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Following hours of passionate debate, proposed changes to the National Association of Realtors’ hate speech policy went forward largely unchanged Tuesday morning and now head to the trade group’s board of directors.
At its meeting on Tuesday, NAR’s Professional Standards Committee approved the changes to the Realtor Code of Ethics’ Standard of Practice 10-5, which currently prohibits Realtors from using “harassing speech, hate speech, epithets, or slurs based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation or gender identity.”
The policy, which was approved in 2020, currently applies to all of a Realtor’s activities, not just those related to real estate. A Realtor who violates the policy is charged under Article 10 of the Code of Ethics, which prohibits denying equal professional services to anyone in those protected classes.
At the meeting, which took place at NAR’s midyear conference, the Realtors Legislative Meetings, the committee voted to amend SOP 10-5 so that it reads:
“Realtors, in their capacity as real estate professionals, in association with their real estate businesses, or in their real estate-related activities, shall not harass any person or persons based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
As used in this Code of Ethics, harassment is unwelcome behavior directed at an individual or group based on one or more of the above protected characteristics where the purpose or effect of the behavior is to create a hostile, abusive, or intimidating environment which adversely affects their ability to access equal professional services or employment opportunity.”
The amendment removes the language referencing “harassing speech, hate speech, epithets, or slurs” and adds a definition of harassment that NAR says aligns with its Member Code of Conduct.
The committee also voted to amend Policy Statement 29 to change the Code of Ethics’ applicability so that Realtors would be encouraged, but not required, to follow the code “in all of their activities.” That amendment reads:
“While Realtors are encouraged to follow the principles of the Code of Ethics in all of their activities, a Realtor shall be subject to disciplinary action under the Code of Ethics only with respect to their capacity as real state professionals, in association with their real estate businesses, or in their real estate-related activities.”
The NAR board of directors will vote on the proposed changes at its meeting on Thurs. June 5.
