I’m pretty sure we all feel the same when someone says something uncomplimentary about someone else. Words matter. In private life, your words can cost you a friend. In professional life, they can cost you a valued business relationship with a side order of damage to your reputation and exposure to a Board complaint.

We know this, and most of us have learned to resist the impulse to spout off about a colleague and/or what they just did (or what we think they just did).

Recently, I had a conversation about the limits of this principle. Would a member be crossing the line if they said something uncomplimentary about another member’s listing? It’s an interesting question. Our relevant rules focus mostly on what one member says about other members. But in the case of commenting on a listing, the context needs to be considered.

Was the member responding to their client’s question by giving an opinion about another member’s listing? Or were they just being generally chippy about someone else’s listing, not caring about the consequences of what they said? It’s worth remembering Rule 6.08(b): “A Member shall not injure falsely or maliciously, directly or indirectly, the reputation, prospects or business of another Member.”

Express a professional opinion, by all means about other relevant properties to your clients. The market knowledge you have is valuable, and your clients want to know what you think. But maybe you’re in competition with another member’s listing for buyers. That’s not something we’ve had to think about much over the past years, given there’ve been dozens of buyers for every listing. But in the months to come, you may encounter situations where, for example, you and a colleague have similar properties listed in the same neighbourhood, and there is only one buyer looking. In this case, one of you isn’t going to get your property sold. What would you say to ensure you aren’t the one on the losing side?

This isn’t an arithmetic question, with the answer being indisputable. So how about this? Remember your client’s interests and put your listing’s best foot forward. If it compares favourably with the competition, say so and give examples to present your case. Avoid negative comments about another colleague’s listing. We’re all judged by what we say and do. Stick to the facts, express an opinion, sell what you have, and call it a day.

Our MLS® system is one of the most important tools we have—up there with our collective and individual reputations. Like us, the MLS® has an excellent reputation for the accuracy and completeness of its data. Stripping out data (such as photographs, remember there must be at least one) after subjects have been removed or in anticipation of them being removed is a breach of Rule 3.16 (c). Please don’t do it. Denying your colleagues and their clients the context to property information that photos and comments provide can lead to wrong impressions, possible misrepresentations, complaints and, you guessed it, a hit to our reputation.

Similarly, copying from another member’s listing (public remarks, for example) is a potential breach of Rule 3.06 (a) and R/Code Article 28. It could be the copying member is paying you a compliment by duplicating your public remark, but in reality, it’s copying or plagiarism, which can really grate on your colleagues. Please don’t do it. Besides, what’s the point of copying a public remark on a relisting after the former listing expired? If the property didn’t sell with that public remark before, why would you want to use it again?