NAR Board of Directors Ratifies Changes to Standard of Practice 10-5 and Professional Standards Policy Statement 29

NAR Board of Directors Ratifies Changes to Standard of Practice 10-5 and Professional Standards Policy Statement 29
press release, National Association of Realtors
6/5/2025

The National Association of REALTORS® (“NAR”) Board of Directors ratified changes to Standard of Practice 10-5 (“SOP 10-5”) and Professional Standards Policy Statement 29, which are part of Article 10 of the Code of Ethics, today at the REALTORS® Legislative Meetings. The changes, which have been in discussion since 2023, will enhance the clarity and enforceability of the Code of Ethics.

“NAR continually assesses and, when appropriate, amends the Code of Ethics to ensure the specific articles are clear in their language and intent, and can be enforced fairly and consistently,” said Kevin Sears, President of NAR. “Consistent with our deep commitment to upholding principles of fair housing and equal treatment for all consumers, these amendments provide clarity to our members, reduce risk for state and local associations enforcing the Code of Ethics, and bring Article 10 in line with similar requirements applied by other large trade associations.”

Article 10 prohibits REALTORS® from denying equal professional services and employment opportunities based on protected characteristics. NAR adopted SOP 10-5 in 2020 to further clarify the application of Article 10 by prohibiting REALTORS® from using harassing speech, hate speech, epithets, or slurs. The updated language now aligns the definition of “harassment” with the NAR Member Code of Conduct and focuses its application on instances in which REALTORS® are operating in their professional capacity, consistent with similar ethical requirements applied by other large trade associations across the country.

The updates to the Code of Ethics can be viewed here.

About the National Association of REALTORS®

As America's largest trade association, the National Association of REALTORS® is involved in all aspects of residential and commercial real estate. The term REALTOR® is a registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics. For free consumer guides about navigating the homebuying and selling transaction processes – from written buyer agreements to negotiating compensation – visit facts.realtor.