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After several disturbing incidents
Earlier this year, NAR’s local, state, and national associations received various complaints about discriminatory speech posted online by realtors. Among them was a case of a RE/MAX agent in Denver who was fired in August for plucking out Black Lives Matter signs from her neighbors’ yards. Another one was a San Antonio Realtor with Keller Williams, who was fired in September for posting threats to “hunt” Black Lives Matter protesters on Facebook.
Regarding these and other incidences, the NAR’s Professional Standards Committee tabled a motion making it a violation for Realtors to use harassing or using hate speech on any of the protected groups or classes (race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, and gender identity) under Article 10 of the association’s Code of Ethics. After months of meetings and deliberations, the association’s Advisory Board recommended that it’s Code of Ethics should apply to both the professional and personal actions of a Realtor.
On November 13, 2020, the Board of Directors for NAR voted in favor of the motion by NAR’s Professional Standards Committee. The move comes as the association continues to strive to reaffirm its commitment to fair housing and place its members to be at the frontline
in leading the country’s real estate industry in the fight to eliminate discrimination and inequality.
”I applaud NAR’s Board of Directors and our Professional Standards Committee for their efforts to raise the bar on the professionalism and private speech of America’s 1.4 million Realtors®,” said NAR President Vince Malta, a broker at Malta & Co., Inc., in San Francisco, CA. ”Combatting and overcoming bigotry and injustice starts with each of us. Realtors® today took tangible steps to ensure we are held to the highest possible standard while providing a mechanism of enforcement for those who violate our new policies.”
“[For each Realtor] it means that we never take our hands off, no matter where we are, no matter what we do, we are always licensed and we are always a member of the National Association of Realtors,” the New York State Association of Realtors President Jennifer Stevenson said. “Being a member is not a right, it’s a privilege, and with that privilege comes commitments, and some of that commitment is affirming our commitment to fair housing.”
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
With the motion passed, it means that any complaint alleging a violation of Article 10 as recorded by Standard of Practice 10-5, the violator cab now be brought before a hearing panel at a local Realtor® association, where the circumstances of each individual case will be assessed.
Although the proposal seeks to have Realtors take responsibility for their personal actions, it will not bring any additional liability to their principals.
“This successful, member-led expansion of our Code and its Standards of Practice resulted in necessary specificity as to our accountability for behavior both within and outside real estate transactions as it pertains to protected classes of those consumers,” said Cindi Bulla, current chairman of Texas Realtors. “We celebrate the process and its success, and congratulate NAR President Vince Malta and his team for this milestone.”
Works cited.
https://www.nar.realtor/newsroom/nar-boardof-directors-approves-new-personal-conductpolicy-addressing-discrimination. https://www.housingwire.com/articles/afterseveral-disturbing-incidents-nar-amendscode-of-ethics-to-include-realtors-personalbehavior/.
YOU DESERVE TO LIVE SAFE FROM SEXUAL HARASSMENT.
Sexual harassment by a landlord or anyone related to your housing violates the Fair Housing Act. If you receive unwelcome sexual advances or are threatened with eviction because you refuse to provide sexual favors, you may fi le a fair housing complaint.
To fi le a complaint, go to hud.gov/fairhousing or call 1-800-669-9777
If you fear for your safety, call 911.
FAIR HOUSING IS YOUR RIGHT. USE IT.
