Recently, I spent three hours taking the National Association of Realtors (NAR) Ethics class. Realtors must take an ethics class every 4 years to keep their Realtor’s license active.  I found it ironic to be taking the class when the media released reports about the indictment of 142 loan officers, title people, appraisers, and escrow people who had been arrested for committing massive mortgage fraud. 

I am a huge proponent of education (it’s the ex-teacher in me), but education at this stage of the game has to be meaningful.  Teach me about the latest changes in financing (there are many), give me the latest legal update, educate me on the new distressed home owner law.  Bring it on!  I want the latest information that’s important to me in my job as a real Realtor.  I want the knowledge to better serve my clients.

But requiring an ethics class?  Ethics cannot be taught.  By the time one is an adult, your values are in place.  At the end of the day we all have to look in the mirror and live with how we treat people in all of our interactions, including the sale of real estate.  If you don’t care how others are treated, a 3 hour class once every four years isn’t going to make a difference.

Hmm…I wonder if the people currently under indictment took any of these ethics classes.