Filing a Complaint
The single, most outstanding characteristic that sets REALTORS® apart from other real estate agents is the willingness to accept and abide by the Code of Ethics of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. The code of ethics is a living document, responsive in its content to changes in the law and industry. The Code has been revised many times through the years to reflect current developments in professional real estate practice. The term REALTOR® has come to represent competency, honesty, and high integrity. These qualities stem from voluntary adherence to an ideal of moral conduct in real estate business practices.
But even with the best of intentions, planning and preparation, occasional disagreements arise between REALTORS® and/or between REALTORS® and their clients or customers. As civil litigation becomes increasingly costly, time consuming, and burdensome, there has been a trend among private parties to settle disputes and conflicting claims through alternative means.
Northwest Ohio REALTORS® offers its members and their clients and customers a way to economically expedite ethics complaints and/or arbitration requests without going to court. If a monetary dispute arises from a real estate transaction or if you believe a REALTOR® may have acted in an unethical manner, you may file a complaint.
Ethics complaints that are brought before the board give those parties involved an opportunity to be educated about the Code. In addition, REALTORS® are judged by their peers as opposed to other individuals who may be far less familiar with the practices and customs of the real estate industry.