News-Record.com

Counterpoint:

By Betty A. Smith

I was disheartened on May 3 to read about the debacle several Quail Oaks residents find themselves in. No homeowner should have a surprise like this, and the apparent breakdown of communication on several sides makes the situation all the more frustrating. The accompanying editorial, however, makes a statement that needs to be addressed. “Realtors need to speak up,” the editorial reads. “The lack of clear, honest information to prospective buyers about pending road projects is, at best, unethical.”

The word “Realtor” does not appear in Taft Wireback’s story. Questionable statements about the roads project are attributed to “sales aides.” These aides are not identified by name, so their status as Realtors is not verifiable. Please don’t use the situation in Quail Oaks to cast aspersions on all professional Realtors.

I also question the implication that Realtors need prompting to discuss matters related to the Code of Ethics. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The Realtor Code of Ethics is the topic of frequent discussion on the local, state and national levels. It is a living document, updated yearly through input from Realtor members. There are more than 80,000 real-estate licensees in North Carolina. Only half of them take that extra step to become Realtors, and they do it because they want their customers to know that they hold themselves to a more stringent ethical standard.

The Code of Ethics is the core of who we are as Realtors; consequently, we take it very seriously, and we have a long-standing internal process in place to hear ethics complaints. In addition, state law requires a licensee to disclose any material facts known about the property up for sale. If a member of the public feels that a Realtor has violated the Code of Ethics, they can file a complaint by contacting the Greensboro Regional Realtors Association at 854-5868.

The writer is the president of the Greensboro Regional Realtors Association.