6 Dos and Don’ts for Using the REALTOR® Trademark – Texas REALTORS®-2021十大正规彩票app

May 01, 2018

Only members of the REALTOR® association may use the term REALTOR®, and only in connection with their personal name and firm name. Here are rules to keep in mind.

Do use capital letters and include the registration symbol “®”. All the references within this article show the appropriate way to write the term REALTOR®.

Do not use the term REALTOR® as part of your firm name. The term REALTOR® can only be used in connection with—not part of—a firm’s name. Filing an official firm name such as Chiltepin REALTORS®, Inc., with a governmental entity is unacceptable. However, advertising as Chiltepin, Inc., REALTORS® is acceptable because in the advertisement, a comma separates the firm’s name from the term REALTOR®. Advertising as Hey Y’all, REALTORS® is also correct because it has a comma between Y’all and REALTORS®, but you also cannot file Hey Y’all, REALTORS® as a firm name.

Do not use the term REALTOR® in connection with your team name. While the term may be used in connection with your personal name and firm name, that doesn’t extend to team names. Teams function as groups within a firm—and do not qualify for the use of the term REALTOR®, according to NAR.

Members who are part of a team can still use the term in connection with their personal name or firm name but not as part of it. Use punctuation to separate your name or firm name from the term REALTOR®: John Smith, REALTOR®.

Do use REALTOR® as part of a website’s domain name but only in connection with your personal name or firm name. The requirements to use punctuation, capital letters, and the registration symbol are not required for your website address. However, the term REALTOR® cannot be used with descriptive words or phrases. Domain names such as number1realtor.com, firstrealtor.org, or realtorproperties.com are improper uses. Domain names such as johndoerealtor.com or chiltepinrealtors.com are acceptable.

Do not use descriptive words or phrases to modify the term REALTOR®. For example, No. 1 REALTOR®, REALTOR® Properties, Professional REALTORS® or Commercial REALTORS® are unacceptable.

Do not hyphenate, reconstruct, expand, combine, abbreviate, or divide the term REALTOR®.

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