CREA has certain rules about using the terms “Realtor” and “MLS” as they are both trademarked.
To see the full Trademark Toolkit, click this LINK.
To see rules about other logos, click this LINK.
The Sparks Notes are:
REALTOR® Trademarks
Complying with the form and context rule for the REALTOR® trademarks requires:
1. The REALTOR® marks must only be used to identify the real estate brokerage services and related professional services provided by members of CREA. The REALTOR® marks must never be used as a generic or descriptive name to identify a salesperson, broker, or other real estate professional.
2. The REALTOR® may be used in corporate branding, such as slogans, but must never be used in product names.
4. The first use of REALTOR® in any publication must always be spelled with capital letters and be followed by the registered trademark symbol. Subsequent uses in the same publication may omit the ® and capitalize only the ‘R’, i.e., Realtor.
5. Notwithstanding the subsequent use rule, all letters in REALTOR® must be capitalized if it is being used with a modifier or in a business name
6. All uses of REALTOR® must, where possible, be accompanied by one of the following trademark statements:
a) Not every real estate agent is a REALTOR®. Only REALTORS® are members of
CREA.
b) I’m more than a real estate agent. I’m a REALTOR®.
c) What’s the difference between a real estate agent and a REALTOR®? Visit
www.crea.ca/why to find out. (This is the one we use - make sure the hyperlink is working for the website when posting)
d) REALTOR®. Member of The Canadian Real Estate Association and more.
e) The trademarks REALTOR®, REALTORS®, and the REALTOR® logo are controlled
by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify real estate professionals
who are members of CREA.
7. Posts on social media must capitalize all letters in REALTOR® and REALTORS® and include ®. Use of REALTOR® or REALTORS® in hashtags does not require the ®.