These days almost every Realtor has a website and many Realtors advertise listings on websites such as Craigslist, Zillow, RealBird.com. Postlets.com etc. However not every Realtor is aware that the N.A.R code of Ethics has been amended as of 2007 to address the issue of advertisement of other Realtors listings on the Internet. Specifically, Article 12 of the Code of Ethics (which mandates truth in advertising) has been revised to include duties relating to electronic advertising.
Some of the basic do's and don'ts when advertising on the Internet are as follows:
Do!
- Always clearly identify the name of the listing brokerage in the advertising.
- Keep your website content current.
!Don't!
- Advertise a listing which is not yours without permission from the listing broker.
- Sell information gathered on your website without disclosing your intention to do so.
Newspaper Advertising:
- Many Realtors, are not indicating in there written ads that they have in the newspaper that they are agents, and are misleading the public --- to believe that they are FSBO's.
In a recent case that the Department of Real Estate here in California got involved with and discipline the agent and broker, he/she was writing the ad and running it like a FSBO, with out disclosing the brokerage.
Agents that own homes and want to sell them on there own still need to disclose that they are an agent.
Lorraine
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