Always treat others the way you want to be treated – that’s the Ethic of Reciprocity or, as most people know it, the Golden Rule.

The Golden Rule should guide the conduct of all REALTORS^®, who have a responsibility to treat others with respect during all real estate activities. This principle is the cornerstone of professionalism and essential to cultivating positive relationships.

Many may find this to be common sense. However, CREB^® Member Practice and staff from other real estate boards in Alberta are learning about interactions between REALTORS^®, as well as interactions between REALTORS^® and board staff, that seem to indicate a Golden Rule refresher is necessary.

Recently, we’ve been advised by another real estate board that members of CREB^® are being disrespectful to their members and staff. This behaviour was related to keyboxes (which vary between boards) and the time and actions necessary to access keyboxes not on CREB^®’s SentriLock program.

Disrespectful behaviour is not tolerated by any Alberta real estate board and incidences of disrespectful conduct are eligible for review by the Professional Standards Committee.

Professional Conduct

The obligation to be respectful is embedded in various statutes that oversee the real estate industry. RECA’s Good Character Policy, CREA’s REALTOR^® Code of Ethics and CREB^® Rules all touch on different aspects of professionalism that are expected of REALTORS^®. Here are some examples:

CREB^® Rules: Mutual respect toward other Members, Board or AREA staff and the public is a requirement. Aggressive or abusive behavior or threats to personal safety will not be tolerated and is not in the professional image of a Member.

REALTOR^® Code: A REALTOR^® shall not engage in conduct that is disgraceful, unprofessional or unbecoming of a REALTOR^®.

RECA Good Character Policy: Professionalism is a standard of conduct based on ethics that govern the real estate industry.

Furthermore, member co-operation is vital to our efforts to elevate the standards of our industry and reputation as professional service providers. REALTORS^® must understand the importance of respectful interactions, which create positive and memorable experiences for clients and fellow industry professionals.

Know before you go

If members are going to show properties that are accessible only by non-SentriLock lockbox (Supra, for example), then it’s the member’s responsibility to have the necessary tools in place to facilitate property access before they arrive. This may mean adding an additional app to your phone, contacting the listing agent for access instructions or registering to access another board’s keybox system for a certain period. Being aggressive toward another REALTOR^® or staff member because of a required access policy is not acceptable.

Click here to find out what you need to do to access a lockbox that isn’t part of the CREB^® SentriLock Program.

Additionally, giving appropriate notice to show a property is always appreciated for listing agents and the occupants, who must prepare and vacate the property to facilitate the showing. When requesting short-notice showings, the request may be declined, so buyer’s agents should prepare their buyers for that possibility to manage expectations.

It’s helpful to provide ample notice and keep in mind all properties are to be available to show within 24 hours of a request to view. If 24-hour notice is provided, the likelihood of the showing being declined is dramatically reduced.

If a showing has not been confirmed, do not expect that access will be granted and show up at the property. Know that listing agents are working hard to get buyers and their representatives into properties (after all, it’s in their best interest, too), but they have obligations to ensure the requested time is acceptable for their sellers.

If access or communication between the listing and buyer’s agent becomes problematic and is not in alignment with the rules, speak to your broker for assistance in resolving the issue or calmly contact the other REALTOR^®’s board to report a potential rule violation.

Should you be required to download a different app to access another board’s lockbox, have it set up before setting out. If another board’s members are required to adhere to a process that requires showing agents to download an app, asking the listing agent to bypass this policy and provide a one-day code as an alternative isn’t appropriate.

Some boards require a nominal fee be paid to the board to give non-board members limited keybox access. Please do not suggest that the property be left unlocked to avoid taking the necessary steps to gain legitimate keybox access, as this is unsafe and risky.

REALTORS^® and boards are working together

All REALTORS^® must work co-operatively to help facilitate the sale and purchase of properties. This means REALTORS^® working in various geographical regions may require buyer’s agents to adjust their familiar process to respect the local board’s policies and procedures. If a member is uncomfortable with altering their showing process, they should consider referring the consumer to another REALTOR^®.

Consequences of disrespectful conduct

Allegations of breaching the REALTOR^® Code and CREB^® Rules for conduct unbecoming or disrespectful behaviour can result in formal complaints being filed by other members or real estate boards. The administrative justice process involves investigations and hearings that can result in sanctions to members.

However, we know many of our members have wonderful working relationships with their colleagues and industry members, and we thank you for continuing to uphold the REALTOR^® brand and striving to raise the bar for professionalism within the industry.