Every year in October Lori Hillard-Wehr, FAAR’s Membership Services Director, sends a letter out to the membership asking REALTORS® to verify their Ethics date. But WHY? What’s the big deal over Ethics? And what are the requirements?
As a REALTOR®, you’ve made the decision to set yourself apart from other real estate professionals by joining a national organization whose members hold themselves to a higher standard of professionalism and excellence. To maintain this higher standard NAR developed the NAR Quadrennial Code of Ethics with specially designed curriculum that embodies the professionalism expected of all REALTORS®. To be a member of NAR you must take NAR Quadrennial Ethics every 4 years.
Virginia’s Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) also requires Ethics as apart of your state licensing renewal requirement. DPOR, with guidance from the Virginia Real Estate Board (VREB), requires 3 hours of Ethics every licensing cycle (every 2 years). DPOR does not require the NAR Code of Ethics, any VREB approved Ethics course will do.
The Fredericksburg Area Association of REALTORS® (FAAR) as a REALTOR® association must require the NAR Code of Ethics, but similar to DPOR requires Ethics every 2 years.
- NAR every 4 yrs (NAR Code of Ethics)
- DPOR every 2 yrs (any VREB approved Ethics)
- FAAR every 2 yrs (NAR Code of Ethics)
This does not mean you need to take ethics 3 different times. If you take the NAR Code of Ethics from a local provider once every 2 years you will meet your FAAR, DPOR and NAR Ethics requirements.
*Things to Remember*
- Take the NAR Code of Ethics every 2 years
- Verify that the school offers NAR Ethics before you take the course
- Two schools in our area with very similar names both offer Ethics, but one is NAR Ethics and one is not
- Verify that the school offers NAR Ethics before you take the course
- Send the certificate to FAAR by fax 540-736-0301 or email lhilliardwehr@farrmembers.com
NAR’s FREE online Ethics course is available at http://www.realtor.org/mempolweb.nsf/pages/onlineethicstraining
Can you receive Virgina real estate license renewal credit for taking the NAR Ethics Online?
VAR has an online course approved if you’d like to get CE credit in Virginia. Go to http://www.varealtor.com/ethics-training(Item #5). You must pay a fee before the credits will be issued. Also you’ll need to send the confirmation email from NAR stating you’ve successfully completed their program to Lili Paulk, Education Director of VAR, Lili@varealtor.com.
- For more information about NAR Code’s of Ethics visit http://www.realtor.org/mempolweb.nsf/pages/code
- Additional Ethics training resources available through VAR at http://www.thecodeisgoodbusiness.com/va/
- Contact Lori Hillard-Wehr, FAAR’s Membership Services Director for questions about your local Ethics requirements
