Guest contributor G.M. Filisko of REALTOR®Mag says:

Odds are that some of your sales associates are online at this very moment. Maybe they're updating their Facebook status. Or uploading a blog post. Or retooling their Web site.

But what if they're doing something that creates liability for your brokerage? Brokers are right to be concerned about the online presence of their agents. It's up to you to develop a policy for your office that details online activities that are acceptable and unacceptable from a business standpoint­—and to make sure associates know they're accountable.

Policy? What Policy?

If you haven't already created guidelines for your associates' online behavior, you're in good company.

"I'd say that 5 percent of brokers, at most, have policies," estimates Nobu Hata, Chicago-based director of digital engagement at the National Association of REALTORS®. "Most policies I've seen have been at larger brokerages. They have counsel who've recommended they enact a policy, or they have a big enough cadre of sales associates that someone's already gotten them in trouble."

It's not that brokers aren't paying attention to the risks, Hata says. Many are. But they don't want to tighten the reins so much that sales associates balk—and end up leaving. But, as any defense attorney will tell you, a written policy is wise. "Every broker should have one, whether the broker has two or 200 salespeople," Hata says. "Sales associates do a lot of things online on behalf of their brokers, whether it's marketing listings or performing client care, and there's so much gray area." A written policy reduces the chance for misunderstandings.