Summary of the Articles of the Code

Following is a summary of the Code. To view the complete Code, visit www.REALTOR.org and search "Code of Ethics."


Duties to Clients and Customers:


Article 1: REALTORS protect and promote their clients' interests while treating all parties honestly.

Article 2: REALTORS refrain from exaggeration, misrepresentation or concealment of pertinent facts related to property or transactions, and do not reveal confidential information except under certain limited circumstances (e.g., when required by a court order or to prevent a crime).

Article 3: REALTORS cooperate with other real estate professionals to advance their clients' best interests.

Article 4: When buying or selling on their own account or for their firms, REALTORS make their true position or interest known.

Article 5: When providing professional services where they have any present or contemplated interest in property, REALTORS disclose interest to all affected parties.

Article 6: REALTORS disclose any fee or financial benefit they may receive from recommending related real estate products or services and accept compensation only with their clients' informed consent.

Article 7: REALTORS receive compensation from only one party, except where they make full disclosure to all parties and receive informed consent from their client.

Article 8: REALTORS keep entrusted funds of clients and customers in a separate escrow account.

Article 9: REALTORS make sure that the details of agreements are put into writing whenever possible and that parties receive copies.


Duties to the Public:


Article 10: REALTORS give equal professional service to all clients and customers irrespective of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin and they do not discriminate in their employment practices on any of these bases.

Article 11: REALTORS are knowledgeable and competent in the fields of practice in which they engage, or they get assistance from a knowledgeable professional, or disclose any lack of expertise to the client.

Article 12: REALTORS are honest and truthful in their real estate communications and present a true picture in their advertising, marketing and in other public representations.

Article 13: REALTORS do not engage in the unauthorized practice of law.

Article 14: REALTORS willingly participate in ethics and arbitration enforcement actions.


Duties to REALTORS:


Article 15: REALTORS make only truthful, not misleading, comments about other real estate professionals.

Article 16: REALTORS respect the exclusive representation or exclusive brokerage relationship agreements that other REALTORS have with their clients.

Article 17: REALTORS arbitrate contractual disputes and specific non-contractual disputes with other REALTORS and their clients.