I think there are two different issues here. 1. Agents who are just too lazy to learn the rules and  2. Agents who don't want to pay attention to the rules.  

1. It is relatively easy to obtain a real estate license.  You don't need a college degree.  You don't need to be a rocket scientist.  This profession attracts many part timers and many who think its an easy way to make money - lazy people.  Eventually they get weeded out, but in the meantime the Code of Ethics is too much work for them to bother with.  

2. The Code of Ethics is inconvenient for many agents.  They don't want to know it.  They have a "what can I get away with" attitude.  Eventually they also get weeded out or they wise up. Every 3 months the Florida Real Estate Commission distributes a booklet with a list of all of the agents who were caught breaking the law and their puishments.  It is mind boggling how many try to get away with the same obviously illegal offenses.  Most have to do with money and greed.  Ethics is the same for these types of people.  Agents who will break the law will also not pay attention to ethics for the same reasons - money and greed.

If you want more agents to learn the Code of Ethics you need to tighten up the standards for obtaining a license and keeping a license.

Realtor Ethics is an oxymoron isn't it?

Ethics Limerick: Some do, some don’t, some will, some won’t.

Al, you sound like a nice guy and have a mission on doing the right thing. But, very few people have ethics. I am dealing with an issue with Homes.com right now. I had listed and sold (another agent) a home a few years ago. A prior agent had listed this same home and it expired. To this day, the home is listed at:

http://www.homes.com/Content/ListingDetail.cfm?City=OAKLAND&State=NJ&Radius=0&FirstRec=1&OrderBy=price%3AD&Bedrooms=&FullBaths=&MinPrice=700000&MaxPrice=&PriceRange=&AmenitiesList=&PropType=%2A&TotalRecs=3&MinSqFt=&MaxSqFt=&LotSize=&MinYear=&MaxYear=&PropIdList=50090051,50090051,50100099,6291279&PropId=6291279&searchorig=main

And, Homes.com will do nothing about it. They tell me it's my problem.

Not only are we fighting the agents, and I mean the old timers, we are fighting the internet sites.

Matt:

Nice limerick, how true HOW TRUE; but fist they read it to get the point.

It does amaze me. It seems relatively easy to follow these codes. Basically, do the right thing and disclose. Just think,if you were on the clients end, wouldnt you want to know. Wouldnt you want to be treated fairly. If you do business this way, you shouldnt run into any issues overall. Be honest, but unfortunately we have alot of car salesman in the business.

In Georgia, we are required to take a Code of Ethics class every 4 years.  I thought it was a NAR requirement, actually.  Realtor.org also has an ethics test you can take... see how you do!  I got a 100%!  Really.  

I think that agents need to be a Realtor, first off.  Second, agents are just the same types of people you will find in any business, so don't expect perfection.  It is their basic beliefs about doing business that drives their actions.  How about loan officers?  Insurance salesmen?  Stock brokers?  Teachers?  Politians?  Lawn Care?  Painters?  Home Repairmen?  etc.  There are good and bad people in any profession, but, of course, that does not make it right.  It just is...