Introduction

With the abundance of real estate designations, certifications and membership accreditations in the real estate industry it is not surprising that there are also a large number of profit and non-profit Real Estate Associations, Institutes, Councils and Societies. Membership is usually fairly restricted and subject to members meeting certain educational and/or time practical experience requirements.

The List

This list serves as resource to help identify who those players are and how to reach them.

In some cases RealtyU®, the largest network of real estate schools and colleges in the country that educates over 300,000 real estate professionals every year, has a relationship with some of these Associations, Institutes, Councils and Societies while in many cases we have no affiliation at all.

What is the Focus?

The primary focus of this list is to serve the residential real estate agent industry. Depending upon the economy, the number of residential real estate agents may vary from year to year. However, as a rule of thumb, there are about 2 to 2.4 million agents that hold a real estate sales agent or broker license. It is widely accepted that 50 to 60% of this group (1 to 1.5 million) are agents that derive their primary income from the marketing and selling of real estate.

In 2005 the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) membership surpassed an all time record of 1,300,000 REALTORS®; representing approximately 80 to 90% of all active/full time real estate agents and brokers. Many of the most well known Associations, Institutes, Councils and Societies such as CRS, REBAC, Women's Council of REALTORS®, etc., are subsidiaries of affiliations of the National Association of REALTORS®. However, there are also a growing number of other great organizations such as Seniors Advantage Real Estate Council, The Seller Agency Council, The Luxury Homes Institute, etc.

The Largest Trade Association

There is no doubt that the National Association of REALTORS® is the granddaddy of all Trade Associations. With over 1.3 million members it is not only the largest trade association in the real estate industry, but has the honor of being the largest in the country, period. Membership in the local REALTOR® association automatically extends your membership to the state REALTOR® association and National Association of REALTORS®. To find out where the local association in your area is located Click Here to search the national database of state and local agencies.

Each member of the REALTOR® association has agreed to abide by the National Association of REALTOR'S® Code of Ethics. The Code represents competency, fairness and integrity in the real estate industry. The Code imposes duties upon each REALTOR® in relationships with customers and clients, the public and other REALTORS®. If during the course of a real estate transaction disagreements arise between REALTORS®, or between a REALTOR® and a member of the public, the Code of Ethics provides a process for the hearing of ethics complaints and an arbitration process if the parties can not reach a mutually agreeable resolution. Click here to view the Code of Ethic's.

The NAR awards and manages the most real estate designations of any one organization. At last count this totaled 13.

Other Associations That Have Multiple Designations

Although most Associations and Societies usually only manage one designation there are a few of them that have multiple designations. The list includes:

. Appraisal Institute (AI)
. Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA)
. Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)
. Real Estate Professionals Society (REPS)

Here We Go

The following is an alphabetical listing of the major real estate associations, institutes, councils and societies serving the industry today.