Complaint Procedures
REALTORS® Code of Ethics
Associations of REALTORS® are responsible for enforcing the REALTORS® Code of Ethics. The Code of Ethics imposes duties above and in addition to those imposed by law or regulation which apply only to real estate professionals who choose to become REALTORS®. It’s important to remember only REALTORS® are subject to the Code of Ethics of the National Association of REALTORS®. Learn more about NAR’s Ethics Complaints, Arbitration Requests, and Related Information.
The Nebraska REALTORS® Association has procedures in place if you need to file a complaint related to a real estate transaction against a member.
Citation Policy
The Nebraska REALTORS® Association adopted an Ethics Citation Policy effective January 1, 2022. Only certain Articles & Standards of Practice are subject to citation. You can view the complete Citation Policy here, including a schedule of fines.
Given the time-consuming and confrontational nature of a contested hearing, the Citation Program is designed to save time, money, and other resources by possibly eliminating the need for a hearing in certain circumstances.
The process to file a complaint remains the same, but following an initial review by a panel of the Grievance Committee, it will be forwarded to determine if it is a “citable offense” and otherwise covered by the Citation Program. If so, a fine (and possibly education requirements) may be imposed by issuing a “citation.” A respondent can elect to either pay the fine (and take any required classes) or request to proceed to a full hearing.
Types of Complaints
Please review the information contained in the document Before You File an Ethics Complaint to familiarize yourself with the complaint procedures.
After reviewing the previous document, please review the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. If you believe a REALTOR® may have violated one or more of the Articles of the Code of Ethics, refer to the Code of Ethics Complaint Form below and the accompanying instructions to file an ethics complaint.
Before filing your complaint please remember that not all real estate licensees are REALTORS®. The Nebraska REALTORS® Association only has jurisdiction over active members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. In addition, the Nebraska REALTORS® Association is not the licensing agency in Nebraska. License law violations fall under the jurisdiction of the Nebraska Real Estate Commission. If you have a question regarding whether or not a licensee has violated Nebraska License Laws please contact the Nebraska Real Estate Commission at (402) 471-2004.