Many people have asked us, “What’s the difference between a realtor and a Realtor? Why the capital “R”?” Today, we’re here to solve that mystery and more.

A Realtor, pronounced “real-tor” (there is no “a” or “i” between the two syllables), with a capital R, is part of the National Association of Realtors and has committed to upholding the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of the National Association of Realtors. This means you get the gold standard in ethical service from a Realtor, but you may not receive the same from a realtor. The gold standard is what you get from Jacobson Realty and Home Staging, where we are all Realtors.

What is the National Association of Realtors?

The National Association of Realtors is made up of over 1.1 million members from all aspects of real estate. This includes brokers, salespeople, counselors, appraisers, property managers and others from the commercial, industrial and residential real estate fields.

In order to be a Realtor, someone in the field has to join the Association and agree to abide by the strict Code of Ethics. Ongoing continuing education requirements in the Code of Ethics must also be completed in addition to state-mandated training. The Association provides a wealth of information and a facility for research, the exchange of information and professional development.

What is in The Code of Ethics?

Realtors have certain obligations to their clients and customers, to the public and to other Realtors as outlined in the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of the National Association of Realtors.

Their duties help ensure you as a client or customer are getting fair, honest and equal information at all times.

· Realtors cannot mislead an owner about the market value of a home to get their listing.

· Realtors are not allowed to mislead buyers about savings or benefits they can receive through their services.

· A Realtor can only represent both the buyer and seller in a transaction (or the landlord and the tenant) after all parties are fully informed and written consent is documented.

· A Realtor must submit offers and counter-offers objectively and quickly.

· A Realtor can only permit access to a property on the terms and conditions authorized by the owner or seller.

· Realtors must preserve and protect the confidential information of a client.

There are much more standards of practice listed in the Code of Ethics that Realtors must abide by, all of which stack up to a trustworthy and confident transaction for you.

Duties to the Public

A Realtor also has duties to the public. In the state of Virginia, they may not discriminate against race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status (a parent or guardian with children residing with them who are under the age of 18 years old), national origin, sexual orientation or gender identity. They also may not volunteer information about the racial, ethnic or religious composition of any neighborhood. They must be honest in all communications and not present misleading information to the public.

Duties to Other Real Estate Professionals

A Realtor has duties to other real estate professionals to keep a strong ethical backbone in the real estate community. Realtors cannot knowingly or recklessly make false or misleading statements orally, or in writing, about other real estate professionals, their businesses or business practices.

All of these rules and regulations that Realtors must follow help ensure the highest level of professionalism in the real estate business. As Realtors here at Jacobson Realty and Home Staging Company, Inc., we are committed to upholding the highest standard of ethics to give you service you can trust when buying or selling a home. Contact us today for more information.