NEWS
Citation policy is added to professional standards tools
New policy allows for citations to be assessed for certain REALTOR® Code of Ethics violations in lieu of a hearing
ORRA has added a new tool to its suite of
professional standards programs intended
to ensure adherence to the REALTOR® Code
of Ethics. The ORRA Citation Policy now allows
for citations to be assessed for certain
COE violations in lieu of a hearing.
Written ethics complaints that contain
only allegations of the violations listed below
are eligible for review by a Citation Panel
made up of ORRA REALTOR® members.
The panel in turn has the option to issue
citations to respondents, who then have
the option of paying the citations within 10
days or declining to pay the citations and
thereby moving the complaint ahead to the
full hearing process.
Citation fines are $500-$1,500 for the first
offense, $1,000-$3,000 plus a COE class for
the second offense, and $2,000-$5,000 for
the third offense. The following violations of
the REALTOR® COE are citation eligible:
Article 3
• Failure to communicate a change in
compensation for cooperative services
prior to the time that REALTOR® submits
an offer to purchase/lease the property
• Failing to disclose existence of dual or
variable rate commission arrangements
• Failure to disclose to cooperating brokers
differential that would result in dual
or variable rate commission arrangement
if sale/lease results through efforts
of seller/landlord
• Failing to disclose existence of accepted
offers, including offers with unresolved
contingencies, to cooperating brokers
Article 4
• Failing to disclose REALTOR®’s ownership
or other interest in writing to the
purchaser or their representative
Article 6
• Failure to disclose REALTOR®’s direct
interest in an organization or business
entity when recommending to a client
or customer that they use the services of
that organization or business entity
Article 12
• Failing to present a true picture in real
estate communications and advertising
• Failing to disclose status as real estate
professional in advertising and other
representations
• Failure to provide all terms governing
availability of a “free” product or service in
an advertisement or other representation
• Failure to disclose potential to obtain a
benefit from third party when REALTOR®
represents their services as “free” or
without cost
• Failure to exercise care and candor when
communicating the terms and conditions
of premiums, prizes, merchandise
discounts or other inducements to list,
sell, purchase, or lease
• Advertising property for sale/lease without
authority of owner or listing broker
• Failing to disclose name of firm in advertisement
for listed property
• Failing to disclose status as both owner/
landlord and REALTOR® or licensee when
advertising property in which REALTOR®
has ownership interest
• Falsely claiming to have “sold” property
• Failure to take corrective action when it
becomes apparent that information on a
REALTOR®’s website is no longer current
or accurate
• Failure to disclose firm name and state
of licensure on REALTOR® firm website
• Representing that the REALTOR® has
a designation, certification, or other
credential they are not entitled to use
Article 14
• Failing to cooperate in a professional
standards proceeding or investigation
in circumstances when cooperation
has been demanded by the association
and association has advised REALTOR®
failure to cooperate could result in an
allegation of a violation of Article 14
Article 16
• Placing for sale/lease sign on property
without permission of seller/landlord
REALTORS® work the phones
Hurricane Dorian call-a-thon raises $12,000 for Bahamian victims
A compassionate group of ORRA members in September met with their cell phones
and contact lists, and promptly raised more than $12,000 for victims of Hurricane
Dorian. ORRA then matched their efforts with a dollar-for-dollar donation. The funds will
be used to purchase roofing supplies, which have been identified as a significant need.
orlandorealtors.org 7
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