Here is almost everything you need to know about real estate ethics: Follow the Golden Rule. Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you.
Yesterday I sat in an NAR ethics class. I was somewhat surprised by how many agents did poorly on the quiz questions. There was one question that I may have been one of the few out of over one hundred agents to get it right.
The question was if an agent calls on a listing and asks the expiration date, if the listing agent refuses to give that information can they contact the seller directly? The answer is under the C.O.E., yes. I knew that from discussions here on Active Rain.
When dealing with ethics, you take the COE, the state law, the local COE and use the strictest one. In this case there is an even higher authority. I would never do it period. I follow the golden rule.
As real estate professionals we should know the COE and the laws like the back of our hands. When we come to a situation where we are not sure, consult your broker and always follow the Golden Rule. If you are not sure it is most likely not OK.
In the end there are two agents on every transaction. When you list a home for sale you are depending on other agents to help sell it. When you have buyers you need to cooperate with other agents to find and get them in the home of their dreams. So even if what you are doing meets the letter of the law or the COE, it may not meet the Golden Rule and it may hurt your reputation among other agents in the area and your clients.
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