For years, many agents have assumed that being a real estate agent and being a REALTOR® are essentially the same thing.
They’re not.
In fact, the National Association of REALTORS® has spent the last several years reminding members that REALTOR® is not a profession, not a license, and not a job title. According to NAR, REALTOR® simply identifies membership in the National Association of REALTORS®. [nar.realtor], [realestatenews.com]
That distinction matters because many agents have been led to believe they must join NAR, their state association, and their local association in order to maintain an active real estate license.
In many cases, that’s simply not true.
Your Real Estate License Comes From The State
Let’s start with a basic fact.
Your real estate license comes from the state.
Not NAR.
Not Florida Realtors.
Not your local Association of Realtors.
The State of Florida licenses real estate sales associates and brokers. NAR is a private trade association. Florida Realtors is a state trade association. Local Associations of Realtors are local trade associations.
These organizations do not issue your real estate license.
They offer membership.
That’s an important distinction because many agents have spent years paying dues under the assumption that membership and licensing are somehow the same thing.
They’re not.
One is a license.
The other is a membership.
REALTOR® Is Not A Profession
NAR’s own trademark guidance makes this clear.
REALTOR® is not a profession.
REALTOR® is not a license.
REALTOR® is not a certification.
REALTOR® is not a job title.
It is a trademark used to identify members of the National Association of REALTORS®. [nar.realtor], [realestatenews.com]
Your profession may be:
- Real Estate Agent
- Real Estate Sales Associate
- Broker Associate
- Real Estate Broker
If you belong to NAR, you may also be a REALTOR®.
But REALTOR® is membership status, not occupation.
That’s why there is no such thing as a “licensed REALTOR®.”
You’re a licensed real estate agent who may or may not be a member of NAR.
The Industry Is Finally Acknowledging The Difference
For decades, consumers and agents alike have used REALTOR® and real estate agent interchangeably.
But NAR itself has been increasingly aggressive in educating members on proper “Realtor” trademark usage.
They have specifically emphasized that REALTOR® should not be used as a job title or descriptive phrase.
That’s why you’ll increasingly hear discussions about:
- “Real estate agent and REALTOR®”
- “Broker and REALTOR®”
- “Real estate professional and REALTOR®”
The profession and the membership are separate concepts.
And once you understand that distinction, another question naturally follows:
If REALTOR® membership is separate from licensing, do you actually need NAR membership to stay active?
In Florida, Many Agents Have More Options Than They Realize
A recent article published by Florida Realtors discussed the long-standing Thompson decision, which established that non-Realtor brokers in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama may obtain access to MLS systems under certain circumstances without joining a Realtor association.
The significance of the Thompson decision is not that every agent should abandon associations.
The significance is that association membership, MLS participation, and real estate licensing are separate issues.
They are not automatically tied together.
The real estate industry has traditionally bundled these things together so tightly that many agents never realized they were separate decisions.
The Easy Realty Difference
At Easy Realty, we believe agents should pay for what they actually need.
Nothing more.
If you want to maintain an active real estate license, you can do so without paying:
- NAR dues
- Florida Realtors dues
- Local Association of Realtors dues
MLS participation is also optional.
Some agents rely heavily on MLS access and choose to subscribe.
Others don’t need it.
The choice should be yours.
Most importantly, your license can remain active whether you close one transaction every month or one transaction every few years.
Opportunity doesn’t always arrive on a schedule.
A former client may call.
A family member may need representation.
A past lead may suddenly be ready to buy or sell.
When that opportunity arrives, your license is active and ready.
No Monthly Fees. No Annual Fees.
Many brokerages charge agents simply for existing.
Monthly fees.
Annual fees.
Technology fees.
Desk fees.
E&O fees.
Administrative fees.
Easy Realty doesn’t.
There are:
- No monthly fees
- No annual fees
- No desk fees
- No junk fees
- No E&O fees
When you close a transaction, the brokerage charges a flat $495 transaction fee.
Everything is included.
That’s it.
If you don’t close a transaction, you’re not paying recurring brokerage fees just to keep your license active.
And when a transaction does come along, you keep 100% of your commission minus the flat $495 transaction fee.
The Bottom Line
You do not need to join NAR to become a licensed real estate agent.
You do not need to join Florida Realtors to hold an active Florida real estate license.
You do not need to join a local Association of Realtors simply to maintain your license.
Those organizations offer membership.
Your license comes from the state.
And for agents looking for a full-service brokerage to hang their license with no monthly or annual recurring fees, remain active, skip recurring dues, keep 100% commission, and only pay when they actually close a transaction, Easy Realty offers exactly that.
Because being a real estate agent and being a REALTOR® were never the same thing in the first place.
Easy Realty is Florida’s Thompson Broker
