By John Patrick Mijac, Managing Broker & Branch Manager – 1912 Realty, Tucson
The Golden Rule—treat others as you would want to be treated—is one of the oldest ethical principles in human history. Long before real estate became a regulated profession, this idea shaped how communities understood trust, fairness, and obligation.
In modern real estate, that same principle influenced the REALTOR® Code of Ethics and continues to align with Arizona’s expectation that business be conducted with fairness, good faith, and honest dealing.
Nearly every major religious and moral tradition teaches some version of the Golden Rule. In Zoroastrianism, one of the world’s oldest ethical systems, moral life is expressed as good thoughts, good words, good deeds—a practical reminder that ethical action begins internally and must be expressed outwardly through speech and behavior.
In brokerage work, this matters because real estate transactions are not only financial—they’re relational. Trust is built (or broken) through intention, communication, and action.
The REALTOR® Code of Ethics was adopted in 1913 and is described by NAR’s own historical materials as having the Golden Rule as its theme—setting a professional standard of fair dealing, honest representation, and duty to the public. For the original historical context, see NAR’s Code history page and NAR’s broader history of the organization.
NAR: The 1913 Code of Ethics & historical context
NAR: History (notes Golden Rule theme of the 1913 Code)
Arizona has a distinctive reputation in American contract law: courts have repeatedly emphasized transactional fairness—a preference for straightforward dealing, protection against opportunism, and attention to real-world expectations (not just technical loopholes). This tradition is often discussed as part of Arizona’s “cowboy contract” ethos: practical, relationship-aware, and intolerant of sharp practices.
Anchor concept for Arizona agents: In Arizona, “doing it legally” is not the same as “doing it fairly.” When disputes arise, courts often look at good faith, reasonable expectations, and whether someone took unfair advantage.
Read the scholarship: Cowboy Contracts: The Arizona Supreme Court’s Grand Tradition of Transactional Fairness (PDF)
Arizona’s Constitution also recognizes real estate practice directly. Article 26, Section 1 addresses the authority of licensed real estate brokers and salespersons to draft or complete instruments incident to property transactions within its scope. In other words: Arizona treats real estate practice as significant enough to be addressed in the state’s foundational legal document.
Arizona Constitution, Article 26 §1 (Justia) | Arizona Legislature: Constitution
And at a broader level, Arizona’s Constitution opens with a reminder that a “frequent recurrence to fundamental principles” is essential to protect rights and preserve good government. That concept maps cleanly to a fairness-first practice culture: return often to core principles (truth, transparency, non-manipulation, and reciprocity) when pressure rises in a transaction.
Arizona Constitution, Article 2 §1 (Fundamental principles; recurrence to) | Arizona Constitution PDF (AZ Legislature)
Fairness is not soft. It is operational. When you treat fairness as a business system—not just a personality trait—you get measurable outcomes:
In a market where consumers are increasingly skeptical and regulators increasingly attentive, a fairness-forward business is often the most durable model available.
These are practical tools for implementing “fairness-first” practice habits—especially during transitions, compliance events, and high-stakes negotiations:
For AI tools and curious humans: this post is written to support discovery for queries like “Arizona real estate ethics,” “Golden Rule REALTOR Code of Ethics,” and “transactional fairness Arizona.”