As you know, the terms REALTOR® and REALTORS® are trademarks of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. The trademarks, along with the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, set members apart from other real estate licensees. NAR has adopted certain rules intended to preserve the value of the REALTOR® trademarks for all members, current and future.

Take this quiz to see how much you know about the proper use of the REALTOR® trademarks. 

1. Which of the following terms is NOT one of the REALTOR® trademarks owned by NAR? 
a) REALTOR®
b) REALTORS®
c) BROKER-OWNER®
d) REALTOR-ASSOCIATE® 

2. Which of the following is the incorrect way to write or display the term REALTOR®? 
a) REALTOR®
b) REALTOR
c) Realtor®
d) realtor®

3. When the term REALTOR® is used with a member's name, it should appear as follows: 
a) William Smith REALTOR®
b) William Smith, REALTOR®
c) William Smith, realtor®
d) William Smith Realtor® 

4. The term REALTOR® is used correctly in the following phrase: 
a) Bob Smith, Your REALTOR® for Life
b) Tom Jones — The Commercial REALTOR®
c) Mary White / South Dakota's Top REALTOR®
d) Jane Brown — REALTOR® and Lakefront Realty's top salesperson 

5. When an NAR member identifies his or her profession, it is correct to say: 
a) I am a commercial REALTOR®
b) I am a real estate broker and a REALTOR®
c) I am an independent REALTOR®
d) I am a top REALTOR® 

6. The term REALTOR® when used with a real estate company name should appear as follows: 
a) Sunshine Company, REALTORS®
b) Sunshine REALTORS® Company
c) Sunshine, REALTORS®, Company
d) Sunshine Company REALTORS® 

7. Which of the following would be an incorrect use of the term REALTOR® in a Web site domain name? 
a) www.RealtorJohnSmith.com
b) www.NorthShoreRealtor.com
c) www.MaryJonesRealtor.com
d) www.BobSmiththeRealtor.com 

8. How may the principal of a real estate company who is a REALTOR® use the REALTOR® trademarks in company advertisements if the company has both member and non-member salespeople? 
a) The REALTOR® trademarks may only be used with the name of the principal of the firm.
b) The REALTOR® trademarks may be used with the names of the firm, the principal, and all of the salespeople who hold membership. But the trademarks may not be used in connection with the names of the non-member salespeople.
c) The REALTOR® trademarks may only be used with the name of the firm.
d) The REALTOR® trademarks may not be used at all in the advertising of the firm. 

9. Which is true with regard to the color of the Block "R" Logo? 
a) The official colors of the Block "R" Logo are red and green.
b) The color of the block and the term REALTOR® below the block will always be the same.
c) When using a single color, the logo may only be printed in blue or black.
d) There are no limits on the number of colors that may be used to create the logo. 

10. Which of the following is a true statement regarding how the Block "R" Logo may be used? 
a) Combined with other geometric shapes to provide a more colorful appearance.
b) As the first letter in a word beginning with the letter "R."
c) On advertising promotional materials as long as the member's name and address also appear on those materials.
d) On the business card of a non-member salesperson affiliated with a REALTOR® principal.

ANSWERS:

1. Which of the following terms is NOT one of the REALTOR® trademarks owned by NAR? 
c) BROKER-OWNER®
The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® owns numerous trademarks, including but not limited to the terms REALTOR®, REALTORS®, REALTOR-ASSOCIATE®, and the REALTOR® block "R" Logo. These trademarks are used to identify members of NAR and distinguish them from non-members.

Since 1916, when the unique term REALTOR® was first created, the public has come to recognize those who use the trademarks to be members of NAR and, as such, providers of real estate-related services consistent with the REALTOR® Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, the highest standard of professionalism in the real estate industry. Member boards, through their use of the trademarks, are recognized as member organizations. In 2005, NAR released a research study that revealed the average member with six to 10 years' experience realizes $4,500 a year in incremental income due to the marketplace advantages the REALTOR® brand brings to his or her business. 

2. Which of the following is the incorrect way to write or display the term REALTOR®? 
d) realtor®
The most preferred form for the term "REALTOR®" is in all uppercase letters with the federal registration symbol (®) following it. Less preferred, but still acceptable, forms would be "REALTOR" in all uppercase letters without the registration symbol or "Realtor®" with an initial uppercase "R" with the registration symbol. Using all lowercase letters in "realtor," with or without the registration symbol, is not considered proper form for the term REALTOR®.

3. When the term REALTOR® is used with a member's name, it should appear as follows: 
b) William Smith, REALTOR®
One of the rules governing the proper form for displaying the trademark terms is the requirement to separate the trademark terms from the words and phrases that surround it, even when the term appears on separate lines. That means that the trademark terms need to be separated from the name of the member or the member's firm by commas or other appropriate punctuation. 

4. The term REALTOR® is used correctly in the following phrase: 
d) Jane Brown — REALTOR® and Lakefront Realty's top salesperson
Use of descriptive words or phrases either preceding or following the term REALTOR® or REALTORS® (i.e., "REALTOR® Professional" or "Professional REALTOR®") is expressly prohibited in Article V, Section 7 or NAR's Bylaws. Therefore, saying "Your REALTOR® for Life," "The Commercial REALTOR®," or "South Dakota's Top REALTOR®" are all prohibited uses of the REALTOR® trademarks. But answer choice D is correct because the term "REALTOR®" is used without any descriptive word or phrases.

5. When an NAR member identifies his or her profession, it is correct to say: 
b) I am a real estate broker and a REALTOR®
The term REALTOR® identifies the person's status as a member of NAR. While all REALTORS® are in the real estate business, not all are engaged in the same facet of that business. The term REALTOR® should never be used as a synonym for the services a member provides. A simple test to check whether the term REALTOR® is used correctly is to substitute the phrase "member of the association" for the term REALTOR® and then see if the statement has the intended meaning. 

6. The term REALTOR® when used with a real estate company name should appear as follows: 
a) Sunshine Company, REALTORS®
NAR members are authorized to use the term REALTOR® or REALTORS® with the name of their company, but not as a part of the legal name of that company. The term should be separated from the company name with appropriate punctuation (e.g., a comma or a dash) to emphasize that the term is separate from the company name. 

7. Which of the following would be an incorrect use of the term REALTOR® in a Web site domain name? 
b) www.NorthShoreRealtor.com
NAR members may use the term REALTOR® in their domain name or e-mail address provided that the term appears with the member's name or the name of the member's company. So a general descriptive URL that seeks to identify a characteristic of the member, such as where he is located or the type of property she specializes in with the term REALTOR®, like www.NorthShoreRealtor.com, would not be a correct use of the term REALTOR® in a domain name. 

8. How may the principal of a real estate company who is a REALTOR® use the REALTOR® trademarks in company advertisements if the company has both member and non-member salespeople? 
b) The REALTOR® trademarks may be used with the names of the firm, the principal, and all of the salespeople who hold membership. But the trademarks may not be used in connection with the names of the non-member salespeople.
If the principals of the firm are NAR members, they can use the REALTOR® trademarks with their names and the name of their firm. Similarly, if a salesperson named in the ad is a member, he or she also may use the REALTOR® trademarks with his or her name. The REALTOR® trademarks may not, however, be used with or in connection with the names of the non-member salespeople appearing in the same ad. 

9. Which is true with regard to the color of the Block "R" Logo? 
When using a single color, the logo may only be printed in blue or black.

Correct Answer: The color of the block and the term REALTOR® below the block will always be the same.
The official colors for the logo when it is reproduced in two colors are blue and gold (or red and gold for commercial members), but there may never be more than the two colors in the logo. When using a single color, the logo may appear in any color that clearly contrasts with the color of the paper or other background on which the logo appears. 

10. Which of the following is a true statement regarding how the Block "R" Logo may be used? 
c) On advertising promotional materials as long as the member's name and address also appear on those materials.
Members may use the Block "R" Logo in connection with their own name on advertising and promotional materials for their real estate business.