Final answer:
A real estate professional should obtain explicit consent to collect personal information from an individual. Explicit consent involves a clear, voluntary agreement with full understanding by the person giving it. Informed consent is also crucial in many professional contexts. Option b.
Step-by-step explanation:
When collecting personal information, a real estate professional is encouraged to obtain explicit consent (b). Not to be confused with implied or assumed consent, explicit consent involves clear and voluntary agreement from the individual with a full understanding of what they are consenting to. This practice is not only respectful to the individual but also aligns with legal requirements, particularly in areas governed by privacy laws such as GDPR or CCPA, which mandate that consent is obtained explicitly for data collection and processing.
Linked closely with explicit consent, informed consent is also vital, especially in contexts like research or healthcare, where individuals need to understand the implications, risks, benefits, and nature of the data collection or treatment they are consenting to. For real estate professionals, ensuring that their clients are fully informed and consenting to the collection and use of their data is crucial for maintaining trust, professionalism, and legal compliance.
In scenarios where ethics are considered, such as in research, informed consent is often required before participation. Subjects should be fully debriefed afterward, particularly in studies involving deception.