Professional Standards / Dispute Resolution

 

OPAAR members follow the REALTOR® Code of Ethics and have a committment to work with REALTORS® and clients to resolve disputes.

There are two types of Dispute Resolution:

Illinois REALTORS® Ombudsmen Program for Consumer/REALTOR® Dispute Resolution
Real estate transactions can be complex. For members of the public, it helps to have someone knowledgeable about real estate practices to answer basic questions or work to resolve minor disputes.Sometimes a member is unable to resolve a dispute with another member. Illinois REALTORS® has a team of Ombudsmen who work with consumers and REALTORS® to resolve disputes.

How it works: Any member of the public or an association member who has a question about or dispute with a REALTOR® can get assistance. The case will be assigned to a specially trained Ombudsman who will work with a complainant to resolve the issue.

Since it was founded in 2013, the program has seen nearly three-fifths of complaints handled to the satisfaction of all parties involved.

The program does not offer legal advice, but Illinois REALTORS® representatives can offer guidance on next steps to take, resources for information and can act as an intermediary in some disputes. The program has been able to clean up numerous misunderstandings and/or communication issues since its inception.

https://www.illinoisrealtors.org/ethics/disputes/

 

Illinois REALTORS® Ethics Citation Program
Illinois REALTORS® follow the REALTOR® Code of Ethics which outlines standards of professional practice.If a dispute arises with a REALTOR® pertaining to several provisions of the Code, complaints may be filed for review by a panel of Illinois REALTORS®  members which specializes in ethical standards.The complaints, which can be filed anonymously, can come from REALTORS® or REALTORS®’ clients.

https://www.illinoisrealtors.org/ethics/ethics-citation-program/

 

 

NAR Code of Ethics

NAR Code of Ethics and Arbitration Manual

Complaints and Arbitration Requests