About Us

The Omaha Area Board of REALTORS® (OABR) is a professional association that supports the real estate market, defends private property rights, and advocates homeownership for all.

OABR is a non-profit, dues-funded membership organization. REALTOR® members are Registered, Licensed, or Certified Appraisers, or Licensed Real Estate Brokers and their affiliated agents licensed as Real Estate Salespersons or Associate Brokers.

REALTORS® may choose to affiliate with a licensed Broker who has opted in as a regional MLS Participant. Great Plains Regional MLS (GPRMLS) serves the greater Omaha-Lincoln area. The multiple listing system was developed and paid for by REALTORS® and ongoing expenses are privately funded by Users. Virtually all consumer-accessible real estate websites are powered with property information amassed at the expense of the local REALTOR® association and the MLS operation.

Participation in the Regional MLS benefits sellers by exposing their property to the largest audience of potential home buyers. Buyers benefit by having the latest information and open access to all homes listed for sale in the region. All properties in the Regional MLS system are offered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ethnic origin, familial status, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), handicap, or disability.

All REALTORS® agree to cooperate with other brokers and to abide by the REALTOR® Code of Ethics, which states, “REALTORS® shall cooperate with other brokers except when cooperation is not in the client’s best interest. The obligation to cooperate does not include an obligation to share commissions, fees, or to otherwise compensate another broker (Article 6).

Without the sharing of property information, the organized real estate market, as we know it today, would not exist. In the MLS system, property information is collected, standardized, stored, and provided for use by other REALTORS®, lenders, appraisers, and consumers.

OABR and GPRMLS do not provide real estate services directly to the public, and the office staff are not licensed to act in that capacity. Neither OABR nor GPRMLS involve themselves with commissions or the division of commissions between real estate licensees. Fees charged for a real estate transaction are determined individually by the real estate broker and their client – a seller or a buyer – in a fully negotiable written agreement.

OABR and GPRMLS do not establish, publish, or otherwise suggest standard charges or a range of service fees for real estate transactions. Broker business models, including services offered, geographic boundaries, and the professional fees they negotiate, are never discussed in formal meetings or casual gatherings of OABR or GPRMLS.

 A broker may elect to offer compensation to another broker that helps facilitate a transaction. The brokers and their clients solely determine the level of compensation for this participation in the transaction. The fees charged may be a fixed dollar amount, a percentage of the gross selling price, or any other arrangement that is agreed to by those involved. This process of sharing commissions is authorized by state law and supported by federal housing policy; however, OABR and GPRMLS are not engaged in the process and do not collect data regarding professional fees or commissions.

 The REALTOR® Code of Ethics states, “REALTORS® shall not accept any commission, rebate, or profit on expenditures made for their client, without the client’s knowledge and consent (Article 6). In a transaction, REALTORS® shall not accept compensation from more than one party, even if permitted by law, without disclosure to all parties and the informed consent of the REALTOR®’s client or clients (Article 7). REALTORS®, for the protection of all parties, shall assure whenever possible that all agreements related to real estate transactions, including, but not limited to, listing and representation agreements, purchase contracts, and leases, are in writing in clear and understandable language expressing the specific terms, conditions, obligations, and commitments of the parties (Article 9).”

 Consumers are always encouraged to seek legal advice when buying, selling, or leasing real estate.

Mission

Advance the real estate profession, defend private property rights, and advocate homeownership for all.

Strategic Plan

The Omaha Area Board of REALTORS® supports its mission by focusing on four pillars of strength:

  • Advocacy

  • Community Outreach

  • Professionalism and Knowledge

  • Organizational Effectiveness

Core Values

Innovation

Communication

Knowledge

Integrity

Honesty

Trust

REALTOR® Code of Ethics

REALTORS® are pledged to a strict Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. The National Association of REALTORS®’s Code of Ethics, adopted in 1913, was one of the first codifications of ethical duties adopted by any business group. The Code ensures that consumers are served by requiring REALTORS® to cooperate with each other in furthering clients’ best interests.

Read the Code of Ethics