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Realtor -vs- Real Estate Agent - When can you use the term Realtor and when SHOULD you use the term Real Estate Agent.

By Bill Petrey

Real Estate Agent with AgentHarvest - A Real Estate Agent Finder Service

June 20, 2010 05:55 PM

National Association of Realtors

Original source: http://blog.agentharvest.com/real-estate-industry/realtor-vs-real-estate-agent-when-is-it-appropriate-to-use-the-term-realtor/

Shortly after launching our Really Rotten Realty website last month, we were reminded of the difference between Realtors and real estate agents. That reminder came in the form of a friendly request from the National Association of Realtors’ legal department about the correct use of their trademark.

Find out how we used the term Realtor incorrectly and find out also how the term should be correctly used. The original article referenced above was assembled from an interview we had with the Trademark Administrator for National Association of Realtors, Mary Newill and our staff at AgentHarvest.

Please go to The AgentHarvest Blog to continue reading about AgentHarvest's conversation with the NAR Trademark Administrator regarding the use, or in our case, the misuse of the term Realtor.

Find out if you are in trouble for trademark infringement, like we were by misusing the term Realtor instead of Real Estate Agent.

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Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Real Estate Svcs.

KD Realty - 408.972.1822 - San Jose, CA

Probate Real Estate Services

Bill, Not only is the term Realtor used incorrectly … 9 out of 10 times it is pronounced incorrectly … even by Realtors (LOL) It is Real-tor NOT Real-it-tor.

Jun 20, 2010 05:59 PM

Jon Zolsky, Daytona Beach, FL

Daytona Condo Realty, 386-405-4408 - Daytona Beach, FL

Buy Daytona condos for heavenly good prices

Bill,

And what are they going to do to general public, that is using the term Realtor in place of real estate licensee?

I am puzzled how could they usurp the usage of a term that millions and millions are using.

The funny thing that even Realtors use it on AR in the meaning Real Estate Licensees

Jun 20, 2010 06:01 PM

Bill Petrey

AgentHarvest - A Real Estate Agent Finder Service - Dallas, TX

Kathleen:

Yes, but unfortunately, 9 out of 10 of them could even be Realtors.

Jun 20, 2010 06:02 PM

Jon:

When I spoke to NAR, they mentioned that there's not much they can really do to enforce the trademark with the public. As a matter of fact, I had a few testimonials on my site that mentioned Realtor instead of real estate agent. Since they were directly quoted from the public, the NAR said it was OK to keep them as-is in my site. It's just MY use of the term, since I'm a Realtor, they can govern. When we become Realtors, we agree to abide by their rules and one of them is trademark usage.

Jun 20, 2010 06:08 PM

Randy Ostrander

Lake and Lodge Realty LLC - Big Rapids, MI

Real Estate Broker, Serving Big Rapids and West Central MI

I recevied one of those friendly little reminders for using the term Realtor® in my URL. Seems even though I pay for the right to be called a Realtor® using it in my URL is also not allowed. I had to remove the website and stop using a URL that was first page in Google. Yikes.

Jun 20, 2010 06:17 PM

Randy:

Now you know why it was first page in Google. Domain names with Realtor do not have much competition since NAR discourages their use. I hope you didn't have too much marketing money tied into that name. And, I hope you didn't use MLS in your URL either.

Jun 20, 2010 06:27 PM

Tim Lorenz

TIM LORENZ - Elite Home Sales Team - Mission Viejo, CA

949 874-2247

It is always important to know the rules that we play by.

Jun 20, 2010 06:35 PM

I'm just glad the NAR has a gentle hand when reminding us.

Jun 20, 2010 07:01 PM

Richard Weeks

Dallas, TX

REALTOR®, Broker

I knew the rules from the begining of my career. Anyone who did not know was not paying attention at their local board orientation.

Jun 23, 2010 08:02 AM

Jim Frimmer

HomeSmart Realty West - San Diego, CA

Realtor & CDPE, Mission Valley specialist

Even after two recent posts on this subject, I'm still not sure I know. Loreena Yeo had a recent Featured Post (http://activerain.com/blogsview/1723688/do-you-recommend-using-a-realtor-in-the-new-home-construction-process-) where Realtor was, I believe, used wrong in the title, and then throughout her post, she continues to say "Fristo TX Realtor," which definitely is wrong.

Jul 03, 2010 08:02 PM

Jim:

I saw her post. I'm thinking she's a Frisco Realtor. Just a hunch. Wonder if Google sees her posts as a "link farm." Ideally, according to experts you only want two to four links on a page.

Jul 04, 2010 07:00 PM

Realtor -vs- Real Estate Agent - When can you use the term Realtor and when SHOULD you use the term Real Estate Agent.

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