First and foremost, not all real estate agents are REALTORS®. The term REALTOR® is a trademark of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) and any agent who uses this term as part of their professional identity must be a member of NAR and their State and Local REALTOR® Associations.

You may be thinking, "So what!" This is important to you because REALTORS® subscribe to a Code of Ethics, which requires they conduct business honestly and fairly. Under the Rules and Ethics Code, you as a consumer are offered protection should you feel you have been treated unfairly. You may contact the Association Office to file an ethics complaint or learn more here. Members are required to go through the grievance process when a complaint is filed by either buyers or sellers.

Members pay dues and other fees to maintain membership, and must complete periodic training in addition to that required by the State Licensing Board. The bottom line is that REALTORS® are in a position to provide more comprehensive services than non-members. Non-members usually operate independently and their actions are not governed by the Code of Ethics. This is an important consideration when choosing an agent to represent your interests; because should you have a complaint against a non-REALTOR®, you have no recourse at the local level.