The Alabama Real Estate Commission (AREC) held its June meeting last week. All commissioners, except for Emmette Barran, were present. During the meeting, a public hearing was held on a proposed rule on buyer agreements, and commissioners briefly discussed and dismissed a CE waiver for licensees 65 and older.

Continue reading for highlights from the meeting!

As required by law, a public hearing was held on a proposed rule on buyer agreements. The proposed rule is in response to a law passed earlier this year, which protects consumers from having to sign an agreement to be shown a property and provides greater flexibility to agents during the initial phases of meeting a buyer. The proposed rule would allow licensees to refuse to work with consumers unless they sign a buyer agreement before showing a property.

No comments from the public were made at the hearing. A commissioner stated that they heard of fair housing concerns that they wished to be noted. Click here to read the official proposed rule. Written comments can be submitted to AREC by July 4^th at 4:30 pm.

Several of the complaints heard at this Commission meeting dealt with violations in advertising. In each instance, the licensees were found guilty and received a fine. As a reminder, whenever a licensee advertises, whether on social media or in print, the licensee’s qualifying broker or company must be displayed prominently.

Rule 790-x-3-.16 defines “prominently” as a font size equal to or larger in size than any other text or logo in the advertisement and situated to gain the viewer’s attention. One concern raised from the hearings was how to apply this rule to advertisements that are in the form of a video. Commission attorneys advise that at the least, the name of the qualifying broker or company should be said or displayed at the beginning of any video. If you take screenshots from the video to create additional advertisements, be sure that those screenshots also include your qualifying broker and/or company name as well. Finally, if you have a social media page for your business, a best practice is to include your qualifying broker or company name in your profile name. That way, every time you post, your qualifying broker or company name is automatically included. 

Commissioners are continuing the tradition of foregoing a July meeting. AREC will next convene on August 21 in Montgomery at 9 am.