CREA Trademarks – Know the Rules
How do you know when you are using the term REALTOR® correctly? Here’s a quick way to check.
When you use the term REALTOR®, does it describe what you do (“I’m a REALTOR®”)? Does it include a description about you? (“I’m the top selling REALTOR® for our company”)? Does your domain name use the term REALTOR® without your name (“hamiltonrealtor.ca”)?
If you answered “yes” to any or all of the questions, you are using the term REALTOR® incorrectly. REALTOR® is not a job description. It means “member of the Canadian Real Estate Association.” You should easily be able to substitute that phrase whenever you use the term REALTOR®. You also cannot use adjectives such as top selling, Hamilton, etc. as adjectives give the term a generic meaning.
Members should be aware that CREA, which owns the trademarks, is responsible for ensuring the trademark is used correctly. If the term falls into general use to mean anyone registered as real estate salesperson, the trademark is gone and its special meaning for CREA members is gone with it. CREA is therefore very careful to protect the trademark. They routinely check domain names, member websites, advertising, etc. to ensure the REALTOR® trademark – and other CREA trademarks – are being used correctly by members and are not being used by real estate practitioners who are not members of organized real estate.
CREA will let us know if any of our members have been using CREA trademarks incorrectly, and RAHB will follow up as a Professional Standards matter. Members are always given a chance to stop misusing the trademarks. Members who ignore the opportunity to correct the error and continue to misuse CREA trademarks will be investigated by the Professional Standards Committee and the matter will be treated as a Professional Standards case.
To make sure you are using “REALTOR®” correctly, check out the CREA Trademark Manual – just follow the link from the Compliance Centre on RAHB’s homepage on REALTOR Link®.