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The professional standard that sets REALTORS® apart from other real estate practitioners is their acceptance and adherence to the Code of Ethics.The Code has been revised many times through the years to reflect current developments in professional real estate practice.
The Orlando Regional Realtor® Association offers its members and their clients a vehicle to economically expedite ethics complaints and/or arbitration requests without going to court. Ethics complaints brought before a local association give those parties involved an opportunity to be educated about the Code, and REALTORS® are judged by their peers as opposed to others who may be far less familiar with the practices and customs of the real estate industry.
If you have not done so already, we strongly encourage you to contact the broker, informing him/her of what happened, as they may not be aware.
Use this directory tool to verify if the broker/realtor of your complaint is a REALTOR® member of our association. If they show up in your search results, you will find the broker's contact information. If he or she appears in your search results, you’ll see the broker’s contact information. Inform the broker of your situation. It could lead to a quick resolution.
To initiate an ethics complaint with ORRA, it must be submitted within one hundred eighty (180) days from when the facts in question could have reasonably been known or within one hundred eighty (180) days after the conclusion of the transaction, whichever is later.
The respondent must hold membership with ORRA; if affiliated with another association, contact that specific association.
Anyone, whether ORRA member or not, who believes that a member has violated the REALTOR® Code of Ethics, is eligible to file an ethics complaint.
In cases involving a procuring cause dispute over a sale or other conflicts among REALTORS®, as outlined in Article 17 of the REALTOR® Code of Ethics, brokers are advised to attempt resolution before initiating arbitration.
If a resolution is unattainable, REALTOR® members are obligated to undergo arbitration as part of their membership responsibilities, preceding any pursuit of legal justification.
Arbitration must be initiated promptly, either within 180 days after the closing of the transaction, if applicable, or within 180 days from the time the facts constituting the arbitrable matter could reasonably have been discovered through diligent inquiry, whichever is later.
ORRA will appoint a qualified mediator. Should an agreement be reached, both parties will receive a refund of their deposits.
In case mediation is unsuccessful, an arbitration hearing will be scheduled, and only the prevailing party will have their deposit refunded.
Successful mediation results in a refund of the $500 arbitration filing fee for both parties. If mediation does not yield an agreement, the arbitration hearing proceeds as planned.
Any questions can be directed to the Professional Standards Department.
Click here for more information for details about the NAR's Code of Ethics, professional standards, and mediation resources.