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Code of Professional Ethics
Members of the
International Association of Commercial Real Estate Professionals should
be guided by the highest standards of personal integrity and professional
conduct. Members of the association agree to comply with and uphold
this code of ethics.
ARTICLE 1. PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
Members should be guided by the highest standards of honesty, integrity,
loyalty, fairness, impartiality and professional conduct.
ARTICLE 2. PUBLIC INTEREST
Members should uphold the public health, safety and welfare in the
performance of professional services and avoid even the appearance of
impropriety. Members should promote public awareness of the
effects of commercial real estate and commercial real estate processes
on the quality of life.
ARTICLE 3. LEGAL COMPLIANCE
Members should observe and comply with the requirements and intent of
all applicable laws, codes and regulations.
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A member shall not knowingly participate in
any illegal activities or knowingly permit his/her services to be used
for illegal purposes.
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A member shall neither offer not make any
illegal payment, gift or other valuable consideration to a public
official for the purpose of influencing a decision by such official.
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A member shall not accept any payment, gift
or other valuable consideration that would appear to influence a
decision made on behalf of the public by the member acting in a position
of public trust.
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If a member becomes aware of a decision or
action by an employer, client, or colleague that violates any law or
regulation, the member shall advise against such action. The
member shall advise the appropriate public officials responsible for the
enforcement of such law or regulation when such violation appears to
materially affect the public health, safety or welfare.
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A member shall not aid any person in the
unauthorized practice of commercial real estate.
ARTICLE 4. INTEGRITY
Members should be accurate, truthful and candid in all
communications with the public.
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A member shall not knowingly engage in
false or deceptive advertising or make false, misleading or deceptive
representations or claims in regard to commercial real estate or which
concern his/her own professional qualifications or abilities or those of
other commercial real estate members.
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A member shall not issue statements or
information that the member knows are false or misleading even though
directed to do so by an employer or client.
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A member shall avoid making sensational,
exaggerated and/or unwarranted statements that may mislead or deceive
members of the public or any public body.
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A member acting in a position of public
trust shall exercise his/her authority impartially, and shall not seek
to use his/her authority for personal profit or to secure any
competitive advantage.
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A member, when serving as an expert
witness, shall express an opinion only when he/she has adequate
knowledge of the facts of the issue and a background of technical
competence on the subject. Statements or opinions shall be base on
an honest conviction of the accuracy and proprietary of the testimony.
ARTICLE 5. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
Members should disclose any actual or potential conflicts of interest
that may affect their ability to serve an employer or client faithfully.
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A member shall disclose to a prospective
employer or client the existence of any owned or controlled business or
other interest that may, either directly or indirectly, have a pertinent
bearing on such employment.
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A member employed or retained by one
employer or client shall not accept, without that employer's or client's
written consent, an engagement by another if the interests of the two
are in any manner conflicting.
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A member shall not accept referral fees
from any person to whom an employer or client is referred; however,
nothing herein shall prohibit a member from being compensated by the
employer or client for consultation, or for other services actually
performed.
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A member shall not offer or pay referral
fees to any person who refers an employer or client to the member.
however, nothing herein shall prohibit a member from compensating the
person giving the referral for consultation, or for other services
actually performed.
ARTICLE 6. OBLIGATIONS TO EMPLOYERS AND
CLIENTS
Members should protect, to the fullest possible extent, the interest of
an employer or client so far as is consistent with the public health,
safety and welfare and the member's legal, professional and ethical
obligations.
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A member shall not use any confidential
information obtained in the course of performing services for an
employer or client, except with the prior consent of the employer or
client or when disclosure is required by the law.
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A member who has made an investigation for
an employer or client shall not seek to profit economically from the
information gained without written permission of the employer or client,
unless it is clear that there can no longer be a conflict of interest
with the original employer or client.
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A member shall not use his/her employer's
or client's resources for private gain without the prior knowledge and
consent of his/her employer or client.
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Members who find that obligations to an
employer or client conflict with professional or ethical standards
should have objectionable conditions corrected, or resign
ARTICLE 7. PROFESSIONAL AND ETHICAL
OBLIGATIONS
Members should serve their employers and clients faithfully and
competently within their overall professional and ethical obligations.
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A member shall perform professional
services or issue professional advice that is only within the scope of
the education and experience of the member and the member's professional
associates, consultants, or employees, and shall advise the employer or
client if any professional advice is outside of the member's personal
expertise.
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A member shall not give professional
opinion without being as thoroughly without being as thoroughly informed
as might be reasonably expected, considering the purpose for which the
opinion or report is requested.
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A member shall not make sensational,
exaggerated or unwarranted statements in opinions and reports.
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A member shall not misrepresent data, omit
relevant data, or fail to mention a lack of data that might affect the
results or conclusions of an opinion or report.
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A member shall engage, or advise an
employer or client to engage, and cooperate with other experts and
specialists whenever the employer's or client's interests would be best
served by such service.
ARTICLE 8. PROFESSIONAL COURTESY
Members should respect the rights, interests and contributions of their
professional colleagues and should be accurate, truthful and candid in
all communications with other's regarding professional colleagues.
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A member shall give due credit for work
done by others in the course of a professional assignment, and shall not
knowingly accept credit due another.
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A member shall not plagiarize another in
oral and written communications, or use materials prepared by others
without appropriate attribution.
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A member shall not issue false, misleading,
sensational, exaggerated, defamatory or unwarranted statements regarding
a professional colleague.
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Statements regarding opinions should be
restricted to and based on logical and scientific principles and should
be made in a respectful and professional manner.
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Members should not only uphold these
standards of ethics by precept and example but also encourage by counsel
and advice to other members, their adherence to such standards.
ARTICLE 9. CONTINUING EDUCATION
Members should strive to improve their professional knowledge and
skills and should work toward the improvement of standards of commercial
real estate education, research, training and practice.
ARTICLE 10. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
A member shall not discriminate against any person on the basis of
race, creed, sex, disability or national origin.
ARTICLE 11. OBLIGATION TO REPORT VIOLATIONS
Members having knowledge of a violation of these rules by another
member should bring substantiated evidence of such violation to the
attention of the association.
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