No bright line marks the difference between manners and morals. Generally speaking, the same principles, such as the Golden Rule, inform both. Whether we're talking about speaking with your mouth full or lying to a customer, the problems trace back to the fact that we ought not to behave towards others in a way that we wouldn't want them to do to us.

Much the same can be said of professionalism, which, like manners and etiquette, falls on a continuum with morality. Being late for appointments, or failing to keep people informed of the progress in negotiations, may not be unethical, or even impolite, but such behavior is objectionable because it involves treating people in a way that none of us wants to be treated.

And why bring all this up in a column purportedly about real estate and the real estate business? Primarily, it is to provide a context for an emerging concern among Realtors® that it is as, or almost as, important to address issues of professionalism as it is to address issues of ethics.

Earlier this month in Orlando, Florida, at the annual convention and meetings of directors of the National Association of Realtors (NAR), that concern was manifested in two curiously overlapping instances. In both cases separate groups were addressing issues of standards of professionalism distinct from standards of ethics. Whereas both agreed on the importance of the Realtor Code of Ethics, they also agreed that a perceived industry-wide problem concerning levels of professionalism presented a different issue. The point was succinctly stated in a report produced by one group, sometimes referred to as the Standards Initiative.

"Most local real estate association executives would agree that the majority of complaints from the public and other real estate professionals are not ethical in nature. Rather, they concern unprofessional behavior – calls not returned, no-shows for appointments, lack of feedback and customer communication, sloppy paperwork and follow-through, etc."

As noted, the two groups talking about standards of professionalism were distinct. One was a self-described grass roots movement that grew out of a February 2004 conference entitled "Touchstone for Excellence". The conference, held in Orlando, was initiated by the leadership of the Orlando, Houston, and Chicago Associations of Realtors®. From that event came more meetings, involving hundreds of participants from more than fifty Realtor® Associations throughout the country. As its work progressed, the group engaged the services of some very high-profile industry observers and consultants.

The other group addressing standards of professionalism was The Professional Conduct Working Group of NAR's long-standing Professional Standards Committee. They, too, gathered input from around the country. Their report was a classic example of a work product that came from within the system, through the normal channels, and following established procedures.

There was no evidence that either of the two groups was aware of the existence of the other.

The proposals from the "grassroots" Standards Initiative also included a plan for, as it were, an enforcement mechanism. Namely, a detailed recommendation, almost 17 pages long, was put forth advocating the creation of a Real Estate Standards Institute that would both provide for certification of brokerages that met the Institute's standards and also provide a process for review and modification of the initially adopted standards. While obtaining certification would be voluntary, the clear implication was that there would be considerable pressure to do so.

The aims of the Professional Standards Committee working group were somewhat more modest. They proposed a list, referred to as "professional courtesies", which Realtors could adopt on a voluntary basis.

The proposals of the Standards Initiative were considerably more detailed than those that came forth from the Professional Standards working group. The former contained 86 items, spread over seven categories, filling almost sixteen pages. The latter's offering consisted of 21 items, mostly one line in length.

Some of the details of these proposals will be considered in a subsequent column. Here, it should suffice to say that comparing the two sets of proposals as to which is better would be a misplaced effort.

Good enough to see that such concerns are arising from within the industry, and not just from critics on the outside.

Published: November 29, 2004

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Bob Hunt is a director of the National Association of Realtors and is author of the recently published book, "Real Estate the Ethical Way." A graduate of Princeton with a master's degree from UCLA in philosophy, Hunt has served as a U.S. Marine, Realtor association president in South Orange County, and director of the California Association of Realtors, and is an award-winning Realtor. Contact Bob at .