NAR requires a mandatory quadrennial Code of Ethics (COE) training for every single REALTOR^® member of the organization nationwide. The mandate requires that every single REALTOR® (and yes, this includes the licensed or certified Appraisers that are a part of PAR) to complete quadrennial ethics training of not less than two hours and thirty minutes of instructional time.

The current cycle affects every agent/appraiser who has been a REALTOR® member since January 1, 2009 or earlier. Those that have joined after this date join as a provisional member, and are required to take this course within 60 days of joining to become an active REALTOR® with PAR.

What does this mean to you? If you were a member of PAR since January 1, 2009; It means, that you need to complete this course if you haven’t already, and provide PAR with a copy of the course completion, if you haven’t already, to avoid interruptions in REALTOR® services as of January 1, 2013.

Questions and Answers

The Designated REALTOR® of each company will be notified every month during the year of 2012, of any REALTOR® agent(s) in the office, who need to still provide completion of the course to PAR. You may hear from then to contact PAR to square away your COE requirement. Here are the common questions we receive from agents who call in:

Q. Didn’t I complete this during my last license renewal?

A. The answer is, we don’t know. You may have, however, unless you took all of your classes at PAR, we are not aware of the classes you have completed. The information is sent to the Arizona Department of Real Estate; however, we are not given this information unless you send it to us.

Q. What do I do if I did complete this course as part of my last license renewal?

A. Fax us a copy of the certificate to 602-246-1512 so that we can update your record.

             Q. Will you notify the broker that I have completed the         Code of Ethics class?

A. We will notify the broker of any outstanding agents who need to complete the course, every month. Once you have faxed in your certificate, then your name will not appear on the following month’s list.

Q. Will you send me confirmation that you received my fax, or will you call me?

A. We are not able to contact every person via phone, that their fax has been received, due to time restraints. We will however send you an email letting you know we have received and updated your record to reflect completion of the Code of Ethics within three business days of receiving your fax.

Q. Is the class that is needed called Code of Ethics, and where can I take the class?

A. Each school offers different classes that qualify for NAR’s Code of Ethics requirement. When you determine which school (either in person or online) you decide to use to complete the course, contact the school to find out what classes they offer that have been qualified specifically for the “NAR Code of Ethics” requirement.

Q. How do I know if one of my certificates qualifies for Code of Ethics?

A. If it is not clearly stated on the certificate, than please contact the school in which you completed the class(s) to find out if qualifies for NAR’s Code of Ethics requirement.

Q. I received 3 hours of Commissioners Standard for a class I completed. Does that qualify for Code of Ethics?

A. Not necessarily. It depends on the class, not the credit hours you received for the class. Please contact the school in which you completed the class(s) to find out if qualifies for NAR’s Code of Ethics requirement. Not every Commissioners Standards class qualifies for Code of Ethics.

Q. What happens if I send in a certificate and it does not qualify?

A. You will be sent an email notification that the certificate you submitted does not qualify.

Q. How do I know if my name is on the list of people who need to complete the class?

A. You will receive notification starting in January 2012, that we do not currently show that you have completed the current requirement – and your broker will also be notified.

Q. How soon do I need to complete this class?

A. NAR’s deadline is December 31, 2012; however, there are other deadlines to consider. The first deadline will be the July/August PAR newsletter, as we will be publishing every agent’s name in the newsletter, which has not completed the class as of June 1, 2012. To avoid your name being listed in the July/August publication, complete the class and submit it prior to June 1, 2012. The NAR deadline to complete this course is December 31, 2012. However, if you wait until the last minute to complete this course, you may find that there are no classes available to take in person. Due to the fact so many REALTORS® need this course; there might not be enough to go around. You may also find that online courses are slow moving due to the amount of bandwidth available. Also, due to the amount of time involved in updating your record, if the certificate is not provided prior to December 1, 2012, you may lose REALTOR® services for a brief time, until your record is updated. First in – first recorded.

Q. Do you offer the class at PAR?

A. Absolutely! PAR offers several classes every month. You can view a list of classes at PAR by going to the home page of this website. The calendars as well as registration forms are listed. For a quick view, there is even a list of Code of Ethics classes available. Please keep in mind, if you want to see all classes, as well as the Continuing Education Hours that you will receive by completing this course, click on the calendars for those details.

Q. How do I register for a class at PAR?

A. There are two ways. The first is by printing off the registration form for the month you want to take the class, filling it out, and faxing it in. The other option is to registering online. Click on “Register for a Class Here” located on the front page of the website. Click on “Login” in the far upper right hand corner. You will need your user ID – which is your member number with PAR (NOT YOUR MLS ID). If you do not know your member number, please contact the PAR receptionist at 602-246-1012 to obtain it. Then the password will be your last name (in all lower case letters). Once logged in, you will be able to click on the “Education Classes” link on the left hand side, to find the class you are looking for.

Q. What do I do if I only have the date and course number of the class I took? Can you accept that?

A. No. We actually need a copy of the certificate in order to record it on your member file. Contact the school you completed the course at, and request a duplicate certificate.

Q. Can I receive an extension to complete the class?

          A. Absolutely not! Under no circumstance, will any extensions be given to anyone.

To keep your membership and MLS services intact, make certain you have completed the requirement and faxed a copy of your certificate to PAR today!