e090216 Can I pay a real estate agent for ad space on a moving van?

Identifier: e090216

Date: 07/14/2009

Question

Is there any violation of ethics to pay areal estate agent for advertising space (inspection company name & phonenumber) on the agent's moving van? Does exclusivity (only one home inspector would be advertising at a time) matter?

Response

Nothing in the Codeof Ethics Specifically prohibits an inspector from paying for the placement ofadvertising as long as the payment is in proportion to the service provided, in this case an advertisement. With payments for services or advertising with real estate agents a distinction must be made in paying for the service provided and payment for referrals.

Exclusivity in the case of this advertisement is not a violation of the Code of Ethics as long as the paid participation does not include promotion of your company by one or more real estate agents as an exclusive service provider. Paying for referrals in any form can create an obligation between the inspector and the referring party and may compromise the impartiality of the home inspector, representing a conflict of interest to the potential detriment of the consumer.

References:

RFI e060106

RFI e070920

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