An association is only as good as its governing rules and Members, and AIR CRE has proven to be a leader of the CRE industry, in large part due to the acceptance and adherence to its founding principles.
The backbone of AIR CRE has been and will remain to be its Rules of Professional Conduct. Working within this guiding framework is the best way to create relationships built on trust and provides the best chance for long-term career success.
I like to remind our Members that the brokers you interact with on a daily basis are not only your competitors, but more importantly, they are your business partners. Brokers who do not operate under a spirit of cooperation with their peers have a tough time making it in this business.
In a market as tight as we’ve seen over the past several years, when deals can be tough to come by, it can be tempting to play a little closer (or sometimes over) the lines of acceptable business behavior. It’s critical to resist this temptation.
Recently, there have been a few instances when Members have contacted me because another Member has crossed the line. With this in mind, I thought it a good idea to remind our Members that it is never OK to contact an owner regarding a property that is listed with another Member, without first contacting the listing broker. It is also unacceptable to mass market another Member’s listing without getting permission from the listing broker.
As an AIR CRE Member, familiarizing yourself with the Rules of Professional Conduct and applying the principles when working with others is an excellent way to be sure you are behaving professionally and ethically.
The Rules of Professional Conduct were created, not to stifle deal-making but to do just the opposite…to create an environment of trust where deal-making can happen more freely.
I’m honored to be the Executive Director of an association whose Members operate under these guiding principles that improve our industry.
Sincerely,
Tim Hayes