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- By becoming and remaining a member and by signing or having signed the agreement to abide by the bylaws of the Board, every member, where consistent with applicable law, binds himself or herself and agrees to submit to arbitration (and to mediation if required) by the Board’s facilities all disputes as defined by Article 17 of the Code of Ethics and, as set forth in the provisions of this Manual, all disputes with any other member, as defined, under the following conditions. In addition, REALTOR® principals who participate in a Board’s MLS where they do not hold Board membership, or nonmember brokers and nonmember licensed or certified appraisers who participate in the Board’s MLS, having signed the agreement to abide by the Board’s Multiple Listing Service rules and regulations binds himself or herself and agrees to submit to arbitration by the Board’s facilities. The duty to submit to arbitration continues in effect even after membership lapses or is terminated, provided that the dispute arose while the respondent was a REALTOR® or an MLS Participant. (Amended 11/11)
Mandatory types of arbitration
(1) Every REALTOR® of the Board who is a REALTOR® principal, every REALTOR® principal who participates in a Board’s MLS where they do not hold Board membership and every nonmember broker or licensed or certified appraiser who is a Participant in the Board’s MLS shall have the right to invoke the Board’s arbitration facilities in any dispute arising out of the real estate business with a REALTOR® principal in another real estate firm or with that firm (or both), or nonmember broker/appraiser or their firm (or both) who is a Participant in the Board’s MLS. At the discretion of their REALTOR® principal, REALTOR® nonprincipals and REALTOR ASSOCIATE®s who are affiliated with either the complainant or the respondent and have a vested financial interest in the outcome may be present throughout the proceedings and to participate but are not considered to be parties. (Amended 5/23)
(2) A client of a REALTOR® principal may invoke the arbitration facilities of the Board in a business dispute with a REALTOR® principal or the REALTOR®’s firm (or both) arising out of an agency relationship or legally recognized non-agency relationship, provided the client agrees to be bound by the arbitration. In the event of such request and agreement the Board will arbitrate the dispute subject to the provisions of Part Ten, Section 45. A REALTOR® principal may also invoke arbitration against his client but no arbitration may be held without the client’s voluntary agreement to arbitrate and to be bound by the decision. (Amended 11/17)
Voluntary types of arbitration
(3) REALTORS® and REALTOR-ASSOCIATE®s who are or were affiliated with the same firm shall have the same right to invoke the arbitration facilities of the Board, provided each party voluntarily agrees to the arbitration in writing and the Board finds the matter properly subject to arbitration in accordance with the provisions of Part Ten, Section 45 of this Manual. This privilege as stated applies to disputes arising when the parties are or were affiliated with the same firm, irrespective of the time request is made for such arbitration. (Amended 11/95)
(4) A REALTOR® principal may invoke the arbitration facilities of his Board with a nonmember broker, provided each party agrees in writing to the arbitration and provided the Board finds the matter properly subject to arbitration in accordance with the provisions of Part Ten, Section 45 of this Manual. However, it shall be optional with the member as to whether he will submit to a claim to arbitration with a nonmember broker who is not an MLS Participant. A nonmember broker who is not an MLS Participant or nonmember salesperson may invoke the arbitration facilities of the Board of REALTORS® in cases where they believe they have an arbitrable dispute with a REALTOR®. Under these circumstances, REALTORS® are not required to agree to or participate in arbitration. (Amended 11/12)
(5) Business disputes between a REALTOR® principal and a customer of the REALTOR® principal may be arbitrated by the Board if a written contractual relationship has been created by a REALTOR® principal between a customer and a client and provided all parties to the dispute (i.e., the customer and the REALTOR®) agree in writing to arbitrate the dispute. (Amended 11/95) - Where mandatory arbitration (and mediation if required by a Board) is consistent with applicable state law, the Code of Ethics, Article 17, requires only that disputes arising out of the real estate business between REALTORS® “... associated with different firms...” be arbitrated (or mediated if required by a Board). The various provisions of this Section represent the interpretations of the Professional Standards Committee with approval of the Board of Directors of the National Association as to appropriate policy of a Member Board in the matter of providing arbitration and mediation facilities by the Board. Thus, Member Boards must provide arbitration and mediation facilities for Board Members in the types of arbitration described in the preceding paragraphs (1) and (2), and a Board may require REALTORS® (principals) to mediate otherwise arbitrable matters. Member Boards may provide arbitration and mediation facilities for the additional types of disputes described in the preceding paragraphs (3), (4), and (5). However, Member Boards shall not establish any mandatory requirement of its Board Members to arbitrate and/or mediate in the circumstances described in paragraphs (3), (4), and (5). No arbitration shall be initiated by the Board and no arbitration shall be undertaken by the Board unless it determines the dispute is properly arbitrable in accordance with the provisions of Part Ten, Section 45 of this Manual. (Revised 11/22)
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