eTHICS of eCOMMERCE

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eTHICS of eCOMMERCE

• SABOR
• Town Hall Meetings
• June, 2008
• Sponsored by San Antonio Board of REALTORS

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Special Thanks

• Web Screen Shots from Professional Standards
  Forum 2006
• Technology the Code the Ethics
• David Staebler, Industry Relations TREND
• Used with NAR Permission

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eThics of eCommerce

• Impact of the Wild Wild West
• www.___________.com

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MLS Issues

• Ensuring MLS means more
• than data to REALTORS
• and the public

• Correct use of the terms
• MLS multiple listing
• service

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CODE of ETHICS CHANGES Regarding Technology

• Recent changes to the REALTOR CODE OF ETHICS
  and Standards of Practice all refer to business
• whether conducted personally, through
  associates or others, or via technological means
  .

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CODE OF ETHICS - Article 12 Standard of Practice
12-5

• REALTORS shall not advertise listed property
  in any medium (e.g., electronically, print,
  radio, television, etc.) without disclosing the
  name of that REALTORS firm in a reasonable and
  readily apparent manner.

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AGENT WEBSITES PROBLEMS

• Agent appearing to be
• separate companies
• Filed dba (Doing Business As) with TREC
• Sponsoring company/broker
• information should not be
• buried pages deep

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No Company information
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Correct
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Company or Agent?
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Company
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Company or Agent?
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Company info on page 5
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Code of Ethics Article 12Standard of Practice
12-8

• The obligation to present a true picture
  includes information presented, provided, or
  displayed on REALTORS websites.
• REALTORS shall use reasonable efforts to
  ensure that information on their websites is
  current

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Code of Ethics Article 12Standard of Practice
12-8

• When it becomes apparent that information on a
  REALTORS website is no longer current or
  accurate, REALTORS shall promptly take
  corrective action.

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1
394,900
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394,900
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394,900
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394,900
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385,000
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382,500
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Code of Ethics Article 12Standard of Practice
12-10

• REALTORS obligation to
• present a true picture
• includes the URLs and
• domain names
• (ex Dont register a domain misleading to the
  public like anothers brand name to capture
  and redirect their traffic)

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Code of Ethics Article 12Standard of Practice
12-10

• REALTORS are prohibited from
• Engaging in deceptive or unauthorized framing of
  real estate brokerage websites
• (ex enclosing anothers website within your
  frame picture in picture frame)

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Code of Ethics Article 12Standard of Practice
12-10...

• REALTORS are prohibited from
• Manipulating listing
• content in any way that
• produces a deceptive or
• misleading result
• (ex presenting content developed by others
  as your own)

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Code of Ethics Article 12Standard of Practice
12-10...

• REALTORS are prohibited from
• deceptively using metatags,
• keywords or other devices or
• methods to direct, drive,
• or divert Internet traffic, or
• to otherwise mislead
• consumers.

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Definition - Metatags Keywords

• Search Engine Optimization
• Critical tool utilized by web designers to
  promote a website
• Often by the use of keywords supplied by the
  owner of a website
• (ex. Residential, homes for sale, specialty
  or market area)

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Definition - Metatags Keywords

• Metatags are method to direct, drive, or divert
  Internet traffic
• Used to show what site is about, who created it,
  and when it was created.
• Includes keywords that represent the page's
  content.
• Used by many search engines to build their
  indexes.

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The Problem of Metatags?

• REALTOR may not be aware of what a web designer
  has used in their website that could be a ethical
  violation
• Dont affect how pages display
• Using someone elses brand or company name on a
  website - as a metatag to increase the number
  of hits a website gets

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Use of REALTOR on the WEB

• REALTORS often seek to use REALTOR as part of a
  domain name or email address to distinguish
  themselves as REALTORS.

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Use of REALTOR on the WEB

• REALTOR as part of a domain name, or
  otherwise, must refer to a member or a member's
  firm.

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Use of REALTOR on the WEB

• May not be used with descriptive words or
  phrases.
• Incorrect examples
• Number1realtor.com
• numberone-realtor.com
• chicagorealtors.org
• realtorproperties.com

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Use of REALTOR on the WEB

• Domain name or e-mail address - member's or firm
  name may be with or without punctuation.
• johndoe-realtor.com
• johndoerealtor.com
• jdoerealtors_at_webnetservices.com
• jdoerealtors_at_webnetservices.com

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Use of REALTOR on the WEB

• REALTOR block R logo should not be used as
  hypertext links at a web site
• Only exception to establish a link to the
  REALTOR.org or REALTOR.com.

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Use of REALTOR on the WEB

• Capitalization - only in domain names and
  internet addresses the term REALTOR may appear
  in all lower case letters.

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Ethics of eCommerce

• If all REALTORS comply with the spirit of the
  Code of Ethics
• our REALTOR image would be improved
• REALTORS would find real estate more enjoyable
• REALTORS can remain central and valued in the
  real estate transactions.

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eThics of eCommerce

• The next time you see a domain
• www._______________.com
• remember the Wild Wild West can, and SHOULD,
  be tamed by the eThics of eCommerce!
• Questions?