This week, we decided it was time to get real when it comes real estate and Realtors. For starters, what makes real estate "real"?
The term "real estate" goes back to the 1600s, but this use of "real" predates that by a couple of centuries. "Real" was used to describe property that was immovable.
Ergo, "real estate" is property consisting of land and the building on it, along with natural resources like water and minerals and crops. The Oxford English Dictionary notes that real estate was often contrasted with personal estate.
Over time, "real estate" came to refer not only to the property, but also to the profession of buying, selling and renting this kind of property. This brings us to what we call people who sell real estate professionally. They're Realtors, right?
Not always.
You may have noticed that "Realtor" is capitalized throughout this article. That's because "Realtor" is a registered trademark. It was coined in 1916 by Charles N. Chadbourn, who worked in real estate in Minneapolis. Chadbourn wrote a piece in the National Real Estate Journal proposing that what was then called the National Association of Real Estate Boards should confer the title of "realtor":
"I propose that the National Association adopt a professional title to be conferred upon its members which they shall use to distinguish them from outsiders. That this title be copyrighted and defended by the National Association against misuse. I therefore, propose that the National Association adopt and confer upon its members, dealers in realty, the title of 'realtor.'"
The name of the association was subsequently changed to the National Association of Realtors. A "Realtor" is someone who belongs to this national association.
If you want to be safe, the Associated Press Stylebook and some other guides recommend using "real estate agent" as the generic term. For more on that, listen to the audio above.
