Technology: REALTOR® Secure Program details

Multiple listing services and brokers increasingly rely on technology to provide services. But what happens when the technology is improperly secured? Business could be interrupted and time and money lost. Valuable information could be lost, stolen or tampered with due to accidents, natural disasters or intentional theft – and everyone loses.

As the industry leader, NAR sets the standard to lead the industry. Now NAR’s Center for REALTOR® Technology (CRT) has developed a program to assist REALTORS® prevent business interruptions and protect information from internal and external risks. CRT based the program on the security industry’s best practices and models proven to work in securing access to data.

To obtain the certification, the MLS or broker must meet the criteria as outlined in the program. There are three steps to the certification process: self-review, independent third party evaluation and final approval/certification by the CRT. First the participant completes the self-review. They then select from a list of CRT approved third-party evaluators that have information security as a primary practice concentration. The third party evaluates the participant’s information infrastructure based on a series of security standards from International Standards Organization standard 17799 and the International Information Systems Security Certifications Consortium, Inc's Common Body of Knowledge (CBK). Recommendations for improvements in order to achieve certification are provided to the participant by the evaluators and are based on these standards.

When a participant meets the program requirements, the evaluator sends a final report and program fee to the CRT for final approval and certification. Upon certification, CRT awards a REALTOR® Secure program logo and lists the participant on the program Web site.

Learn why you should certify and find about more about program benefits.