About a week after I took on a new listing, I switched brokerages and had my license transferred. My client wants to follow me to my new broker. Can she ask my former broker to terminate the listing so she can relist with me at my new brokerage?
With distressed properties, there can be confusion about when an offer is accepted. The seller is still the legal owner of the property in most cases, and must be the first to accept an offer. Yet the lender also must approve or agree to the transaction, since it’s being asked to take less than what’s owed on the mortgage.
Considering several offers at the same time or asking one or more potential buyers to make their best and final offer by a specific deadline doesn’t violate the Code of Ethics.
Is it a violation of the Code of Ethics to advertise another broker's listing in print or on the Internet without permission from the listing agent or company?
Is it ethical to contact the owners of commercial property with old signage that don't appear to be actively marketed? Should I contact the broker and ask if he or she has a current listing on the property?