TREC’s Disciplinary Actions page can be an excellent teaching tool for your brokerage.
This page contains a detailed list of the background and consequences of complaints against license holders. Here’s how your agents could benefit from this unlikely resource.
A way to spot trends
Patterns emerge when you read the complaints. If you see many recent examples of a certain type of complaint, consider offering training on that topic to your agents so they can avoid joining the list.
A deterrent
Do your agents know that there’s a publicly available and easily searchable list of disciplinary actions? How will future clients and prospects feel if they read the details of a complaint against your agent? Reminding your agents of the existence of this list, and how it could repel new business could be a good incentive for them to adhere to professional and legal standards.
A starting point for discussion
Consider finding an instructive example and discussing it during an upcoming meeting. Read the complaint in full, then ask your agents what the license holder did wrong and what they would do differently. Get your agents thinking about common pitfalls and lapses in judgment. Brainstorm solutions. Ask your agents if they’ve encountered anything similar and what they did.
It may be tempting to think about complaints as something that happens to somebody else. TREC has said that only 1% of license holders ever get a complaint against them. But one of the best ways to ensure you and your clients don’t join that 1% is to talk about potential professional and ethical violations and educate your agents about best practices.
