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Would you register your agent website domain name as a business name?

By Mercure Volt

Managing Real Estate Broker with Fairmount Realtors

July 16, 2008 12:58 PM

I am a REALTOR and if I have an agent website then I am "doing business as " _______.com" a chosen name.

Traditionally if you operated under any name other than your own you were considered to be running a business as a sole proprietor and need to register the trade name at the county level. Of course we are all independent agents and in business for ourselves, we are paid as 1099 status and not employees of the broker. When does it matter to register the domain name as a business?

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Steve Hoffacker

Steve Hoffacker LLC - West Palm Beach, FL

Certified Aging In Place Specialist-Instructor

Mercure,

I am not an attorney, but it doesn't seem that your ".com" is a business because it does not have a physical or mailing address (other than yours), and it receives no income. No check is ever made out to it. Therefore it fails the test of being a business.

Steve

Jul 16, 2008 01:10 PM

Cameron Novak

The Homefinding Center - 1000 Palms, CA

Real Estate Broker since 2008

Not really necessary unless you intend to do business under the name you have as a domain.

If you're using the name openly, and someone else decides to use the name as a business name, I seriously doubt (I just say that because I don't want to appear to be giving legal advice... and I'm not) any court would force you to stop using the name when you started using it first.

Cameron Novak, Real Estate Broker
The Homefinding Center
Real Estate Agent In Corona, California

Chat about real estate with me live!

Jul 16, 2008 01:15 PM

Mercure Volt

Fairmount Realtors - Montclair, NJ

Montclair School of Real Estate

Thanks Steve, Cameron and Ken! These are exactly the issues that I believe having an agent website opens up.

It seems like I see more agent websites all the time, and I believe it is a great way to meet buyers and sellers. But after the introduction, it should be clear that you are working with and in partnership, as Ken said, with the broker and owner.

I have been wondering if there are agents in violation of their state laws and REALTOR ethics.

Jul 16, 2008 02:08 PM