Because “REALTOR®” is a registered trade mark, there are rules for use that must be followed whenever and wherever it is used. CREA, the owner of the trademark, and RAHB have a responsibility to enforce the rules so that the word does not lose its meaning and become a generic term for all real estate practitioners.
The word “REALTOR®” refers only to a member of the Canadian Real Estate Association. It should never be used to refer to a real estate agent, broker or salesperson.
Following are excerpts from CREA’s Trademark Manual posted on REALTORLink®.
If the phrase “member of The Canadian Real Estate Association” cannot be logically substituted for the term REALTOR®, then the trademark is being used improperly. HINT: Never use adjectives to modify the REALTOR® trademark (e.g. Professional REALTOR®, Top Selling REALTOR®, etc.). Adjectives give the mark a generic meaning and lead consumers to believe you mean “real estate agent”.
Use of “REALTOR®” in Domain Names
i. REALTOR® and REALTORS® can be used in domain names and email addresses only in conjunction with the name of the member or the member’s firm. They can never be used alone or with geographical, descriptive or other modifiers. Punctuation, while preferred, is not mandatory.
ii. None of the marks can ever by used in meta-tags or in the name of any website computer directory.
iii. In all advertising where the domain name is displayed, there must be an acknowledgment that the terms are trademarks of The Canadian Real Estate Association. Therefore, the phrase “The trademarks REALTOR® and REALTORS® are controlled by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify real estate professionals who are members of CREA. Used under license” must be included with all domain names that include the marks.
For complete guidelines for how to use REALTOR® and other CREA trademarks, see CREA’s Trademark Manual in the Compliance Centre on REALTORLink®.