Realtor Team or Group Advertising – Are you doing it right?

Are You Advertising Your Real Estate Sales Effort as a Team or Group? Make Sure You Are Doing It Right! 

The rules on team advertising can be found at HERE or Fla. Admin. Code R. 61J2-10.026

I get calls all the time and I see a lot of marketing material from realtors that don’t comply with the rules.  The rules are simple, and I’ll boil them down here.  I encourage you however to read the full rule below. Read How to Create a Real Estate Team in Florida.

If 1 or more realtors are going to work together and do business as a “group” or “team” they must:

1. Give a written statement to the broker about who in the group or team is responsible for following the advertising rule (FL Stat 475, and the above rule).

2. Every month the group/team provides a written list to the broker of the realtors on the group or team.

3. The group/team may include the word “group” or “team” but can’t contain any of the following words:
   1. Agency
   2. Associates
   3. Brokerage
   4. Brokers
   5. Company
   6. Corporation
   7. Corp, Inc, or LLC
   8. LP, LLP, or Partnership
   9. Properties or property
   10. Real estate
   11. Realty
   12. Or any words that suggest the team is a separate real estate brokerage.  

4. These rules apply to all the advertising the group/team does.

5. The words “group” or “team” can’t be larger than the brokerage name.  

61J2-10.026 Team or Group Advertising.

(1) “Team or group advertising” shall mean a name or logo used by one or more real estate licensees who represent themselves to the public as a team or group. The team or group must perform licensed activities under the supervision of the same broker or brokerage.

(2) Each team or group shall file with the broker a designated licensee to be responsible for ensuring that the advertising is in compliance with Chapter 475, Florida Statutes, and Division 61J2, Florida Administrative Code.

(3) At least once monthly, the registered broker must maintain a current written record of each team’s or group’s members.

(4) Team or group names. Real estate team or group names may include the word “team” or “group” as part of the name. Real estate team or group names shall not include the following words:

(a) Agency
(c) Brokerage
(d) Brokers
(e) Company
(f) Corporation
(g) Corp.
(h) Inc.
(i) LLC
(j) LP, LLP or Partnership
(k) Properties
(l) Property
(m) Real Estate
(n) Realty
(o) Or similar words suggesting the team or group is a separate real estate brokerage or company

(5) This rule applies to all advertising.

(6) Advertisements containing the team or group name shall not appear in larger print than the name or logo of the registered brokerage. All advertising must be in a manner in which reasonable persons would know they are dealing with a team or group.

(7) All advertisements must comply with these requirements no later than July 1, 2019.

Nothing in this rule shall relieve the broker of their legal obligations under Chapter 475, Florida Statutes, and Division 61J2, Florida Administrative Code.

Rulemaking Authority 475.05, 475.25(1)(c) FS. Law Implemented 475.25 FS. History–New 6-18-18.