Are you a REALTOR®?

Mimi  I knew I was doing business with a criminal...  I can't believe the local board would not have just sent a memo to the membership!  YOU ROCK!

Hi Meems... Oh baby... You've touched a NAR nerve with me.  NAR seems to be on a witch hunt these days (or they have way too much time on their hands).  I received an email a few weeks ago suggesting I cease from using a url that I own with the word Realtor in it.  Fun Fact:  I've never gone live with the site and the url is parked with GoDaddy.  I'm such a threat to NAR! 

You'd think our Realtor dues would be better spent lobbying on Capital Hill for the protection of Homeownership Rights... rather than for the protection of a name, used by its own 'paying' members, purely with the intent and for the benefit of identifying oneself with the Realtor brand.  Bizarre! 

With the value of the Realtor brand continually diminishing... NAR would be better served to justify its value proposition to its paying members, and stop unnecessarily harassing them for doing what seems rather natural and within the scope of promoting the brand (i.e. using the name).  Silly NAR!    

FYI... Technically, NAR sold their interest in Realtor.com (another dumba$$ crazy bizarre!) to Homestore moons ago.  NAR still retains 4% ownership and they still have control of 'how' the name is used.  That said, perhaps they should include a letter addressed to Homestore regarding their non-capitalized use of the word Realtor in their logo.  Just sayin!

P.S.  It's no coincidence that I chose not to capitalize Realtor in this comment... it's my 'naked' protest of NAR's nerve!  I'll probably get another nasty letter in the mail ;-)

Mimi~ I have never understood the REALTOR VS Realtor thing? Sounds like a bunch of drama, too me! 8~)

Many years ago about 1996, I got a letter from the Virginia Ral Estate Asociation, admonishing for content on my web site where I referred to both Realtors and real estate agents.  He said that if I used the term Realtor in one location, I must use it throughout when referring to licensees.

I called the then president of the association and complained.  They got an opinion of counsel and verfified that I was not in violation of anything.

From that day, I rarely use the word Realtor, caps or not.  I generally refer to licensees as real estate agents or brokers or some such.

Besides, my keyboard doesn't have the symbol. 

Oh well.

Oh boy Mimi. I guess I know what I'll be doing this weekend! Really though?? Isn't what it stands for way more important? Thanks for the alert!

Hi Mimi, After all these years of being a member of the National Association of REALTORS, I am questioning why. Why I should care. Why I should continue to pay them. Who are these people anyway? They are just a bunch of employees who work for us.

I agree with Lenn. I don't refer to real estate licensees as Realtors because a lot of them aren't.

Bill Roberts

Is this a joke? With all the crap behavior that goes on in this business this is what the NAR is concerned about??? (Thanks for the tip, by the way.)

Really with all the crap that happens in our profession they are monitoring the spelling of REALTOR.  Good grief.

I agree with the others REALLY????  such a waste of our dues! 

I hosted a podcast called Realtor Hangouts.  They shut it down.  Same thinking...

I have nothing more to add because it's already been said above. Looks like somene's trying to justify their job.

Rules are rules I guess, but.....they should have asked us first! Or maybe they should have asked an editor before creating this rule.  Here's another slant on the subject.  When  a word is capitolized, it draws your eyes there. Emphasis. Any time you scan a page what do you do -- look for caps, underlines, bolds. When you sign your name it is important to disclose that you are a Realtor and part of this group.  But it is not "who" you are.  Your name is first, the company you represent is after that, and last but not least, you are disclosing that you are a licences Realtor.  But who capitolizes their name to emphasize it?  I personally hope that people who read communications from me will remember my name first and my office name. The fact that I am a Realtor is important, but should not be all they remember. I've always thought that even capitolizing the R in the word was a stretch.  I mean, I want people to remember my name, that I work hard for them, that I care.  I don't want them to skip over all my info and then later, say hey, Jean REALTOR?  What was her name again?

Girl, I don't even know HOW to make the trademark symbol!  So sue me!  And yes, it works in a word doc, but not in apps like scribefire, etc...

How idiotic.  As others have said, it would be nice if the NAR spent our dues doing something useful.  I personally don't appreciate the all caps use of the word.  It really screws up the look of a sentence using that word. :-)