By Susy Hurlbert
In new member orientation this past month, the subject of sharing listings on social media came up. NAR has some clear guidelines on re-posting listings on social media.
According to NAR’s Model MLS Rules, MLS participants can display other participants’ listings online without obtaining advance permission only via IDX display or Virtual Office Websites. Social media websites are neither IDX-compliant nor VOWs.
REALTOR Code of Ethics, Article 12 addresses the social media advertising by REALTORS.
Standard of Practice 12-4
REALTORS® cannot advertise property without authority. Posting listing information on social media websites constitutes advertising, so it cannot be done without authority (i.e., obtaining permission from the listing agent).
Standard of Practice 12-5
REALTOR® shall not advertise nor permit any person employed by or affiliated with them to advertise real estate services or listed property in any medium (e.g., electronically, print, radio, television, etc.) without disclosing the name of that REALTOR’s firm in a reasonable and readily apparent manner either in the advertisement or in electronic advertising via a link to a display with all required disclosures. (Adopted 11/86, Amended 1/16)
Standard of Practice 12-10
REALTORS®’ obligation to present a true picture in their advertising and representations to the public includes Internet content posted, and the URLs and domain names they use, and prohibits REALTORS® from:
- engaging in deceptive or unauthorized framing of real estate brokerage websites;
- manipulating (e.g., presenting content developed by others) listing and other content in any way that produces a deceptive or misleading result;
- deceptively using metatags, keywords or other devices/methods to direct, drive, or divert Internet traffic; or
- presenting content developed by others without either attribution or without permission, or to otherwise mislead consumers. (Adopted 1/07, Amended 1/13)
By