Changes at NAR Meetings to COE and MLS Handbook

At last week’s NAR meetings in Houston, both the NAR Board of Directors and the NAR Delegate Body approved several important changes that we want to share with you. Below is a summary of the updates affecting the Code of Ethics and the MLS Handbook.

Code of Ethics Updates

(Approved by the NAR Board of Directors and Delegate Body)

The Professional Standards Committee recommended — and NAR BOD approved — the following changes to modernize the Code of Ethics and align it with the 2024 legal settlement:

• Article 7 amended to limit compensation disclosures and approval requirements to only a REALTOR®’s own client(s).
• This clarifies that REALTORS® are not required to disclose the contents of a buyer-broker agreement to sellers or listing brokers.
• Standard of Practice 3-4 deleted.
• The requirement to disclose a variable rate commission was premised on unilateral offers of compensation in the MLS. This SOP was never applicable in New York.
• Standard of Practice 17-4 updated to reinforce settlement requirements.
• Compensation awarded in arbitration cannot exceed the amount stated in the buyer representation agreement.
  

Effective Date for All Article 7 and SOP Changes: January 1, 2026

Major Updates to the MLS Handbook

(First comprehensive update in 20 years)

NAR has approved a series of substantial changes to modernize the MLS Handbook. Highlights include:

• These updates follow NAR’s first full legal risk assessment of all MLS policies by a national law firm.
• The changes focus on:
• Reinforcing local discretion (including policies concerning non-member MLS access)
• Clarifying administrative and enforcement rules
• Eliminating outdated MLS practices
• Non-member MLS access remains a local decision.
• NAR removed wording from its policy that MLS access is a local decision, but the authority for local MLSs to determine whether to allow non-member access has not changed. This decision remains at the local level.
• NAR reaffirmed its firm, unequivocal commitment that access to REALTOR®-affiliated MLSs is tied to membership.
  

The updated policies will be published in the 2026 MLS Handbook (January 2026).

For further information please see helpful links below: 

MLS Policies Modernization

MLS Handbook Updates