Promoting yourself and your website is a smart idea in today’s competitive Real Estate Industry.  When advertising yourself or your website, be sure that all advertising is in compliance with New Jersey Real Estate Commission rules.

TODAY’S TECH TIP:  Don’t Get Caught using Non-Compliant Advertising

When advertising, whether in the newspaper, a website or using the RE/MAX Design Center, remember that the New Jersey Real Estate Commission has specific rules for advertising.  Hefty fines can result from violating the NJREC rules.  Here is a summary of the most important advertising rules:

If you have another website in addition to the one provided by RE/MAX of New Jersey, be sure your Broker Office is displayed in a “more prominent manner” than your name.

NJREC: “With the exception of business cards, in all advertisements which contain the name of a salesperson or broker-salesperson the regular business name of the individual, partnership, firm or corporate broker through whom that person is licensed shall appear in larger print or be displayed in a more prominent manner than the name of the salesperson or broker-salesperson.”

With telephone info, be sure you are “identifying each number” with the associated location.

NJREC: “With the exception of business cards, any advertising which contains a home telephone number, cell-phone number, beeper or pager number, home fax number, or E-mail address of an individual salesperson or broker-salesperson, or a team of such licensees, shall also include the telephone number and may include the street address of the licensed brokerage office from which the advertising licensee(s) operate. All such advertising shall also contain language identifying each number included in the advertising. For example, a home telephone number may be followed or preceded by the word ‘home’ or the abbreviation ‘res’ ”

Be aware that if you list your home phone or fax number, do not include “Home Office” as a label for these numbers. “Salespersons…shall not include in their advertisements any reference to a ‘home office’”

NJREC: “No advertising shall represent that a location is a place at which the business of a real estate licensee is conducted unless that location is the licensed main office or a licensed branch office of the broker through whom the advertising licensee is licensed. Salespersons and Broker-salespersons shall not include in their advertisements any reference to a ‘home office’.”

When having business cards printed, be sure to include both your primary phone number, and your office phone number, if different.

Finally, be sure to include your office name and phone number when setting up a RE/MAX Design Center Account.  To make changes or add the Office name, select the Profile section in the Design Center and choose Office Information.  From here you can add the Office name and address, phone number and even the office web address.

P.S. This week’s Tech Tip, like many before, was written for me by my trusted colleague Jayne Bear.  Jayne is moving on to a position with another company, and I will certainly miss her writing and other skills.  She has been a tremendous asset to the regional staff, and I wish her well in her new career.  Good Luck, Jayne! 

Time’s up! Gotta go.   Have suggestions for other Tech Tips?  E-mail me.

Mark Schilling
Regional Technology Director mailto:markschilling@remax.net

As always, feel free to contact the Regional help desk with any tech support questions at
help@remax-nj.net or (888) 54-REMAX.