Without benefit of legislation in earlier years, for the protection of the home-buying public, the Real Estate business suffered loss of respect and dignity. The transgressions of the ever-present few dishonest practitioners reflected on the business as a whole. To check the spread of unscrupulous real estate practice, right the harm done, and eventually put the business on a professional plane, ethical standards, laws and provisions, for their enforcement, have been adopted.

1.1 Government
Governing the conduct of all licensed Real Estate Brokers and Real Estate Sales Associates in the State of New Jersey are:

• “The Rules and Regulations” of the State Real Estate Commission.
• The 1929 “Real Estate Brokers License Act” as amended.

Governing the conduct of all REALTORS and REALTOR ASSOCIATES is:

• The “Code of Ethics of the National Association of Realtors” (Appendix I). Note: Whenever 'Realtor' is used, it is intended for it to contain an “r” in a circle to represent the fact that it is a registered name.

1.2 Broker Responsibility
The Broker is responsible, by law, for the acts of his representatives. Standing as a buffer between their conduct and the welfare of Clients and Customers, the conscientious Broker must make it his business to exercise great care in screening the Sales Associates and Managers whom he sponsors. His guiding principle is the Sales Associate “who steps over that line” into trouble. Whereas, the Sales Associate with unswerving devotion to all the rules of fair play, in providing services leading to the transfer of property, not only avoids trouble, but establishes a reputation of integrity – a basic sales aid, for which there is no substitute.