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Failing to Respond to Requests for Appointments May Violate the Code of Ethics

Failing to Respond to Requests for Appointments May Violate the Code of Ethics

posted: 06/06/2017

When REALTORS® don’t respond to requests for appointments to show a property they might be in violation of the Code of Ethics AND MLS policy.

 

REALTORS® are required by Article 3 of the Code of Ethics to COOPERATE with other Brokers.  Cooperation means making your listings and listing information available for other Brokers/agents.  Standard of Practice 3-8 prohibits REALTORS® from misrepresenting the availability of access to show or inspect a listed property.  If showing your listing requires an appointment, yet you don’t respond when brokers are trying to make the appointment, then you are misrepresenting the availability to show.  In addition, for a listing to be included in MLS, cooperation must be offered if cooperation is in the best interest of the seller.  If a listing is in MLS, that means cooperation is being offered.    After several documented attempts to reach the listing agent/broker go unanswered, the listings may be removed from MLS since it’s obvious cooperation is not being offered.

 

Question:  What do you do when you can’t get a listing agent to respond to attempts to make an appointment to show a listed property?

 

Answer:   Document each attempt over a reasonable amount of time, then if no response, file an ethics complaint alleging violation of Article 3 as demonstrated by Standard of Practice 3-8 that Cooperation is being denied.