How REALTORS® and Associations Are Celebrating the Code of Ethics Centennial

2013 is a significant year for the REALTOR® Code of Ethics. Read how NAR members and associations are celebrating in significant ways.

How are you celebrating the centennial? Share your stories with NAR's Kate Moore (kmoore@realtors.org).

Video Contest in Pa.

The Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS® is celebrating the Centennial with a video contest encouraging members to share what the Code means to them.

Three winners won prizes—including an Apple iPad and a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1—and had their videos shown at the PAR Spring Business Meetings in June.

Watch all contest entries on PAR's YouTube channel.

Baseball in Iowa

In July, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Board of REALTORS® (WCFBOR) sponsored "Night at the Ball Park" at a Saturday night Waterloo Bucks baseball game. WCFBOR's YPN Planning Committee organized the event.

WCFBOR members distributed 1,500 tickets to the game within the community. Local radio stations promoted the event, and local affiliates sponsored raffle prizes.

At the game, the first 250 children ages 10 and under received a beach bucket bearing the Code of Ethics Centennial logo. WCFBOR President Sam Runyan threw out the first pitch. T-shirts and Cracker Jacks were thrown to the crowd during the seventh inning stretch. The Cracker Jacks packages promoted the Centennial, with a condensed version of the Code of Ethics attached.

After the game, the kids were allowed onto the field, where they dashed to pick up 1,000 quarters placed on the infield. A post-game fireworks extravaganza rounded out the celebration.

Official Honors in Texas, Del., and Tenn.

In July, in San Marcos, Texas, Mayor Daniel Guerrero and the City Council presented a proclamation honoring the Code of Ethics' 100th anniversary. The San Marcos Area Board of REALTORS® was at the meeting, showing their REALTOR® pride with Code of Ethics Centennial banners created by the Texas Association.

In June, the Delaware General Assembly passed House Resolution 13, recognizing the Code of Ethics Centennial and the Code’s work in protecting consumers. Rep. Briggs King sponsored the resolution, and state and local REALTOR® associations in Delaware contributed toward getting the resolution passed. Read the full text of the resolution online or in MS Word formatdocx.

In August, the Shelby County (Tenn.) Board of Commissioners officially commemorated the 100th Anniversary of NAR's Code of Ethics. The county’s proclamation was presented at the County Administration Building by Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell and attended by members of the Memphis Area Association of REALTORS®, Tennessee’s largest REALTOR® organization.

Online "Code Kiosk" in N.M.

The Greater Albuquerque Association of REALTORS® (GAAR) developed an online Code of Ethics resource for members: the Code Kiosk.

The main goal of the Code Kiosk is to support GAAR's members in conveying the ideals and relevancy of the Code to the public.

GAAR encourages its members to display and reference the Code Kiosk during open houses, marketing presentations, and other consumer outreach. Users can easily click through the site and read key facts about NAR's Code of Ethics.

The Code Kiosk was launched during GAAR's centennial celebration on July 26, a festive event attended by Albuquerque's mayor.

Stamps and Outreach in Mo.

Adding its new Code of Ethics image to a custom postage stamp enabled the Missouri Association of REALTORS® to promote the centennial on all its mailings.

MAR also created T-shirts and custom graphics. To educate members and the public about the Code's centennial, MAR planned articles for its e-newsletter and member website as well as a public awareness campaign.

Read more about the Missouri Association's celebrations.

Centennial-Themed Magazine in Va.

The Virginia Association of REALTORS® published a special Centennial edition of Commonwealth, its quarterly magazine. The issue is full of articles on the Code of Ethics, including a handy cheat sheet about the types of information that must be disclosed online.

A feature story discusses NAR's Code of Ethics in relation to Virginia state law. Another feature outlines specific scenarios where the Code of Ethics might come into play during real estate transactions.

Read the special edition on the Web or as a PDFpdf.

Magazine Articles in Texas

The Texas Association of REALTORS® has been covering the Code's centennial in every issue of Texas REALTOR® Magazine during 2013.

Read the articles online:

• 100 years of high standards (Jan./Feb.)
• The decade of optional ethics (March)
• Something’s missing (April)
• What does all this mean? (May)
• The Code gets inclusive (June)

Share Your Stories

How is your state or local association celebrating the Code of Ethics Centennial during 2013? Share your story by e-mailing Kate Moore (kmoore@realtors.org). Your story may be featured on this page or in an issue of REALTOR® AE Magazine.

REALTORS®—Have an idea for promoting the Code of Ethics centennial? Share it with your local association’s leadership.