In this motivational talk, Leigh Thomas Brown addresses the three most common excuses real‑estate agents give for avoiding the National Association of Realtors’ annual Code of Ethics training: (1) believing a past completion makes further training unnecessary, (2) assuming the training is dull, and (3) claiming a lack of time. Brown explains that the Code of Ethics is a living document that changes yearly, making refresher courses essential. She describes how the training uses real‑world case studies presented in a guilty/not‑guilty format to make the material engaging and interactive, promising emotional reactions that keep participants invested. For busy agents, she reframes the four‑hour session as a strategic investment of mindset and time that can be leveraged in daily marketing and client trust building. The talk culminates with a call to action to join National Code of Ethics Day via nationalethicsday.com, encouraging agents to organize livestream classes with their local associations to fulfill requirements while fostering fellowship and professional growth.
Chapters
The top 3 excuses for real estate agents not wanting to take their annual NAR Code of Ethics training. Number 1, "I've already taken it. I'm a good person." Yeah, totally. I totally get that. Most REALTORS® are out there doing a yeoman's job of taking care of the public. They can't sleep at night if their clients aren't happy. They're doing everything they can to provide better communications. You're doing great work out there. However, our ethics training changes every year. Why? Because our Code of Ethics changes based on recommendations from our Professional Standards and our Interpretations groups taken to the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors. I love that our Code of Ethics is a living document, and frankly, there's been changes since you took it the last time. So I promise, even if you took it before, taking it again is going to continue to provide some bright lights into how each of us can make real estate better. The number 2 reason you don't want to take this ethics training, Ethics training is boring. It's actually not boring if you look at it in real-life scenarios. So, the ethics training can be built on case studies. Case studies are not just, "Well, what if this one time?" They are real-life scenarios that happened amongst REALTOR® members, and they were adjudicated by grievance committees and professional standards committees and local associations all around the country. And that just sounded really boring to you? What that means is, somebody did something, Somebody else complained and then some other people listened to it and made a judgment, guilty or not guilty. We're going to talk about all 17 articles in a guilty/not guilty format. So you get a chance to play along, not just at home game, but I mean, in person, you could play along in your association office. It doesn't have to be boring. And I promise you, we're going to laugh, cry, and cringe as we figure out how to become the most professional people out there doing real estate. The number 3 reason Leigh Thomas Brown, I'm too busy to take this class. I know you're busy, I know you are, and you don't have time for more training. I feel you, but frankly, I think for what y'all, you might have some scoliosis and you're just sitting here looking at your phone. You did not realize that 4 hours ran away from you while you were looking at social media. Maybe if you realize you carving out that time can be valuable if you are in there with the right mindset. So when you come to ethics training, I want you to come in and say, you know what, I'm ready to find something I can use in my day-to-day business and plug into my marketing so that my neighbors out there will feel more comfortable calling me, knowing I am a competent, knowledgeable, ethical professional. If you come into that training, you'll realize you're not just making time for it, you are investing time in it. And it's all about your mindset so that you can get the outcome you desire. I can't wait to deliver this class again because we have fun, we learn, and then we go out and implement to be better real estate professionals for the entire public. 'Cause you know what that pocket card means? You hold the public trust. Now you really want to take a class that's good? Sign up for National Code of Ethics Day. Go to nationalethicsday.com. Talk to your local association. Say, "Hey, let's bring in this amazing livestream class and bring our colleagues in at the same time so we can fellowship and network, discuss the Code of Ethics together." and go out there and be the best possible real estate professionals while completing your requirement for the National Association of Realtors.
