A real estate agent/broker is someone who assists a buyer and/or seller in the sale of a home. The term "Realtor" identifies a real estate agent/broker as a member of the National Association of Realtors (NAR). The name is trademarked, which is why it is capitalized. The name is often mispronounced as "real-a-tor" instead of "real-tor." There is no "a" between "real" and "tor."

If an agent is not a member of the National Association of Realtors, the agent cannot use the name "Realtor" and must refer to him/herself as a "real estate agent." Even so, despite NAR's efforts to protect the brand, “realtor” (lowercase) has become a generic term for any real estate agent (much like Kleenex, Q-Tip, and Xerox have become generic terms).

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