Changes to the NAR Code of Ethics

Louisiana REALTORS • November 26, 2019

The National Association of REALTORS® Board of Directors made changes to the Code of Ethics at their November 2019 meeting in San Francisco.

REALTORS® have been required to take Code of Ethics training in order to keep their membership since 2001. How often a REALTOR must complete the training has changed a few times since then. The most recent change extends the training requirement from every two years to every three years and extends the current Cycle 6 deadline from December 31st, 2020, to December 31st, 2021. It’s important to note that this requirement is separate from the CE requirement for Louisiana real estate license renewal. In addition, while some education vendors in our state have the Code of Ethics approved for CE credit, it does not necessarily mean a local association will accept it as their Code of Ethics requirement. In the future, only NAR and local associations will be approved to offer Code of Ethics Training.

Prior to the NAR board meeting, the NAR Leadership Team heard and approved recommendations from the Presidential Advisory Group that did not require a vote by the Board of Directors. These include:

·        That the learning objectives for the existing-member Code of Ethics training be revised to include content on professional conduct, courtesies, business etiquette, and real-life scenarios.

·        That NAR establish Code of Ethics training equivalency options that members can take to satisfy the Code of Ethics training requirement, and that the Commitment to Excellence (C2EX) endorsement be an equivalency option.

·        That only courses and equivalencies provided by a local, state, or national REALTOR® association can satisfy the Code of Ethics training requirement.

·        That an implementation team be appointed to develop a microsite that compiles all available options for fulfilling the Code of Ethics training requirement, including C2EX ethics modules, NAR-approved online courses, and links to association-approved courses.

·        That the Core Standards requirements be amended to clarify an association's duties regarding administration of the Code of Ethics training requirement.

Regarding Professional Standards, a new Standard of Practice was adopted under Article 3 that REALTORS® may not refuse to cooperate on the basis of a broker's race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

For more information on the changes made at the November 2019 NAR Board of Directors meeting, view this NAR Special Report .

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2026 Legislative Session Scoop - Week 3 Recap

By Louisiana REALTORS® • March 27, 2026
Week three of the Regular Session kept real estate issues in the conversation, even as lawmakers continued to focus heavily on workforce, tax and insurance policy. On the property tax front, measures to reshape assessments and exemptions, including proposals for a new blight rehabilitation exemption and additional relief for seniors, remain parked in the House Ways and Means Committee as stakeholders work through fiscal and local government concerns. These bills matter because they will influence long-term carrying costs, redevelopment incentives and how tax burdens are shared across residential and commercial property. Homestead related legislation, including parish level authority to increase the exemption amount, is also in the queue, signaling that the broader structure of Louisiana’s homestead system is officially on the table, not just the dollar figure. For homeowners and buyers, this debate goes directly to affordability. For local governments, it raises revenue stability and service delivery questions. There also has been movement on several identical pieces of legislation that would instruct parish assessors to develop a process for homeowners to permanently register for the homestead exemption for the duration that they own and live on the property. We are actively tracking legislation that will directly shape how investor activity and non-traditional transactions are recognized and regulated in Louisiana’s real estate market. This includes HB 468 by Troy Hebert , a key component of the Louisiana REALTORS® legislative package that targets the wholesale of residential real estate, which was heard in the House Commerce Committee on Monday. The bill is currently positioned for a floor vote early next week. As drafted, HB 468 represents a major step in the right direction for consumer protection in Louisiana, advancing needed guardrails through potential disclosure, registration, and practice standards that could redefine how assignment contracts and “off-market” transactions intersect with licensed brokerage activity. In parallel, HB 292 by Delisha Boyd passed the House on final reading, 86-3, and is on its way to the Senate. Together, these measures represent a coordinated policy effort to bring greater structure and transparency to emerging transaction models, while preserving the integrity of the traditional brokerage framework. Finally, the broader policy backdrop remains important: the Governor continues to push income tax changes and cost of living relief, while business and industry groups are prioritizing insurance, workforce and energy — each a key driver of long run housing demand and investment. As these debates evolve, we’ll keep you updated on what moves, what stalls and what it all means for your clients, your pipeline and private property rights across Louisiana. Please view the weekly bill tracking report provided by our lobbying team over at Harris, DeVille and Associates.

Webinar Recording - 2026 Tax Season Updates from Greg Kennedy, CPA

By Louisiana REALTORS® • March 26, 2026
Tax Questions & Updates for 2026 Webinar Recording Now Available

Consumer Guide Update: Staging Your House For A Sale

By Louisiana REALTORS® • March 20, 2026
NAR is pleased to share the latest consumer guide that explains the concept of home staging, offers DIY staging tips and missteps and shares the latest NAR member sentiment on how staging can help buyers better visualize the property as their future home and potentially net sellers a higher price. As a reminder, all guides in this series are available for download—in both English and Spanish—on facts.realtor . Please allow up to two weeks for the Spanish version of the latest resource to be translated and uploaded. For ease of reference, below is a list of the most recent guides: NEW: Staging Your House for a Sale Spotting Deepfake Scams in Real Estate Are You Ready to Invest in Real Estate? Thinking of Selling? 7 Factors to Consider How to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient Thank you for your continued engagement with the “Consumer Guide” series and for sharing the resources with prospective clients to ensure they have the information they need to find success in their home buying or selling journey. Remember that these guides are for informational purposes only and are not meant to enact or change any existing NAR policy. Be on the lookout for the next consumer guide, which discusses home mortgage options that allow buyers to fold in renovation costs.
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