The National Association of REALTORS®, The Voice for Real Estate®, is the world's largest professional association. Founded in 1908, NAR has grown from its original nucleus of 120 to over one million members today. NAR is composed of REALTORS® who are involved in residential and commercial real estate as brokers, salespeople, property managers, appraisers, counselors and others engaged in all aspects of the real estate industry. The term REALTOR® is a registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.

Working for America's property owners, NAR provides a forum for professional development, research and the exchange of information among its members, and to the public and government for the purpose of preserving the free enterprise system and the right to own real property.

Members of NAR belong to one or more of some 1,400+ local associations (also called boards) and 54 state and territorial associations of REALTORS®. Additionally, they can join one of many institutes, societies and councils to enhance their expertise and network with other professionals globally.

If you're not a member of the National Association of REALTORS®, but you'd like to become one so you can take advantage of all the benefits of membership, including access to the member-only parts of the site, you must first join a local real estate association. Membership in a local association automatically extends your membership to the state association and national association. As a member, you are the voice for NAR — it is your association and it exists to help you increase your business opportunities.

You can find local associations of REALTORS® in your area by browsing NAR's list of local and state associations or by checking an online directory like Dex or YP.com. You can also send us an email with your name, address, company name, phone and/or fax numbers and we will respond with some local associations in your area.

Useful Information

• The principals of a real estate firm must first join a REALTOR® association before any non-principal can join. Principals are defined as: sole proprietors; partners in a partnership; corporate officers or majority shareholders of a corporation; or branch office managers acting on behalf of the principal.
• Once the principal(s) decide to join the REALTOR® association, then all agents, brokers and appraisers that are licensed or affiliated with him or her have the option of also joining as members of the association.
• Each REALTOR® firm appoints one of its principals as a "designated" REALTOR® for the firm. If any agents, brokers, or appraisers affiliated with the firm choose not to be REALTORS®, then the "designated" REALTOR® would be assessed a non-member assessment by the association for each non-member.
• If the principal decides not to join the REALTOR® association, then none of the individuals affiliated with him or her can be REALTOR® members of the association.
• The principals have what is called "board of choice," which means he or she can decide which REALTOR® associations in the state where the office is located (or contiguous to that state) to join. See a complete list of REALTOR® associations here.
• Licensees affiliated with a REALTOR® firm may choose as their primary association any association where their office is located (or state contiguous) where the firm maintains a "designated" REALTOR®.
• If you are going to work for a REALTOR®, please do not hesitate to contact NAR for additional information. NAR can look up your broker's name and office and see if he or she is a member of the REALTOR® association. If your broker is a member, we can refer you to the local REALTOR® association he/she belongs to.