NAR Acronyms
ABR® Accredited Buyer Representative®, an NAR designation offered by REBAC for real estate buyer agents
ADF Applicant Data Form, used to submit qualifications for RCE designation
AE Association Executive, applies to all staff at a REALTOR® association (including the chief staff executive and staff specialists)
AEC Association Executives Committee, an NAR committee comprised of AEs
AEI Association Executives Institute, an annual NAR education conference for AEs
AE YPN Young Professionals Network for Association Executives
Affiliate A class of membership in a local (or state) association) for those involved in the real estate industry interested in board membership (e.g., bankers, attorneys, real estate appraisers, etc.); they are not members of NAR but may be added to M1 (NRDS)
AHWD At Home With Diversity®, a certification offered by NAR focusing on working successfully with people in a multicultural real estate market
ALC Accredited Land Consultant, a land brokerage designation awarded by the REALTORS® Land Institute
ALD Association Leadership Development, name of NAR team under MXEL that focuses on programming for association staff
Alliance LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance, an all-inclusive and all-embracing organization founded in 2020 acting as a leading advocate in real estate and housing policy, working on behalf of all LGBTQ+ people and their housing needs
AOR Association of REALTORS®
ARAM Advanced REALTOR® Association Management, an advanced self-study course for AEs, available from NAR
1
AREAA Asian Real Estate Association of America, a nonprofit professional trade organization founded in 2003 dedicated to promoting sustainable home ownership opportunities in Asian American communities
ARELLO Association of Real Estate License Law Officials
ASAE American Society of Association Executives
Block R The trademarked “R” design denoting REALTOR®, with specific requirements for its placement and use
BOD Board of Directors, NAR’s governing body
BOR Board of REALTORS®
BPOR Broker Price Opinion Resource, a certification no longer offered by NAR (refer to the PSA certification)
CAE Certified Association Executive, a designation awarded by ASAE
C2EX Commitment to Excellence, an endorsement that empowers REALTORS® to evaluate, enhance and showcase their highest levels of
professionalism (not a course, class or designation)
CCIM Certified Commercial Investment Member, a commercial real estate investment designation awarded by the CCIM Institute (previously called the Commercial Investment Real Estate Institute, CIREI)
CE Continuing Education, required by all real estate licensing commissions (note: CE requirements vary by state)
CEAM NAR’s Code of Ethics and Arbitration Manual, provides administrative guidance to local and state associations for handling ethics complaints, arbitration requests, and mediation requests
CIE Commercial Information Exchange, a database for sharing information about commercial real property for sale or lease (note: While CIEs are generally REALTOR® association-owned, a CIE is not an MLS)
2
CIPS Certified International Property Specialist, an NAR designation focused on international real estate
CMLS Commercial Multiple Listing Service
COE The NAR Code of Ethics for REALTORS® and REALTOR-ASSOCIATES® CFR Campaign Finance Reform, rules/laws that impact PAC contributions
CPM® Certified Property Manager®, a property management designation awarded by IREM
C-RETS Certified Real Estate Team Specialist, a certification awarded by the Real Estate Business Institute or REBI (previously called the Council of Real Estate Brokerage Managers)
CRB Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager, a designation awarded by the Real Estate Business Institute or REBI (previously called the Council of Real Estate Brokerage Managers)
CRE The Counselors of Real Estate, a commercial affiliate of NAR (previously called the American Society of Real Estate Counsellors, ASREC)
CRE® Counselor of Real Estate®, a designation offered by the Counselors of Real Estate
CREA Canadian Real Estate Association, the national association in Canada (CREA members are also called REALTORS® but are not NAR members)
CRD Center for REALTOR® Development, NAR’s on-line education portal
CRS Certified Residential Specialist, a designation awarded by the Residential Real Estate Council (formerly the Council of Residential Specialists)
Crystal R Contributor to RPAC at the $2,500 level (which includes $1,500 to sustain in recurring years)
CSRE Center for Specialized REALTOR® Education
D&O Directors & Officers insurance, another term used to describe professional liability insurance for associations
3
DEI Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Delegate Representative on NAR’s Delegate Body who casts votes based on the number of primary members in the Board for proposed changes to the NAR Constitution or one of the Articles of the NAR Code of Ethics
DR Designated REALTOR®, the principal broker (or appraiser) in the real estate firm with responsibility for non-member dues assessments under the DR dues formula and for professional standards matters (e.g., arbitration and mediation)
E&O Errors & Omissions insurance, professional liability insurance for associations
EO Executive Officer, earlier term for the chief staff executive of a REALTOR® association (still in use)
ePOE Ecommerce Point of Entry, a status within M1 (NRDS) allowing Ecommerce capabilities for records
e-PRO® A technology and social media certification provided by NAR
EVP Executive Vice President, a title for the association chief staff executive, similar to CEO
FDC Federal District Coordinator, obsolete term for REALTOR® liaison to Member of Congress/Senate
FPC Federal Political Coordinator, a liaison to a Member of Congress for NAR (formerly FSC/FDC)
FSC Federal Senate Coordinator, obsolete term for REALTOR® liaison to Members of Congress/Senate
GAA General Accredited Appraiser, an appraisal designation offered by NAR GAD Government Affairs Director, a local or state association staff title
Golden R Contributor to RPAC at $5000 level (which includes $2,000 to sustain in recurring years)
4
GREEN Green designation, offered by NAR’s Green Resource Council
GRI Graduate, REALTOR® Institute, an NAR designation administered and awarded at the state association level
HOP Housing Opportunities Program, NAR’s efforts for affordable housing
IA or IAM Institute Affiliate Member, a commercial real estate designee who pays a reduced fee for limited NAR membership (e.g., CCIM, CRE, IREM, RLI, SIOR)
IDX Internet Data Exchange, MLS participants authorizing the electronical display of each other’s listings that are filed with the MLS (IDX was previously called Internet Data Display, or IDD)
INS Internal News Service, a regular NAR weekly emailed publication
IREM Institute of Real Estate Management, a commercial affiliate of NAR offering several property management designations (e.g., CPM®)
ISC Institutes, Societies, and Councils, used to collectively describe NAR’s commercial affiliates (e.g., CCIM, CRE, IREM, RLI, SIOR)
IT Information Technology
LFRO Limited Function Referral Office, a real estate company owned by a DR for the sole purpose of providing referrals to another firm
LHC Luxury Homes Certification, a certification offered by the Residential Real Estate Council for agents looking to hone their skills in the ever-growing luxury home market
M1 Members First, a modernized member engagement system replacing NRDS
Magel William R. Magel Award of Excellence, an NAR award presented annually to a paid local, state, or regional MLS association chief staff officer for outstanding contributions
5
Major Donor REALTOR® or REALTOR® association staff who annually gives $1,000 or more to NAR’s REALTOR® Political Action Committee (RPAC)
Marks Collective term for registered membership trademarks of NAR
MIC Major Investor Council Member, REALTOR® member in charge of Major Investor and President’s Circle recruitment for the state
MLS Multiple Listing Service (most, but not all, MLSs in the US are REALTOR® association-owned; also, MLS is not an NAR trademark)
MRP Military Relocation Professional, a certification offered by REBAC for working with current and former military service members
MVP Member Value Plus reward program for members and associations to take NAR or REALTOR® Benefit specific actions during a period of time in order to earn a free reward
MXEL NAR’s Member Experience, Engagement and Legal Affairs group
NAR National Association of REALTORS® (note: Previously called NAREE and then NAREB)
NAGLREP National Association of Gay and Lesbian Real Estate Professionals, founded in 2007, NAGLREP advocates on behalf of the rights of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community as it relates to housing and discrimination laws
NAHREP National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, NAHREP’s mission is to advance sustainable Hispanic home ownership by educating and empowering the real estate professionals who serve Hispanic home buyers and sellers
NAREB National Association of Real Estate Boards, NAR’s name from 1916 to 1973
NAREB National Association of Real Estate Brokers, formed in 1947 by chartered African American real estate professionals seeking equal housing rights
6
NAREE National Association of Real Estate Exchanges, NAR’s name from 1908 to 1916
NARLA NAR Leadership Academy, the academy identifies, inspires and mentors emerging leaders from the local and state level
NCA National Commercial Awards, an NAR recognition program that honors REALTORS® who received an award or recognition for their exceptional service and contributions to the commercial real estate industry
NRDS National REALTOR® Database System (now called M1), NAR’s centralized membership database with specific rules and guidelines launched in 1998
PAG Presidential Advisory Group, appointed by the NAR President to address issues that may not fall within the jurisdiction of a standing committee or to address an issue that may be time sensitive
PC President’s Circle, an RPAC Major Investor who contributes an additional $2,000 separately and directly to select RPAC-recommended candidates
Platinum R Investor in RPAC at $10,000 level (which includes $5,000 to sustain in subsequent years)
PMN Performance Management Network, designation offered by WCR (PMN replaced WCR’s LTG designation)
POE Point of Entry, the association staff responsible for data entry in M1 (NRDS), for creating new member records and updating certain fields in existing member records (e.g., office address, NAR Code of Ethics training)
PS Professional Standards, the specific administrative process for handling ethics complaints, arbitration requests, and mediation requests (most local and state associations follow NAR’s Code of Ethics and Arbitration Manual)
PSA Pricing Strategy Advisor, an NAR certification for enhancing skills for pricing property (PSA replaced the BPOR certification)
7
RAA Residential Accredited Appraiser, an appraisal designation offered by NAR
RAE REALTOR® Association Executive magazine, a quarterly NAR publication for AEs
RAM REALTOR® Association Management Self-Study Course, a self-study program for AEs, available from NAR
RAMCO REALTOR® Association Management Cooperative, a comprehensive membership data solution that fulfills the changing needs of the
REALTOR® organization
RARE REALTOR® Association Resource Exchange Database, a library of sample association documents for AEs on nar.realtor contributed by other AEs
RCE REALTOR® association Certified Executive, an NAR designation for REALTOR® association Executives (RCE can be earned by all association staff, not only the chief staff executive)
REALTOR® A trademarked collective term denoting membership in the National Association of REALTORS®; not a generic term
REBAC Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council, an affiliate of NAR that maintains the ABR designation
REBI Real Estate Business Institute, an NAR affiliate (previously called the Council of Real Estate Brokerage Managers)
REI Real Estate Investing, a certification program offered by the Residential Real Estate Council for REALTORS® working with investors and those who are establishing themselves as real estate investors
RENE Real Estate Negotiation Expert, a certification awarded by the Real Estate Business Institute or REBI
RLI REALTORS® Land Institute, a commercial affiliate of NAR that offers the ALC designation
8
RLMTE REALTORS® Legislative Meetings and Trade Expo, held in Washington, DC, in May (annual meeting previously called the NAR Midyear
Legislative Meetings)
ROTY REALTOR® of the Year, an award presented by local and state associations
RPAC REALTORS® Political Action Committee, NAR’s PAC
RRC Residential Real Estate Council (previously called the Council of Residential Specialists, CRS)
RPMIC REALTOR® Party Member Involvement Committee, NAR’s grassroots contact system (formerly RPIC)
RSPS Resort & Second-Home Property Specialist, a certification offered by NAR SFR® Short Sales & Foreclosure Resource®, a certification offered by NAR
SIOR Society of Industrial and Office REALTORS®, a commercial affiliate of NAR that offers the SIOR designation
SRES® Seniors Real Estate Specialist®, an NAR designation offered by the SRES® Council focusing on working with clients age 50+ (previously offered by the California Association of REALTORS®)
SRS Seller Representative Specialist, a designation awarded by the Real Estate Business Institute or REBI
Sterling R Annual RPAC contributor at the $1,000 level
VOW Virtual Office Website (refer all questions regarding VOWs and NAR’s VOW Policy to the Member Experience, Engagement and Legal staff team)
WCR Women’s Council of REALTORS®, an affiliate of NAR offering the PMN designation, primarily for women and open to men
9
YPN Young Professionals Network, a dynamic entry point for real estate professionals striving to become more successful in their careers and gain leadership experience
NAR Acronyms
ABR® Accredited Buyer Representative®, an NAR designation offered by REBAC
for real estate buyer agents
ADF Applicant Data Form, used to submit qualifications for RCE designation
AE Association Executive, applies to all staff at a REALTOR® association
(including the chief staff executive and staff specialists)
AEC Association Executives Committee, an NAR committee comprised of AEs
AEI Association Executives Institute, an annual NAR education conference for
AEs
AE YPN Young Professionals Network for Association Executives
Affiliate A class of membership in a local (or state) association) for those involved
in the real estate industry interested in board membership (e.g., bankers,
attorneys, real estate appraisers, etc.); they are not members of NAR but
may be added to M1 (NRDS)
AHWD At Home With Diversity®, a certification offered by NAR focusing on
working successfully with people in a multicultural real estate market
ALC Accredited Land Consultant, a land brokerage designation awarded by
the REALTORS® Land Institute
ALD Association Leadership Development, name of NAR team under MXEL
that focuses on programming for association staff
Alliance LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance, an all-inclusive and all-embracing
organization founded in 2020 acting as a leading advocate in real estate
and housing policy, working on behalf of all LGBTQ+ people and their
housing needs
AOR Association of REALTORS®
ARAM Advanced REALTOR® Association Management, an advanced self-study
course for AEs, available from NAR
2
AREAA Asian Real Estate Association of America, a nonprofit professional trade
organization founded in 2003 dedicated to promoting sustainable home
ownership opportunities in Asian American communities
ARELLO Association of Real Estate License Law Officials
ASAE American Society of Association Executives
Block R The trademarked “R” design denoting REALTOR®, with specific
requirements for its placement and use
BOD Board of Directors, NAR’s governing body
BOR Board of REALTORS®
BPOR Broker Price Opinion Resource, a certification no longer offered by NAR
(refer to the PSA certification)
CAE Certified Association Executive, a designation awarded by ASAE
C2EX Commitment to Excellence, an endorsement that empowers REALTORS®
to evaluate, enhance and showcase their highest levels of
professionalism (not a course, class or designation)
CCIM Certified Commercial Investment Member, a commercial real estate
investment designation awarded by the CCIM Institute (previously called
the Commercial Investment Real Estate Institute, CIREI)
CE Continuing Education, required by all real estate licensing commissions
(note: CE requirements vary by state)
CEAM NAR’s Code of Ethics and Arbitration Manual, provides administrative
guidance to local and state associations for handling ethics complaints,
arbitration requests, and mediation requests
CIE Commercial Information Exchange, a database for sharing information
about commercial real property for sale or lease (note: While CIEs are
generally REALTOR® association-owned, a CIE is not an MLS)
3
CIPS Certified International Property Specialist, an NAR designation focused
on international real estate
CMLS Commercial Multiple Listing Service
COE The NAR Code of Ethics for REALTORS® and REALTOR-ASSOCIATES®
CFR Campaign Finance Reform, rules/laws that impact PAC contributions
CPM® Certified Property Manager®, a property management designation
awarded by IREM
C-RETS Certified Real Estate Team Specialist, a certification awarded by the Real
Estate Business Institute or REBI (previously called the Council of Real
Estate Brokerage Managers)
CRB Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager, a designation awarded by the
Real Estate Business Institute or REBI (previously called the Council of
Real Estate Brokerage Managers)
CRE The Counselors of Real Estate, a commercial affiliate of NAR (previously
called the American Society of Real Estate Counsellors, ASREC)
CRE® Counselor of Real Estate®, a designation offered by the Counselors of
Real Estate
CREA Canadian Real Estate Association, the national association in Canada
(CREA members are also called REALTORS® but are not NAR members)
CRD Center for REALTOR® Development, NAR’s on-line education portal
CRS Certified Residential Specialist, a designation awarded by the Residential
Real Estate Council (formerly the Council of Residential Specialists)
Crystal R Contributor to RPAC at the $2,500 level (which includes $1,500 to sustain
in recurring years)
CSRE Center for Specialized REALTOR® Education
D&O Directors & Officers insurance, another term used to describe
professional liability insurance for associations
4
DEI Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Delegate Representative on NAR’s Delegate Body who casts votes based on the
number of primary members in the Board for proposed changes to the
NAR Constitution or one of the Articles of the NAR Code of Ethics
DR Designated REALTOR®, the principal broker (or appraiser) in the real
estate firm with responsibility for non-member dues assessments under
the DR dues formula and for professional standards matters (e.g.,
arbitration and mediation)
E&O Errors & Omissions insurance, professional liability insurance for
associations
EO Executive Officer, earlier term for the chief staff executive of a
REALTOR® association (still in use)
ePOE Ecommerce Point of Entry, a status within M1 (NRDS) allowing
Ecommerce capabilities for records
e-PRO® A technology and social media certification provided by NAR
EVP Executive Vice President, a title for the association chief staff executive,
similar to CEO
FDC Federal District Coordinator, obsolete term for REALTOR® liaison to
Member of Congress/Senate
FPC Federal Political Coordinator, a liaison to a Member of Congress for NAR
(formerly FSC/FDC)
FSC Federal Senate Coordinator, obsolete term for REALTOR® liaison to
Members of Congress/Senate
GAA General Accredited Appraiser, an appraisal designation offered by NAR
GAD Government Affairs Director, a local or state association staff title
Golden R Contributor to RPAC at $5000 level (which includes $2,000 to sustain in
recurring years)
5
GREEN Green designation, offered by NAR’s Green Resource Council
GRI Graduate, REALTOR® Institute, an NAR designation administered and
awarded at the state association level
HOP Housing Opportunities Program, NAR’s efforts for affordable housing
IA or IAM Institute Affiliate Member, a commercial real estate designee who pays a
reduced fee for limited NAR membership (e.g., CCIM, CRE, IREM, RLI,
SIOR)
IDX Internet Data Exchange, MLS participants authorizing the electronical
display of each other’s listings that are filed with the MLS (IDX was
previously called Internet Data Display, or IDD)
INS Internal News Service, a regular NAR weekly emailed publication
IREM Institute of Real Estate Management, a commercial affiliate of NAR
offering several property management designations (e.g., CPM®)
ISC Institutes, Societies, and Councils, used to collectively describe NAR’s
commercial affiliates (e.g., CCIM, CRE, IREM, RLI, SIOR)
IT Information Technology
LFRO Limited Function Referral Office, a real estate company owned by a DR
for the sole purpose of providing referrals to another firm
LHC Luxury Homes Certification, a certification offered by the Residential Real
Estate Council for agents looking to hone their skills in the ever-growing
luxury home market
M1 Members First, a modernized member engagement system replacing
NRDS
Magel William R. Magel Award of Excellence, an NAR award presented annually
to a paid local, state, or regional MLS association chief staff officer for
outstanding contributions
6
Major Donor REALTOR® or REALTOR® association staff who annually gives $1,000
or more to NAR’s REALTOR® Political Action Committee (RPAC)
Marks Collective term for registered membership trademarks of NAR
MIC Major Investor Council Member, REALTOR® member in charge of Major
Investor and President’s Circle recruitment for the state
MLS Multiple Listing Service (most, but not all, MLSs in the US are REALTOR®
association-owned; also, MLS is not an NAR trademark)
MRP Military Relocation Professional, a certification offered by REBAC for
working with current and former military service members
MVP Member Value Plus reward program for members and associations to
take NAR or REALTOR® Benefit specific actions during a period of time in
order to earn a free reward
MXEL NAR’s Member Experience, Engagement and Legal Affairs group
NAR National Association of REALTORS® (note: Previously called NAREE and
then NAREB)
NAGLREP National Association of Gay and Lesbian Real Estate Professionals,
founded in 2007, NAGLREP advocates on behalf of the rights of the
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community as it relates
to housing and discrimination laws
NAHREP National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, NAHREP’s
mission is to advance sustainable Hispanic home ownership by educating
and empowering the real estate professionals who serve Hispanic home
buyers and sellers
NAREB National Association of Real Estate Boards, NAR’s name from 1916 to
1973
NAREB National Association of Real Estate Brokers, formed in 1947 by chartered
African American real estate professionals seeking equal housing rights
7
NAREE National Association of Real Estate Exchanges, NAR’s name from 1908 to
1916
NARLA NAR Leadership Academy, the academy identifies, inspires and mentors
emerging leaders from the local and state level
NCA National Commercial Awards, an NAR recognition program that honors
REALTORS® who received an award or recognition for their exceptional
service and contributions to the commercial real estate industry
NRDS National REALTOR® Database System (now called M1), NAR’s centralized
membership database with specific rules and guidelines launched in
1998
PAG Presidential Advisory Group, appointed by the NAR President to address
issues that may not fall within the jurisdiction of a standing committee or
to address an issue that may be time sensitive
PC President’s Circle, an RPAC Major Investor who contributes an additional
$2,000 separately and directly to select RPAC-recommended candidates
Platinum R Investor in RPAC at $10,000 level (which includes $5,000 to sustain in
subsequent years)
PMN Performance Management Network, designation offered by WCR (PMN
replaced WCR’s LTG designation)
POE Point of Entry, the association staff responsible for data entry in M1
(NRDS), for creating new member records and updating certain fields in
existing member records (e.g., office address, NAR Code of Ethics
training)
PS Professional Standards, the specific administrative process for handling
ethics complaints, arbitration requests, and mediation requests (most
local and state associations follow NAR’s Code of Ethics and Arbitration
Manual)
PSA Pricing Strategy Advisor, an NAR certification for enhancing skills for
pricing property (PSA replaced the BPOR certification)
8
RAA Residential Accredited Appraiser, an appraisal designation offered by
NAR
RAE REALTOR® Association Executive magazine, a quarterly NAR publication
for AEs
RAM REALTOR® Association Management Self-Study Course, a self-study
program for AEs, available from NAR
RAMCO REALTOR® Association Management Cooperative, a comprehensive
membership data solution that fulfills the changing needs of the
REALTOR® organization
RARE REALTOR® Association Resource Exchange Database, a library of sample
association documents for AEs on nar.realtor contributed by other AEs
RCE REALTOR® association Certified Executive, an NAR designation for
REALTOR® association Executives (RCE can be earned by all association
staff, not only the chief staff executive)
REALTOR® A trademarked collective term denoting membership in the National
Association of REALTORS®; not a generic term
REBAC Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council, an affiliate of NAR that maintains the
ABR designation
REBI Real Estate Business Institute, an NAR affiliate (previously called the
Council of Real Estate Brokerage Managers)
REI Real Estate Investing, a certification program offered by the Residential
Real Estate Council for REALTORS® working with investors and those who
are establishing themselves as real estate investors
RENE Real Estate Negotiation Expert, a certification awarded by the Real Estate
Business Institute or REBI
RLI REALTORS® Land Institute, a commercial affiliate of NAR that offers the
ALC designation
9
RLMTE REALTORS® Legislative Meetings and Trade Expo, held in Washington,
DC, in May (annual meeting previously called the NAR Midyear
Legislative Meetings)
ROTY REALTOR® of the Year, an award presented by local and state
associations
RPAC REALTORS® Political Action Committee, NAR’s PAC
RRC Residential Real Estate Council (previously called the Council of
Residential Specialists, CRS)
RPMIC REALTOR® Party Member Involvement Committee, NAR’s grassroots
contact system (formerly RPIC)
RSPS Resort & Second-Home Property Specialist, a certification offered by NAR
SFR® Short Sales & Foreclosure Resource®, a certification offered by NAR
SIOR Society of Industrial and Office REALTORS®, a commercial affiliate of NAR
that offers the SIOR designation
SRES® Seniors Real Estate Specialist®, an NAR designation offered by the SRES®
Council focusing on working with clients age 50+ (previously offered by
the California Association of REALTORS®)
SRS Seller Representative Specialist, a designation awarded by the Real
Estate Business Institute or REBI
Sterling R Annual RPAC contributor at the $1,000 level
VOW Virtual Office Website (refer all questions regarding VOWs and NAR’s
VOW Policy to the Member Experience, Engagement and Legal staff
team)
WCR Women’s Council of REALTORS®, an affiliate of NAR offering the PMN
designation, primarily for women and open to men
10
YPN Young Professionals Network, a dynamic entry point for real estate
professionals striving to become more successful in their careers and
gain leadership experience
Posted by: Byron King on 01/18/24 (This information is only accurate as of 01/18/24. You must contact SCR for updates and changes to this information after 01/18/24 as laws and regulations may change over time. SCR 803-772-5206 or email info at screaltors.org or email byron at screaltors.org)
This information is not legal advice. This information is intended only to provide general information and may not be relied upon as specific legal guidance. Legal counsel should always be consulted before acting in reliance on this information.