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After much debate and uproar, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) has officially amended its hate speech code. The amendments to the policy were approved during a board of directors vote on Thursday.
The proposed changes arrived at a board vote after gaining the approval of NAR’s Professional Standards Committee on Tuesday.
The policy, known as Realtor Code of Ethics’ Standard of Practice 10-5, prevented Realtors from using “harassing speech, hate speech, epithets, or slurs based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation or gender identity.” Approved in 2020, it applies to all member activities, not just those related to the real estate industry.
But the amendments change much of this.
Under the amended policy, Realtors are encouraged — but not required — to follow the code “in all of their activities.” NAR said this brings the policy’s application in line with similar ethical requirements from other large national trade groups.
Additionally, the amendment adds a definition of harassment, which NAR said aligns the policy with the member code of conduct.
“NAR continually assesses and, when appropriate, amends the Code of Ethics to ensure the specific articles are clear in their language and intent, and can be enforced fairly and consistently,” NAR President Kevin Sears said in a statement.
“Consistent with our deep commitment to upholding principles of fair housing and equal treatment for all consumers, these amendments provide clarity to our members, reduce risk for state and local associations enforcing the Code of Ethics, and bring Article 10 in line with similar requirements applied by other large trade associations.”
In a letter to NAR members, Sears noted that since the passage of the policy in 2020, “it has become clear that there has been uncertainty about the interpretation and implementation of these standards of practice.”
“With more than a million members across the country, we need to ensure the specific articles of the Code of Ethics are clear in their language and intent and can be enforced fairly and consistently. Without this, the defensibility — and sustainability — of the Code itself is in doubt,” Sears wrote.
While NAR has made this change to its hate speech code, Sears emphasized that NAR remains committed “to upholding principles of fair housing and equal treatment for all consumers — these changes aim to make the Code of Ethics clearer while continuing to hold Realtors to the highest ethical and professional standards.”
On Sunday, NAR leaders addressed some of the rumors surrounding the proposed changes to the policy.
During the discussion, Sears said that changes to the trade group’s hate speech policy were being considered due to the potential legal risk the policy creates for NAR — but not due to the Trump administration‘s stance on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
