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Real Estate Law
While forums and social media are one of the best ways to reach your target audiences and engage with current potential buyers and sellers, they can also be a very troublesome area for brokers should their agents not be informed of the obligations Realtors face in these areas. Brokers are liable for the comments made by their agents about other agents and any other transaction related issue. It’s important to remember that anything posted publicly can and will be used against you in a court of law. In other words, your seemingly innocent post about a developer or another agent could be seen as defamation.
Particularly agents with the designation of Realtor and their brokerages have an obligation to not post derogatory remarks and to not infringe on others intellectual property rights. Using pictures that do not belong to you without a copyright symbol is still an infringement of intellectual property rights.
Brokerages would be well advised to hold monthly or quarterly meetings that inform agents of the pitfalls of social media sharing, commenting, posting, advertising as well as internet usage as a whole. Protecting your Real Estate firm should be a top priority with up to date policies in place, training sessions, and consultations with a knowledgeable Real Estate Attorney. Minimize yours and your agents risk of liability. Review the laws and risks with a qualified real estate attorney.