Arizona republican., 1922-04-02
What And Who Is A "RealtOr?"
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Definition Is FixedByLaw
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How the NeWWord Was Coined

The term "realtor" was evolved in
1916 by c. y. Chadbourn. a member
Of the Minneapolis Real Estate board,
and given to the National associa-
tion to be incorporated in it's consti-
tuition as a term officially designat-
ing a member of the local real estate
board affiliated with the national
body. and the term which the ma
tional association licenses its mem
bers exclusively to use, With refer
ence TO legal safeguards against its
misuse, we quote from the National
Real Estate Journal;
while the original suggestion was
to have the word copyrighted, this
was not done. The reason why it was
not done does not appear in the rec
cords thai are available in this office.
But perhaps it may not be difficult
to surmise why it was not. The rea-
soning may have been something like
this: The word attorney, physician,
dentist etc. are not copyrighted.
though ample safeguards are thrown
around them to prevent misuse. So
it should be with the realtor. To
copyright the term would, in a meas
ure, have the appearance of a close
corporation. an intention to freeze
out the dealers on the outside. This
would provoke a certain amount of
antagonism and tend to cripple the
efforts which the realtors are making
to bring all reputable real estate men
into the fold. Far better avoid all
appearances Of eXclusiveness.
In the Dictionary
Meanwhile the word 'realtor' has
gained for itself the Interpretation
its inventor desired. 1t is defined in
Websters International Dictionary
as a member of the National Asso-
citation of Real Estate Boards But
its use in the daily press has not al
ways been accurate. nor have real
estate men not members OF the ma
tional association always been clear
as to its precise meaning A number
of them have written to the Journal
asking for information. Whenever
the misuse has been pointed out.
either TO newspaper man or real
estate man who has misused it. there
has usually been immediate observ-
ance, with expressions of regret at
its misuse.
However. the right of members of
the national association to the ex-
elusive use of the word came to a
showdown, rather oddly. in Mime
apolis. the city where it was coined
There is a gooC live real estate
board in that city and its members
make use of their designation real
tors The word, therefore has a
good standing in the city. Sensing
that, or perhaps IN ignorance of the
exact meaning. six real estate men.
not members of the local board. rated
themselves as realtors for the tele-
phone directory published two years
ago and We're so entered
In the Phone Directory
quite naturally the board hoped
right on to the telephone COMPANY
and explained Jas misuse. There
We're apologies and promises Of
amendment But when the next tel
ephone book appeared. Minneapolis
realtors learned TO their dismay and
Indignation that the list of six self
constituted realtors had grown to
thirty.
Sequel: Conference No. 2 with
the telephone company and an earn
est request that this misuse OF the
word realtor be discontinued. But
the telephone company stated that it
could not accede to this request be-
cause it could not properly consti-
tute itself a Judge of a subscriber
business classification and that un-
der its contract it was compelled TO
give any subscriber the business
classification which he requested
This was the situation when the
executive committee of the national
association met at Chicago last Jan
uary. The subject was then and
there discussed and 1t was decided
that the national association and the
Minneapolis board rhould Jointly test