Imagine receiving a phone call from a client, who is frantic after finding their home being advertised by another brokerage firm on the advertising website, Craigslist. Needless to say, you are as confused and displeased as your client.
Unfortunately, this practice has become commonplace in today's competitive market. Agents attempt to increase their sales by marketing the listings of other agents. Not only is this practice inappropriate, but it is also unethical.
By advertising another broker's listing, without their permission, you are breaking TREND's Rules and Regulations as well as National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Code of Ethics. Both TREND and NAR prohibit a broker or agent from advertising any property that has been listed by another broker, without receiving their permission.
The only instance where a broker can advertise another broker's listing on a properly licensed website is through the
Internet Data Exchange (IDX) program. If a broker subscribes to IDX and posts listing information on their website, there are certain guidelines to follow, which include disclosing the name of the listing office.
While many listing brokers participate in the IDX program, this consent does not allow the display of listing information on websites, such as Craigslist.
Some might argue that any agent would want their listing advertised in as many places as possible, and your decision to post their listing on Craigslist is really helping them. Likewise, you might think that you have permission to run a newspaper advertisement that markets another broker's listing just because you put "courtesy of Listing Broker" in the corner of the ad. This is not true. TREND's Rules and Regulations and NAR Code of Ethics do not allow you to market another broker's listings without their permission.
What about delivering listings on Social Networking Sites?
A portion of this story was excerpted from Just Listed, the PA Association of REALTORS® Blog.