Ethics. Relations. Education.

The professional standard that sets REALTORS® apart from other real estate practitioners is their acceptance and adherence to the Code of Ethics. NAR’s Code of Ethics, adopted in 1913, was one of the first codifications of ethical duties adopted by any business group. The Code ensures that consumers are served by requiring REALTORS® to cooperate with each other in furthering clients’ best interests. It is universally recognized by practitioners, lawyers and laymen alike as the measure of professionalism in real estate. The Code has been revised many times through the years to reflect current developments in professional real estate practice. When you abide by the Code, it ensures your fellow practitioners and the public of a high standard of business conduct.

The Kent Washington Association of REALTORS® (KWAOR) offers its members and their clients a procedure to economically expedite ethics complaints and/or arbitration requests without going to court. Ethics complaints brought before a local association give those parties involved an opportunity to be educated about the Code, and REALTORS® are judged by their peers as opposed to others who may be far less familiar with the practices and customs of the real estate industry.

In addition to our core processes, KWAOR offers less formal procedures for resolving disputes by providing Ombudsman assistance. Through an Ombudsman, REALTORS® and the public can request assistance with real-estate related matters allowing a trained Ombudsman to act as an intermediary to assist with a successful resolution. The ombudsman’s role is primarily one of communication and conciliation, not adjudication. Ombudsmen do not determine whether ethics violations have occurred, rather they anticipate, identify, and resolve misunderstandings and disagreements before matters ripen into disputes and possible charges of unethical conduct.