MLS demands I take Realtor Ethics Course

[Karl]

I went & said how can Ethics & Realtor be used in same sentence got my hours certificate & sent home.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

The online course only took my wife and hour and 1/2.

was she taking that for herself or for you??

Realtor and ethics, isn't that an oxymoron?
Like appraisers are any better

I've never had an appraiser ask me to commit fraud....

you can turn the REALTORS in

They may not be the sharpest knives in the kitchen but few commit themselves in writing. They learn that in advanced Sales class.

 

[Metamorphic]

Did you say, "How about I just fax over the the stack of 8-hour USPAP course completion certs sitting on my desk and we call it even on your ethics class."

 

[Stone]

I took that around 2001-2002. Theoretically, I am supposed to have to take it every five years, but they haven't told me to take it again. Hopefully they won't.

What I recall from the "ethics" class was a room full of agents saying, basically, "yeah, yeah, but can we do...?" or "I get that in theory, but how about...?"

These agents spent the second half of class (after the scare tactic first half) asking how they can get around the code.

I'd say it was eye-opening, but it wasn't. It was disappointing, though, to listen to this stuff so blatantly at an "ethics" class.

 

[Carnivore]

I took that around 2001-2002. Theoretically, I am supposed to have to take it every five years, but they haven't told me to take it again. Hopefully they won't.

carefull it is every four years and if you dont they will suspend you!

 

[Stone]

carefull it is every four years and if you dont they will suspend you!

Nothing to be careful about. They ask for the date I took it when I send in my renewal every year and I look it up and include it. So, they know when I last took it. My guess is that someone (quite reasonably) has decided not to worry about it when the member is an appraiser. I'm sure that could change any year with different people in charge, but for now they don't seem too concerned.

They are happy to cash the check (written on a company check with the RPAC nonsense removed).

 

[Restrain]

Only thing the agents complained about was how to file a complaint about a commission they didn't receive. Their ethics and our ethics are two entirely different things.

 

[Stone]

Only thing the agents complained about was how to file a complaint about a commission they didn't receive. Their ethics and our ethics are two entirely different things.

Definitely.

Many of the questions were about how to get more commission out of a deal, or how to keep someone else from getting part of their commission.

Quite the ethics.

 

[Brisco58]

Like appraisers are any better! Give me a break.

I couldn't agree more

 

[Mike Boyd]

Check with your State Organization. In Florida there is a level of membership known as a "Thompson Broker" in reference to Thompson vs some local board. The settlement allows a foreign broker / appraiser access to the board on a per item basis if listing, or the regular monthly fee for access to MLS in general. You have no membership rights to MLS or the Board, just access to the data, and listing for a fee. I only pay the quarterly assessment, not the yearly (outrageous) fee, and new Thompson "brokers" do not have to abide by the general rules regarding training etc. You are treated like you have the plague, but the data is available at a reasonable rate.

We don't call it the Thompson Broker in CA, but we do not have to belong to NAR or CAR to join MLS with full rights, broker or not.