REALTORS® are mostly small business owners who ensure buyers and sellers experience the greatest transparency, choice and efficiency through independent, local broker marketplaces that level the playing field for all types and sizes of residential real estate brokerages.
A real estate agent is a REALTOR® when he or she becomes a member of the National Association of REALTORS®, The Voice for Real Estate®, the world's largest professional association. The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and abides by its strict Code of Ethics.
Founded in 1908, NAR has grown from its original nucleus of 120 members to 1.4 million today. NAR is composed of REALTORS® who are involved in residential and commercial real estate as brokers, salespeople, property managers, appraisers, counselors, and others who are engaged in all aspects of the real estate industry.