The Realtor Trademark Police are at it Again…
Author: Jay T. - The EditorPosted on February 5, 2008
Filed Under NAR - Legal
From the “Oh for the love of God” files…
The Northern Virginia Association of Realtors, in its infinite wisdom, has shut down a Facebook group for inappropriate use of the trademarked term “Realtor”.
Yeah, why should the NAR and our Realtor Associations support realtors in their marketing efforts?
Well, what can you expect from the NVAR? After all, they granted NAR’s Chief Economist Larry Yun a “prestigious honorary membership” in the NVAR for “telling it like it is to consumers, reporters, and most importantly, prospective home owners”.
Meanwhile, http://rottenlyingsleazyrealtors.com/ is still online.
So I guess it’s OK to combine “realtor” with “Rotten, Lying, and Sleazy” but don’t you DARE use it to positively market yourself!
Other domains using the word “realtor” in less than kind fashion:
FuckRealtors.com (parked)
IHateRealtors.com (points to — a Keller Williams Realtor’s site!)
40,430 registered domains containing the word “realtor”. (Hey, it’s down from the 53,434 I noted in this Oct 2007 post…)
Nota bene: The word “realtor” is used 11 times in this post. Not a damn one of them uses it “properly”.
Hat tip to Lani for “Realtor Officially a Curse Word”
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For the life of me, I still can’t pronounce it “properly”.
[…] (Great find by Jay) […]
I’m with VAR, the state assn, so can only comment from a distance, since we aren’t NVAR, but it’s my understanding that while NVAR may have asserted its objections based on the use of the term REALTOR®, the real problem was that the Facebook page listed the group as the “unofficial NVAR” group (or something similar). As an association exec, that would give me pause, too. A “shadow” site using MY organization’s name, unsanctioned by my association? I don’t think so. Would you allow someone to do that to your company? “The UNOFFICIAL XYZ Real Estate Company site”…? Seems to me the principle is the same; I don’t think many companies would allow it.
Now, is the need for an alternative site indicative of possible deeper relational problems between the assn and its members? Perhaps. Could partnering in creating such a group have been an option? Surely.
But I think NVAR was correct in asserting its control over its own organization name.
Thanks for the feedback Scott. It is appreciated!
If the NVAR’s issue was the “unofficial” use of NVAR or a “shadow group” (which I do understand) then why not just say so? By making it sound like the problem is with the trademark of “realtor” then is just perpetuates the whole seemingly random enforcement of that particular rule. Which goes and gets people all riled up.
Partnering (as opposed to snuffing out) to come to a mutual understanding would seem to be the prudent solution. Of course I am not privy to all the details or parties, so who am I to say whether that would work.
By the way, and on a mostly unrelated note, VARBuzz.com is *fabulous*! As far as I can see, your association is leading the way in “social media” and transparency for your members. You folks are the model, keep it up!
In all honesty, that VAR’s CEO is out on the blogs makes me quite proud to be a member of the association. Thanks, Scott.
NVAR had an opportunity to reach out to a member who clearly had been successful in engaging fellow members of the association. Rather than seize that opportunity, they chose to take the role of aggressive, anti-Realtor member. What a shame.
[…] - Good job, Northern Virginia Association of Realtors. Way to alienate your members. There is always an […]
Frank here.
Thank you Scott for your input, it is appreciated. I wonder if Christine Todd has ever written or commented on one blog, let alone read one. Maybe she will read this one. Maybe she will comment (oh wait, she didn’t call back the reporter for comment).
As for a company allowing others to use their trademark in discussion and fan clubs, I can find millions of example in the commmercial space where “Apple Fans” might have a group, or the “Hanna Montana Fan Club” or the “Scott Fan Club.”
But we aren’t just anybody stealing a trademark. Let us not forget that NVAR is MY association as well. I am allowed to use that name.
So back to VAR (which I am a member of). So an individual can say “I am a VAR member”, but they can not have a group that says “We are VAR members?”
Let us drop the word “unofficial,” as I offered to remove that word.
Can I have a group that says “We are VAR members?”
As a member of an organization, I can’t get a few members together to network?
I have no plans for a VAR unofficial page or a “We are VAR members” page, since VAR is already aheard of the curve, but imagine that did not exist?
Imagine an association that fears technology. I even know people that have switched out, in part, due to the lack of focus on technology.
With the absense of NVAR doing it themselves, why can’t NVAR members have a group that says “We are NVAR members?”
So I refectfully disagree. I think it is within my right to use the name of the association that I am a member of, online.
And to tell one of the Facebook “NVAR unofficial” group members, (who is an NVAR member) to “Take off that NVAR pin” because they were part of a facebook page? And that they were associated with me, a troublemaker. Give me a break.
That seems like school yard bullying. There is no place for that.
This just encourages me to run again for the board. I thikn my platform will be one word: Technology.
Last year when I ran, I was bribed by the CEO, IF I didn’t run. Yep, I could have some figurehead technology position IF I did not run.
How is that for conflict of interest?
Why can’t we all just get along?
Keep up the good work Scott.
Want to move to Northern Virgnia? We might have a job opening.
Frank Borges LL0SA
Broker
Blog.FranklyRealty.com
Scott - I understand your concern about someone misrepresenting your organization (I would be too). However, I do want to point out that on the internet “unofficial” sites are the norm. The intent isn’t to be renegade but to make it clear to the site visitor that it’s not the official site. And that they are not representing the official site. It’s more of a ‘heads-up’ as opposed to anything sinister.
For example, if you Google a celebrity or perhaps a sports team, you’ll find their site as well as an unofficial site. An Angelina Jolie type would probably have numerous unofficial sites.
It doesn’t seem natural in the business world, but it really is how things work on the Internet. Unofficial sites are often not negative (I refuse to say all aren’t because I can’t confirm that).
Cheers.
Scott has a point, but web 2.0 rules are not the same as the old rules. NVAR should be proud that their members want to identify themself as such a group. VAR and CAAR have both started our own groups in the social media. Even if my members started a I hate CAAR or I hate Dave Phillips site, I’d welcome the platform to dialog with them. Avoiding what people are really thinking is not a postitive thing.
In fact, maybe I could start my own I hate Dave Phillips site and fill it with lame stuff like “Dave isn’t as good looking as he thinks he is.”
Huh… I never would have thought using the word “realtor” on something like a facebook page would cause controversy. This is interesting! Thank you very much for posting it.
At this rate, sounds like Realtors could be the next hate crime victims.