It may seem like it is just terminology but it is an often used misnomer for which industry members risk being fined should they use the term incorrectly.
Industry Members are licensed by the Real Estate Commission as salesperson, associate brokers, managing associated brokers, & brokers. Industry members are not licensed REALTORS®. Being a REALTOR® means you are a member of the Canadian Real Estate Association ( CREA ) at a national level & the Nova Scotia Association of REALTORS® ( NSAR ) or the Annapolis Valley Real Estate Board ( AVREB ) at a provincial level. CREA & its provincial counterparts are a professional membership organization & participation is voluntary. CREA DOES NOT grant licenses & you can be licensed to sell real estate without being a member of CREA, but in this case those individuals are not able to refer to themselves as REALTORS®. Even those of us that are members of NSAR & CREA, have restrictions on how we can use the term/designation. REALTOR® is a registered trademark & must be used as such. This is why it should always appear in all capital leeters with the registered logo after it.
So all REALTORS® are real estate salespeople or brokers but not all real estate salespeople & brokers are REALTORS®!
