REALTOR® vs. Real Estate Agent - It should matter more than it does.

I'm with Jon Zolsky on this one. Paint me unhappy with the whole corrupt system, a system dominated by the NAR. I resent the constant attack on other agents that are not members - I'm forced to belong if I want to use the local MLS.

I knew the difference long before I went to Real Estate school because I made an effort to find out.  Not just once, but over a period of years - whenever I heard the term, I had a gut feeling that people were using it WRONG most of the time.

In school and at my office I rarely hear people use the term or address the responsibilities & benefits we have from being members of NAR.  Locally I see the benefit every time I use a standardized form to write up a contract.  Our state AAR develops, educates, reviews and revises these forms to make contract writing EASIER for us as professionals, and more BENEFICIAL to the Buyers and Sellers in the usefulness of describing their agreement.  How many of us would like to write a purchase contract from scratch on a napkin with no references?  You cannot measure how HUGE this benefit is to us!

We sometimes forget that we are a SELF-DEFINING industry with regard to our Standards and Practices.  Sure there are laws that govern sales and commodities, but WE have set the standards that define our behavior and what constitutes "professionalism".  Would you rather burn all the forms, rip up the ETHICS standards and let the dogs run loose?

What would be then?  Used Car Salespeople?  Do THEY have a set of standards and practices and an organization which fights to shine their reputation and public image like we do?

The power of the term REALTOR®  can be felt the moment the word is spoken.  People shift in their seats, adjust their ties, start staring at the ceiling...."who me?  You REALLY expect me to uphold the standard?"  

YES!  Can I say ACCOUNTABILITY?  Did the room just clear, or did the honorable among you stand your ground, or stand up and be counted as a professional who doesn't fear being measured against the standard?

Using the word around Clients makes THEM shake, too!  They know they're dealing with more than one agent who says "stuff".  They know there's a body they can check this agent's words against.  They know there's a lot of support and cooperation behind us that give our words POWER and RESPECT.  I believe that any person who doesn't respect that TRUTH doesn't deserve our business.

Even so...we can still TEACH THEM ONE AT A TIME.

Carol - I do not have the actual stats, but as far as I remember only half of all agents are Realtors.

@Gregory - excellent point. I resent bashing non-member agents as inferior. They are not. NAR is not the place for just good agents. It is a place for paying agents, no matter how bad they might be.

Hi Coral,

I'm one of those real estate professionals licensed by the Georgia Real Estate Commission but not a REALTOR.  In Georgia we do not currently have to belong to NAR to access the MLS.  At the state level is GAR (Georgia Association of Realtors) and then the local boards across the state.

We did have a change at the beginning of 2012.  GAR decided to charge non-REALTORs for the use of the GAR Forms.  I think there was a sizeable exodus of licensees leaving the local boards that impacted GAR/NAR revenue.  Some of the lost revenue is made from the charge for the GAR Forms.  And we who use the GAR Forms have a guarantee of being defended by the GAR attorney firm if we ever have to go to court.

Anyways you are correct that the general public makes no distinction between a licensee and a REALTOR.

Good post especially about the solution of training and mentoring.  Best of success to you this year!

I believe the law is federal, no association can require membership in NAR to have access to MLS maybe it has not been enforced at your board or challenged but if a non member ask I bet they would scurry to allow it. They are called THOMPSON Brokers after the broker that sued in federal court. Most associations let it lie so as to keep the membership but the law is there.

The general public doesn't know the difference....and at the moment I can't think of anyone I know who is "just an agent."

I agree with Jon #5 in part as I don't like many things NAR has done or not done, on the other hand after visiting and taking courses at my local OCAR (Orange County) and local PWR (Pacific West) and some dealings with CAR lawyers I see the many benefits of the local association involvement and is well worth the premium that is required for MLS access in O.C.

"I go to Paris NOT for the rude Parisians but for the greatness of many other things Paris has to offer."

@ Charles - thompson Broker is very expensive, and then it displays your name in some weird form. I remember checking with the Board, and it was not a good option for us.

Definitely is a difference.  But unfortunately in the eyes of most consumers, there is no difference.

I agree - paying dues to an organization doesn't make you a good agent. And taking a class on ethics doesn't make you an ethical person. The rules say ethics violations will be enforced, but from what I've seen, the person filing the complaint has to take so much time away from work for hearings, etc. that most simply don't do it.

Bottom line is the way you treat your clients . . designation or not. .is all about quality care.

Coral, the NAR has done such a good job at promoting the REALTOR® brand that it has become synonymous with the term real estate agent. The person on the street doesn't really know the difference and probably really doesn't care. The NAR is a trade association and nothing more.

You are right on target with mentoring. I run a mentoring program for a commercial real estate association. It's the only way for a new agent to gain that initial experience. I also believe new agents should have to go through an apprenticeship program before being let go by themselves on the street. This would require the individual State's to initiate these laws.

What is interesting in CA is that pretty much everything in the Code of Ethics is codified into our Business and Profession code, so Realtor or not, one is forced to abide by certain standards of conduct.  The Code of Ethics just makes it easier to resolve any dispute one has with their agent (it can be achieved without going to court), and handled internally at the person's local board.

Unfortunately, most peope think they are one in the same.  Your post is well needed.  

Coral,

Those agents who don't belong to the Board don't have to adhere to the rules that you do. :)

Steve

All one has to do is read the NAR guidelines on use of the TRADEMARK and one will find that the "mark" is ALWAYS written in all CAPS, and with the symbol.

Therefore, since my typewriter doesn't have the symbol and will not recognize the coded typed symbol, I'm reduced to copy & paste the symbol.  Do you know how much time that takes??  I'm much more likely to simply write, real estate agent.

Many years ago, in about 1995, I was reprimanded by mail by a functionary in the Virginia Association of REALTORS.  According to him, since my web page was about real estate, real estate agents, REALTORS, etc., any time I referred to "real estate agent", the trademark MUST BE USED.

I appealed to the association counsel and they agreed with my use of real estate agent in Internet content.

For some years following that rediculous incident, I did not include the word REALTOR in any Internet content.

I have never been quite sure what the difference is and therefore try to remember to use the word "agent" so I don't upset the apple cart.  I don't think most consumers have a clue there is a difference.