Ombuds Process

Control your integrity and contact the confidential hotline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Phone: (505)503-7807
Email: ombuds@carnm.realtor

This is a new and more confidential way for CARNM members to report issues and concerns regarding a real estate transaction, unethical conduct or a monetary dispute. EthicsPoint (hosted by a third-party provider) is a hotline where you can place anonymous reports in confidence. CARNM is committed to an environment where open, honest communications are the expectation, not the exception.

CARNM Ombuds Principles:

✓ Confidential   ✓ Impartial   ✓ Informal   ✓ Independent

• General real estate or transactional questions
• Disagreements or communication issues related to real estate transactions
• Breakdown or loss of contact between parties or with a REALTOR^®
• Unprofessional or potentially unethical conduct
• Commission disputes

• Responds to general real estate questions and information requests
• Reviews and explains options and available resources for addressing concerns and conflicts
• Refers people to other available complaint resolution and enforcement resources
• Coaches individuals on conflict resolution techniques
• Performs shuttle diplomacy and facilitated discussions between parties
• Ombudsmen will not conduct investigations, draw conclusions on the merits of a concern, make recommendations, impose a solution, or participate in subsequent formal processes

• Ombuds holds users’ identities and communications confidential
• With the exception of short-term working notes to track follow-up steps, no individually identifiable case notes or formal records are kept
• No information will be released to anyone except as part of a resolution plan if agreed to by all parties
• Discussions with ombuds are not considered notice to CARNM for any purpose
• Important exceptions to confidentiality exist where failure to disclose information would result in imminent risk of serious harm to the user or others, where there is a duty to disclose imposed by law, or where there is an allegation of a public trust violation (which is defined as a misappropriation of client or customer funds or property, willful discrimination, or fraud resulting in substantial economic harm)

• Treats all parties equitably and fairly
• Will not take sides in a dispute or promote one side over the other
• Ensures a fair process

• Off-the-record, non-escalating, and voluntary resource
• Uses communication and conciliation rather than a formal adjudication process
• Relationships preserved, often enhanced

• Exercises autonomy in conducting Ombuds responsibilities
• Reports only high-level trends and recurrent issues to CARNM Board of Directors for use in system improvements and professional development

• Provides services at no cost to users
• More timely resolution of conflicts and disagreements
• Issues addressed within days rather than months
• Less adversarial than formal processes
• Parties maintain control of resolution approaches and outcomes

• Ombuds Program is a completely voluntary benefit offered to its users
• While users are free to share their own information, the ombuds is required to hold all communications confidential
• Users agree to honor and be bound by the Program’s conditions, namely:
  • Users will never seek to force the ombuds to disclose any information received in the course of providing ombuds services;
  • Users will not seek to involve ombuds in any subsequent administrative or legal proceedings; AND
  • Users will not rely on or introduce into evidence in subsequent proceedings any information revealed by another party during the course of using the ombuds program.

• For additional information or questions, call (505) 401-7264 or email ombuds@carnm.realtor
• National Association of REALTORS^® (NAR) Local and State Association Ombuds Services
• National Association of REALTORS^® (NAR) Ombuds Process FAQs
• International Ombuds Association (IOA) Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics