– Associations can offer a wealth of information, resources, and networking opportunities to real estate professionals, but should not be seen as a veritable “Oracle of Delphi” for all things real estate.
– Often, professionals may turn to associations for legal advice or help with licensing. However, taking this alternative route to qualified legal counsel is quite similar to asking your barber whether you need a haircut.
– Real estate professionals should be careful to distance opinion from fact, especially when it comes to legal matters and professional compliance requirements.
– Not all advice is equal, warns the wise Darryl Davis, who suggests vetting your advice thoroughly and seeking professional counsel when necessary. He further articulates that “associational employees” are not necessarily experts in real estate law and should not be used as a stand-in for a qualified attorney.
– It’s important to bear in mind that, while advice from associations can be valuable, it can also be fatally flawed if not interpreted correctly.

Associations, Morality and Legality: A Real Estate Juggling Act

Your Association – A Helpful Friend, Not Your Real Estate Lawyer

Heeding Advice While Balancing Act

To conclude with an unbearable pun, keep in mind that when dealing with associations in real estate, it’s important to remember that association does not imply correlation. In other words, just because your friendly neighborhood association suggests something does not mean it is the incontestable gospel truth of the real estate cosmos.

Remember, your association is exactly that: an association, not a law firm, a licensing board, or a fortune-teller. Take the ambiguous advice, the funny anecdotes, the helpful tips but when it comes to the nitty-gritty legality, leave it to the hard-nosed professionals.

Here’s a “hot take,” folks: value your associations, but love them cautiously. After all, asking your association for legal advice is like asking your pet parrot for relationship advice: colorful, entertaining, but potentially highly misleading. So, next time you contemplate using advice from “associational employees,” remember that the best lawyers usually don’t come with morning teas and networking opportunities. Keep things professional and lawyer up, my friends!

Original article: https://www.inman.com/2024/02/07/stop-taking-legal-advice-from-nar-and-your-local-association/