Disclosure of Limited Appraisal Experience
Article 11, Part 3
The Complaint:
REALTOR® A was asked by Client B, an officer of a bank, to appraise an office building. In discussing the matter, REALTOR® A pointed out that while he was an experienced appraiser, he had never appraised an office building. Client B expressed his confidence in REALTOR® A, based on years of satisfactory service in appraising residential property, and said that notwithstanding REALTOR® A’s lack of previous experience in appraising an office building, the bank wanted his judgment and asked him to accept the assignment to appraise the office building.
Accordingly, REALTOR® A undertook the assignment, and completed his appraisal report. The report later came to the attention of REALTOR® C, who complained to the Board of REALTORS® that REALTOR® A had violated Article 11 of the Code of Ethics by taking an appraisal assignment outside the field of his experience without obtaining the assistance of an authority on office buildings.
The Hearing:
At the hearing, Client B appeared as a witness for REALTOR® A and stated that the assignment had been given to REALTOR® A after he had disclosed his lack of previous experience in appraising office buildings, and that the client was entirely satisfied by the manner in which REALTOR® A had completed his assignment.
The Conclusion:
The Hearing Panel concluded that Client B’s statement completely exonerated REALTOR® A of any violation of Article 11, since it was clear that he had disclosed his lack of previous experience in appraising the type of property in question, and that he had been given the assignment after this disclosure was made to the client.