Sometimes difficulties result from misunderstanding, miscommunication, or lack of adequate communication. If you have a problem with a real estate professional, you may first want to speak with them and with the principal broker in the firm. Open, constructive discussion often resolves questions or differences, eliminating the need for further action.

If after taking these steps, you still feel you have a grievance; you may want to consider filing an ethics complaint.

Ethics complaints must be filed within 180 days from the time a complainant knew (or reasonably should have known) that potentially unethical conduct took place.

Your complaint should include a narrative description of the circumstances that lead you to believe the Code of Ethics may have been violated.

Your complaint must cite one or more of the Articles of the Code of Ethics which may have been violated.

Your complaint will be reviewed by the Statewide Grievance Committee. Their job is to review complaints to determine if the allegations made, if taken as true, might support a violation of the Article(s) cited in the complaint. If the Grievance Committee forwards your complaint for hearing, an impartial Hearing Panel will be selected from the members of the Missouri Association of REALTORS® Professional Standards Committee.