Draft Recommendations for Improving NAR’s Quad Ethics
The AEC Quadrennial Ethics Training Review Work Group is seeking AE input on the following recommendations by June 30, 2010. Please leave your comments below so others can see them, or send a private email to quadethics@realtors.org .
Draft recommendations
1. “That NAR’s online Quadrennial REALTOR® Ethics Training Course be redeveloped to incorporate interactive online instructional design formats and techniques and that the course include individual modules covering different specialties and concepts of the Code of Ethics.”
Rationale: According to the recent NAR member survey, NAR’s Quadrennial REALTOR® Ethics Training online course received slightly higher ratings than classroom courses offered by state and local associations. The survey also revealed that those who completed NAR’s online course are most likely to report a perceived benefit than those respondents who completed the course in another format. NAR’s online course is a primary training option that also fills a need for members who don’t have access to many other course offerings, as well as for those who have not planned in advance to attend a live presentation course. Enhancements that present the course in a more engaging and interactive format and that include content from the various specialty areas will bring greater value to the course and the course participants.
2. “That all NAR Code of Ethics training materials be submitted to ARELLO (Association of Real Estate License Law Officials) for approval, and that state associations then be encouraged to seek continuing education approval for these course materials with their respective real estate licensing authorities.”
Rationale: Some state licensing commissions (Delaware, Indiana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Virginia) recognize educational courses approved by ARELLO as qualifying for the state CE requirement. If NAR’s Quadrennial REALTOR® Ethics Training Course is approved by ARELLO, then it may also be approved for state CE requirements in those jurisdictions. California and Texas licensing agencies currently offer ethics courses that meet the quadrennial ethics training requirement. Staff at both the California and Texas REALTOR® associations worked with their respective licensing commissions to be sure the licensing courses met the NAR quadrennial ethics training requirement/criteria.
3. “That an additional required learning objective on ‘procuring cause’ be added to the new and continuing member quadrennial ethics training courses.”
Rationale: While it may not be reasonable to expect that comprehensive training on procuring cause could be covered in quadrennial ethics training, an overview of this fundamental concept should be included.”
4.“That there be one course code for tracking quadrennial ethics training completion rather than a separate one for both new and continuing members.”
Rationale: One code for course completion would minimize confusion and result in more accurate records. This change would not be effective until the fourth quadrennial cycle, which begins in 2013 and ends in 2016, as membership system vendors will need to make changes to their systems and NAR will need to modify NRDS fields.
5. “That NAR develop a quadrennial ethics training toolkit for associations to help them administer the program.”
Rationale: A toolkit that includes correspondence templates, calendars, NRDS record-keeping guidance, the role of leadership, the role of state associations, incentive examples to encourage members to complete the training prior to the last year of the quadrennial, promotion examples appropriate for each of the four years of the quadrennial, social media applications, success stories, myth busters, etc., would help associations save time and expenses in administering the program.
6. “That a session be presented at the AE Institute during each quadrennial ethics cycle that provides an overview of key aspects of administering the quadrennial ethics training requirement.”
Rationale: There’s a need to continuously educate members and associations of the course requirements, procedures for completion, and the reasons why the training requirement exists. Ongoing education reinforces the value of the training and ensures that AEs and members that are new to the association are informed.
7.“That NAR leadership communicate the value of the quadrennial ethics training program to local and state volunteer leaders to help increase awareness and understanding of the training requirement.”
Rationale: Both staff and volunteer leaders need to approach the quadrennial ethics training requirement as a leadership team, as members are influenced by support and encouragement from their volunteer leader peers. Ongoing communication through the NAR Board and State Leadership Forums, Leadership Summit, Broker Involvement Program, online Presidents’ Leadership Guide, etc., are all mediums that can be used to reach volunteer leaders.
8. “That state associations be encouraged to take a proactive role in supporting local association efforts to implement the quadrennial ethics training requirement.”
Rationale: In most cases, through economies of scale and range of resources, state associations can provide support and assistance that would benefit local associations throughout the state. Providing lists of qualified instructors, offering instructor training, and certifying instructors are all services that state associations could provide to help their local associations in implementing the requirement.
9.“That the NAR Organizational Standards for Local Boards and Associations program be expanded to include criteria specifying that local associations administer and enforce the quadrennial ethics training requirement.”
Rationale: The Organizational Standards for Local Boards and Associations would serve as a centralized mechanism for tracking duties and responsibilities that are expected by NAR in order to maintain the association’s charter as an NAR member board.
10. “That the Quadrennial Ethics Training Requirement be consistently referred to and marketed as the REALTOR® Code of Ethics Training Requirement.”
Rationale: Since a goal of the Quadrennial Ethics Training Requirement is to ensure that REALTORS® understand their Code of Ethics obligations, the Code should be included in the program reference.
For the past few years the AEC has empanelled a work group to prepare AE’s for job transitions - new job or retirement. The work group has finished their work and issued their final products. Even if you are not planning a transition, this report is worth your time to look over.
Thanks to the AEC’s Generational Communications Work Group for developing an outstanding resource for local associations to use when considering their presence on FaceBook. Henry DiGiacomo, Chair of the Generational Communications Work Group has submitted this final draft of the Facebook Workbook for REALTOR Associations. The work group, with the help of NAR’s social media and REALTOR.org staff, Todd Carpenter and Hilary Marsh, put together this workbook over this past year. This workbook will be helpful for so many associations that are enhancing their communication models to meet their members’ changing business needs, across all generational lines.
