On Friday, November 13, 2020, NAR’s Board of Directors voted in favor of a motion presented by the Professional Standards Committee to make it a violation for REALTORS® to use harassing or hate speech toward any of the protected classes. This change took effect immediately.
This is a change to Article 10 of the Code of Ethics. Article 10 prohibits REALTORS® from discriminating on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity in the provision of professional services and in employment practices. The Board approved a new Standard of Practice under the Article, 10-5, which states, “REALTORS® must not use harassing speech, hate speech, epithets, or slurs” against members of those protected classes.
Resources:
- NAR’s Code of Ethics & Professional Standards Policies Hub
- Find frequently asked questions, an overview of the changes and more.
- Code of Ethics and Professional Standards Policies Approved by the NAR Board of Directors
- NAR’s Appendix XII to Part Four of the Code of Ethics and Arbitration Manual
- Outlines the application of the new changes, including how specific terms are defined.