The “REALTOR®” Trademark
Celebrates its 100th Birthday in 2016

On the eve of the New Year Celebration for 2016, it is fitting to also celebrate the 100th Birthday of the REALTOR® mark. The trademark term “REALTOR®” was adopted in 1916 to identify the members of the National Association of REALTORS®, a revolutionary group of individuals deeply committed to integrity, community and protecting the American dream of property ownership.

Trademarks are valuable forms of distinction. They assist the public in distinguishing between products, services and sometimes people. When we ask for a Coke, we know we won’t get a Pepsi. In the same way, when buyers or sellers ask for a REALTOR®, they know they are hiring more than a real estate licensee. They are hiring a member of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), who is bound by a strict and legally enforceable Code of Ethics. The trademark is the one universal way members can differentiate themselves from non-members in the real estate industry.

All REALTORS® are real estate agents, but not all real estate agents are REALTORS®

At a glance, please find an overview taken from the official National Association of REALTORS® website:

• The National Association of REALTORS® is America’s largest trade association, representing over 1.1 million members, including NAR’s institutes, societies, and councils, involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
• Our membership is composed of residential and commercial REALTORS® who are brokers, salespeople, property managers, appraisers, counselors, and others engaged in all aspects of the real estate industry. Members belong to one or more of approximately 1,300 local associations/boards and 54 state and territory associations of REALTORS®.
• The term REALTOR® is a registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.
• Working for America’s property owners, the National Association of REALTORS® provides a facility for professional development, research, and exchange of information among its members and to the public and government for the purpose of preserving the free enterprise system and the right to own real property.

I am PROUD to be a REALTOR® Member since 2001 – Happy 100th Birthday to ALL 1.1 MILLION of Us

Happy New Year!!!

We hope you found our celebratory post informative and interesting… Watch for our next BLOG POST in 2 weeks. Be sure to visit us at www.GailSellsFloridaHomes.com for valuable tools and resources for both buyers and sellers in Spring Hill and Brooksville of Hernando County, Florida.