Is the Marin Association of Realtors in a state of crisis? Many members think so. What do you think?
About 10 years ago the Marin County Association of Realtors maintained the Multiple Listing Service (MLS/property information) database for Realtors in Marin County. This was prior to the internet becoming such an intricate part of our lives and businesses. At that time the Marin Association of Realtors was worried that Microsoft might attempt to make inroads into our profession, and we relinquished the data we owned and controlled to third parties (which is now Bay Area Real Estate Information Services/BARIES.) I was on the Board of Directors at that time, and protested this action. I felt we were allowing our fears to define us.
When the Marin Association of Realtors (MAR) controlled the MLS the "Code of Ethics" and "Professional Standards" were respected. Why? Because if you conducted your business in an unethical or in a non professional manner you could have your MLS privileges suspended. Now that the MLS is operated by a third party, it appears that there are no mechanisms in place to enforce unethical conduct and unprofessional behavior.
Over the last 10 years we've seen realtors, real estate companies, and VOWs (virtual office websites aka virtual offices without walls) marketing other realtor's listings as if they were the listing broker. Misleading? Confusing? That's just the tip of the iceberg!
In the last ten years we've begun seeing what Steven Colbert on The Colbert Report calls "truthiness" being practiced in Marin County Real Estate advertising. It's not the truth, but some variation that has nothing to do with the truth. You think at first that it might be true, but when you examine it, it has nothing to do with the truth.
How can there be two number one real estate companies in Marin County? How can there be multiple agents claiming to have been the number one agent in Marin. How can local newspapers, and other local publications print conflicting ads depicting two different companies claiming the mantel of being number one, oftentimes in the same publication? Not only is this a disservice to the company that truly is number one, but what kind of disservice is this to the public? You might think that the Real Estate profession would have established clear criteria and standards in this regard...wouldn't you?!
What happened to the Code of Ethics?
If there is a real estate agent, broker, or company in Marin County that is disingenuous, devious, deceptive, and dishonest in their advertising, does it matter? Does this kind of behavior affect other real estate professional's ability to practice real estate fairly in the same environment ? Has "truthiness" become the new professional standard?
Is the Marin Association of Realtors in crisis? As long as these kinds of concerns plague the membership many members believe there's a cancer eating away at the integrity of MAR. It appears that the organization has become ineffective and powerless. The Marin Association of Realtors Board of Directors needs to take a long look at where it's been and where it want's to go. Or continue doing what they're doing and run the risk of becoming an unnecessary entity.
This post was originally emailed to the current President of MAR (Levi Swift), last year's President(Valerie Castellena) and now a member of the Board of Directors at MAR, and Ed Segal Cheif Operating Officer of MAR on 2/26/2008. On 2/28/2008 the Board of Directors had a meeting. Afterwords, Ed Segal, said the Board would be taking actions to enforce the Code of Ethics and Professional Standards.
Mark Danforth Lomas 
