Real(i)ty check: resurrect the DRE Code of Ethics
loading...
loading...
Should the DRE reestablish the 1979-1996 Ethics and Professional Conduct Code?
- Yea. (81%, 133 Votes)
- Nay. (19%, 32 Votes)
Total Voters: 165
Real estate agents are the gatekeepers of the industry. Because they are in a position of public trust, they are held to high ethical standards; the Department of Real Estate (DRE) requires all licensees to complete a three-hour ethics course every four years to reinforce standards of practice for every licensee.
In 1979, under Real Estate Commissioner David Fox, the DRE adopted DRE Regulation 2785, the Ethics and Professional Conduct Code. Grounded in already-existing case law and Business and Professions Code §§ 10176 and 10177, this code of ethics comprised three sections: (a) Unlawful Conduct, (b) Unethical Conduct and (c) Beneficial Conduct. The code was revised in 1983 and again in 1990, before being finally repealed under Governor Pete Wilson’s Regulatory Reform Project in November, 1996.
End of free preview
The rest of this content is only available to first tuesday Members. If you are a current first tuesday Member, please login above.
Not a current Member? For only $29.50, our Annual Membership includes access to:
- the first tuesday journal;
- over 350 first tuesday real estate forms;
- over 35 FARM letters; and
- a 16-book reference library and more!
To sign up, visit firsttuesday.us!
loading...
loading...
About The Author
Sarah Cantino
is lead editor for the Landlords, Tenants and Property Management and Real Estate Property Management books.
ty check: resurrect the DRE Code of Ethics){kind=link}
Either you are ethical or you’re not. No matter how many courses you take, it won’t matter if you’re an unethical person. I have always bent over backwards to be ethical, however, find that a lot of people just don’t trust you because of the color of your hair…your looks or some other inconsequential thing.
On the other hand, I have had clients trust me with their entire financial situation…even taking me along to work with their CPA’s to plan their strategies, and found that these people wound up getting the best deals on their investments, and are very successful today because of sharing their information with me. Tthey trusted me to look out for their best interests, so I was in a position to know how best to help them achieve their goals. My attitude is complete loyalty to a client…always.
One of my children goes to “other” realtors because she doesn’t want me to know about her finances, although I couldn’t care less about her finances, and have put her on my properties as a Joint Tenant. Maybe I should rethink that.
loading...
making some agent take a required ethics course is fine. but don’t expect an agent that is not playing by the rules to be honest and ethical regardless of any mandated program.
A unethical agent should have thier license revoked.
loading...
Be gone with the Realtors Code of Ethics. It was always a farce, the Realtors lied, cheated, stole, commited fraud, forged, but they always said they were honest because the were a Realtor and had a code of ethics. The bigger farce was the enforcement, closed door by the cronies involved and results were never disclosed to the public. A lot of good the ethics enforcement did anyone! The big offices got away with anything they wanted to, and always supervised little. Me, 36 years as an independent broker, a Realtor the first six months until I saw that all it was was a loose fitting union, pushing realtor issues for Realtors only. Since then, MLS only. I never needed a code of ethics for me to do the right and legal things.
loading...
A lot of Realtors of today have no ethics. Example, A property listed on Realtor.com is listed as “not for sale” yet is is for sale on the Realtors web page. Banks Hire Realtors that have no clue about environmental issues, have the Realtor hire unlicensed cleanup people that dispose of the hazard materials in full violation of the environmental laws. As a broker for over 30 years I’m ashamed of the business of today.
loading...
If the DRE or state board of Realtors ACTUALLY POLICED these policies I’d have no problem with it.
the sad thing is this, The ETHICS under which an individual operates are the ones he/she already had when he/she came into the industry .
THE problem is when I came INTO the industry ,Iwas very proud ,Ithought I’d joined an honerable profession,then I’m IN LINE AT THE GROCERY STORE AND PEOPLE MAGAZINE has a headline on its cover the 10 least respected careers in America,and R.E.agent was like 3rd. PEOPLE IN THIS INDUSTRY
N-E-E-D ..TO BE ETHICAL and held to a higher standard. BUT paying an annual fee and “joining” a club doesn’t MAKE YOU MORE ETHICAL.
loading...
It takes HONEST people the problem is that I have been in the business since 1978 working in Malibu and I know who the bad agents are and they don’t go away!
So I avoid them if I can!
loading...
The system is broke and needs to be fixed. The union (CAR) has everyone convinced that being a Realtor is being someone more ethical than just a real estate agent. There is no way to weed out unethical people and reported violations as to advertising go investigated. Nancy is right, education does not make a person ethical and the supervision by a broker to their agents is limited to a weekly meeting that is not required and only promotes those outside people who help the bottom line. Everyone commenting could make a list of sayings that Realtors say and they would for the most part fall under the unethical realm. I have a buyer for your property ……. sign here!!!
loading...