The term REALTORŪ is a registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate agent who is a member of the National Association of REALTORSŪ and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.
The word REALTORŪ is often-used to describe a real estate agent in general. The word REALTORŪ is however a trademark obtained by the National Association of REALTORŪ in 1949. NAR only authorizes usage the mark Realtors to its members and then under specific terms of use. In 1960 the term "realtor" was added to the Webster's Dictionary.
In 2003, Jacob Joseph Zimmerman, a real estate agent not affiliated with NAR petitioned the US Patent and Trademark Office to cancel the REALTORŪ trademarks, on the ground that the terms were generic words. In March 2004 the petition was denied. |
