Answer:
RESPA Section 8 prohibits the payment or receipt of anything of value in exchange for the referral of settlement service business. Obviously, providing advertising for a realtor is a thing of value, so the question becomes, "Is the hope that this will spur those realtors to recommend the bank to their clients looking for a mortgage loan?" If the answer to that question is yes, then I think it's something that should be avoided as having a high risk of being perceived as a Section 8 issue.
First published on BankersOnline.com 3/29/10