NAR prohibits sexual orientation discrimination!

NAR Bars Sexual Orientation Discrimination!
The change to Article 10 of the REALTORS® Code of Ethics passed in a roll-call vote by a greater than 9-to-1 margin.
It had been previously approved by the Professional Standards Committee and the Board of Directors at the 2010 Midyear Meetings in Washington D.C.
Here is the amended language of Article 10:
REALTORS® shall not deny equal professional services to any person for reasons of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or sexual orientation.
REALTORS® shall not be parties to any plan or agreement to discriminate against a person or persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or sexual orientation.
REALTORS®, in their real estate employment practices, shall not discriminate against any person or persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or sexual orientation.
A related recommendation amending Standard of Practice 10-3 was approved as well:
REALTORS® shall not print, display or circulate any statement or advertisement with respect to selling or renting of a property that indicates any preference, limitations or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or sexual orientation.The amendment was discussed prior to the vote.
A few of the questions raised were:
1. Is "sexual orientation," without qualifiers or any further explanation, the right phrasing?
2. Is NAR denying private property rights (ostensibly, the right of property owners to refuse to do business with people of a certain sexual orientation due to their moral beliefs)?
3. Should NAR precede the federal government in adding sexual orientation as a protected class?
In response to the third question, a delegate from Minneapolis pointed out that the purpose of the Code of Ethics was to hold REALTORS® to a higher standard. Another delegate who approved of the amendment said the Code of Ethics was a living document. Delegates approved the Code change by voice vote, but one delegate called for a vote by ballot. In ballot voting weighted by size of local association, the amendment passed by more than 93 percent.
- Brian Summerfield, REALTOR® Magazine

REALTOR ETHICS.

I notice that a lot of the general public is unaware that REALTORs (I'm not yelling at you when I capitalize REALTOR - the National Association says that I must always put our name in caps.) have a stringent Code Of Ethics.
I've been extensively trained in our Code, so I feel comfortable talking about it to you. It's not secret, like the Masons. You can find your own copy, suitable for framing, at www.realtor.org.
Basically, the Code outlines the REALTOR's obligations to the public and to other REALTORs. We are required to always work in the best interests of our client. Within legal guidelines, we're required to tell you anything that we know about the property that might have a bearing on your decision to buy, or how much you pay. Our clients have to give us permission to work with both the seller and the buyer in the same deal. We have to be honest with everyone involved. We ae required to account for every penny.
That's just a taste - the REALTOR Code of Ethics goes on for days. I know - I've been on Arizona Association of REALTORs' Professional Standards or Greivance committees for almost 20 years, and I'm one of the comparatively few certified ethics instructors.
Do REALTORs sometimes make mistakes? Yes. Are there ever bad apples who just don't care about ethics? Yes, but they die on the vine pretty quickly. If a member of the public feels badly treated by a REALTOR, do they have any recourse? Absolutely - that's what we're here for.
Is this a subject that you want to hear more about? I live and breathe the Code of Ethics, but I realize that everybody might not share my enthusiasm. What do you think?