In real estate, there are a lot of acronyms. And when we say a lot, we mean there are a lot of them. Instead of you furiously Googling what these mean, we’ve created an Acronym FAQ that will help you navigate the shorthand of real estate with ease. (This page is continuously being updated as real estate acronyms are created and/or made obsolete.)
| REAL ESTATE ACRONYMS | WHAT THEY MEAN |
| ABR® | Accredited Buyer Representative®, an NAR designation offered by REBAC for real estate buyer agents |
| ADU | Attached Dwelling Unit, a residential unit that can be added to a lot with an existing single family home |
| AE | Association Executive, applies to all staff at a REALTOR® association (including the chief staff executive and staff specialists); this position may also be called CEO/Chief Executive Officer |
| Affiliate | A status of membership in a local (or state) association for those involved in the real estate industry interested in board membership. This can include lenders, title reps, pest control companies, etc. Basically anyone who isn’t a REALTOR® yet is just as pivotal to the life of a real estate transaction |
| AHWD | At Home With Diversity®, a certification offered by NAR focusing on working successfully with people in a multicultural real estate market (for more information on the AHWD certification, click here) |
| ALC | Accredited Land Consultant, a designation awarded by the REALTORS® Land Institute |
| ALD | Association Leadership Development, name of NAR area that focuses on programming for association staff and volunteer leaders |
| Alliance | LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance, an all-inclusive and all-embracing organization founded in2020 acting as a leading advocate in real estate and housing policy, working on behalf of all LGBTQ+ people and their housing needs (for more information about the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance, click here) |
| AOR | Association of REALTORS® |
| AOTY | Affiliate of the Year, an annual award given to the top Affiliate member as nominated by the membership |
| Block R | The trademarked “R” design denoting REALTOR®, with specific requirements for its placement and use |
| BOD | Board of Directors (for more information on the CDAR Board of Directors, click here) |
| BOR | Board of REALTORS® |
| C2EX | Commitment to Excellence, an endorsement that empowers REALTORS® to evaluate, enhance and showcase their highest levels of professionalism. This is not a course, class or designation (for more information on C2EX, click here) |
| C.A.R. | California Association of REALTORS®, the state REALTOR® association (click here for the C.A.R. website) |
| CalHFA | The California Housing Finance Agency, an independent California state agency within the California Department of Housing and Community Development that makes low-rate housing loans through the sale of taxable and tax-exempt bonds |
| CCIM | Certified Commercial Investment Member, a designation awarded by the CCIM Institute |
| CCRE | Center for California Real Estate, an institute of C.A.R. providing information and insights about critical issues affecting the real estate industry in California |
| CE | Continuing Education, required by all real estate licensing commissions |
| CEAM | NAR’s Code of Ethics and Arbitration Manual, provides administrative guidance to local and state associations for handling ethics complaints, arbitration requests, and mediation requests |
| CIE | Commercial Information Exchange, a database for sharing information about commercial real property for sale or lease (note: While CIEs are generally REALTOR® association-owned, a CIE is not an MLS) |
| CIPS | Certified International Property Specialist, a NAR designation focused on International real estate |
| COE | REALTORS® Code of Ethics |
| CFR | Campaign Finance Reform, rules/laws that impact PAC contributions |
| CPM® | Certified Property Manager®, a designation awarded by IREM |
| C-RETS | Certified Real Estate Team Specialist, a certification awarded by the Real Estate Business Institute or REBI (previously called the Council of Real Estate Brokerage Managers) |
| CRB | Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager, a designation awarded by the Council of R.E. Brokerage Managers |
| CRE® | Counselor of Real Estate®, a designation offered by the Counselors of Real Estate |
| CRS | Certified Residential Specialist, a designation awarded by the Council of Residential Specialists |
| Crystal R | Contributor to RPAC at $2500 level (which may include lower amount in recurring year) |
| DEI | Diversity, Equity & Inclusion |
| Delegate | Representative on NAR’s Delegate Body, casts votes by number of members in Board, to change NAR Constitution |
| DIM | Days in MLS, which is the number of days the listing is in the MLS before going pending/escrow opens |
| DR | Designated REALTOR®, the principal broker(or appraiser) in the real estate firm with responsibility for non-member dues assessments under the DR dues formula and for professional standards matters (e.g., arbitration and mediation) |
| DRE | California Department of Real Estate, the state governing body over real estate licenses; they also safeguard and promote the public interest in real estate through matters of licensure, regulation, education, and enforcement |
| E&O | Errors & Omissions insurance, professional liability insurance for associations |
| EO | Executive Officer, an alternate term for the CEO of a REALTOR® association |
| ePRO® | A technology certification provided by NAR |
| FHA | Federal Housing Administration, a governmental entity that insures mortgages made by private lenders for single-family properties, multifamily rental properties, hospitals, and residential care facilities. FHA mortgage insurance protects lenders against losses |
| FHM | Fair Housing Month, occurring in the month of April, where REALTORS® honor the passing of the Fair Housing Act of 1968 and prioritize the amplification of the importance of fair housing for all |
| FPC | Federal Political Coordinator, a liaison to a Member of Congress for NAR |
| FRBO / FSBO | For Rent By Owner & For Sale By Owner; this is when an owner rents/sells a property without using a REALTOR® |
| GAD | Government Affairs Director, typically a staff member who handles the advocacy/government affairs side of an association (CDAR’s GAD is Paul Herrera) |
| Golden R | Contributor to RPAC at $5000 level (which may include lower amounts in recurring years) |
| GREEN | Green designation, offered by NAR’s Green Resource Council |
| GRI | Graduate, REALTOR® Institute, a NAR designation awarded at state association level |
| HAF | Housing Affordability Fund, a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to addressing California’s growing housing affordability crisis by raising and distributing funds in partnership with local associations and other housing non-profit groups to promote housing and homeownership |
| HOP | Housing Opportunities Program, NAR effort for affordable housing |
| HUD | Department of Housing and Urban Development, a government entity that provides housing and community development assistance and to make sure everyone has access to “fair and equal” housing, after the Civil Rights Act in 1968 (aka the Fair Housing Act) |
| IDX | Information Data Exchange, agreement by firms in MLS to advertise each others listings on firm websites |
| Leg Day/strong> | Shorthand for Legislative Day, an all-day event where 2,000+ California REALTORS® have the opportunity to meet and discuss real estate related issues directly with their state legislators and staff in Sacramento |
| LFRO | Limited Function Referral Office, a company licensed for the sole purpose of providing referrals to another firm |
| Major Donor | REALTOR® or AE who gives $1000 or more to NAR’s Political Action Committee (RPAC) |
| MIC | Major Investor Council Member – REALTOR® member in charge of Major Investor and President’s Circle recruitment for the state |
| MLS | Multiple Listing Service (CDAR uses FLEXMLS as an MLS provider) |
| MRP | Military Relocation Professional, a certification offered by REBAC for working with current and former military service members |
| MVP | Member Value Plus reward program for members and associations to take specified NAR actions and in doing so earn a reward |
| NAR | National Association of REALTORS®, the national REALTOR® association (click here for the NAR website) |
| NAGLREP | National Association of Gay and Lesbian Real Estate Professionals, founded in 2007,NAGLREP advocates on behalf of the rights of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender(LGBT) community as it relates to housing and discrimination laws |
| NAHREP | National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, NAHREP’s mission is to advance sustainable Hispanic homeownership by educating and empowering the real estate professionals who serve Hispanic home buyers and sellers |
| NAREB | National Association of Real Estate Brokers, formed in 1947 by chartered African American real estate professionals seeking equal housing rights |
| NARLA | NAR Leadership Academy, the academy identifies, inspires and mentors emerging leaders from the local and state level |
| NRDS / M1 | National REALTOR® Database System, NAR’s centralized membership database with specific rules and guidelines launched in 1998 and was replaced by M1 in 2021 (M1 stands for Members First) |
| PC | President’s Circle; A RPAC Major Investor who invests an additional $2,000 directly to REALTOR® Champions from a pre-approved list by the national RPAC Disbursement Trustees. |
| Platinum R | Investor in RPAC at $10,000 level (which includes lower amount in subsequent years to sustain) |
| PS | Professional Standards, the specific administrative process for handling ethics complaints, arbitration requests, and mediation requests (most local and state associations follow NAR’s Code of Ethics and Arbitration Manual) |
| REALTOR® | A trademarked term denoting membership in the National Association of REALTORS®; not a generic term |
| REBAC | Real Estate Buyer Agent Council, an affiliate of NAR that maintains the ABR designation |
| REI | Real Estate Investing, a certification program offered by the Residential Real Estate Council for REALTORS® working with investors and those who are establishing themselves as real estate investors |
| RMLTE | REALTORS® Legislative Meetings and Trade Expo, held in Washington, DC, in May (annual meeting previously called the NAR Midyear Legislative Meetings) |
| ROTY | REALTOR® of the Year, an annual award given to the top REALTOR® member as nominated by the membership |
| RPAC | REALTORS® Political Action Committee, NAR’s PAC. This can also refer to the REALTOR® Party of California, which raises money to promote the values, attitudes, and beliefs of organized real estate |
| RRC | Residential Real Estate Council (previously called the Council of Residential Specialists, CRS) |
| RPMIC | REALTORS® Party Member Involvement Committee, NAR’s grassroots contact system |
| RSPS | Resort & Second-Home Property Specialist, a certification offered by NAR |
| SFR | Single Family Residence, a single family detached, meaning that the home is a stand-alone structure intended for one family |
| SFR® | Short Sales & Foreclosure Resource®, a certification offered by NAR |
| SRES® | Seniors Real Estate Specialist®, an NAR designation offered by the SRES® Council focusing on working with clients age 50+ |
| SRS | Seller Representative Specialist, a designation awarded by the Real Estate Business Institute or REBI |
| Sterling R | Contributor to RPAC at $1000 level (each year separate) |
| VA | U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, a mortgage loan to purchase or refinance, that is guaranteed by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs |
| VOW | Virtual Office Website (refer all questions regarding VOWs and NAR’s VOW Policy to the Member Experience, Engagement and Legal staff team) |
| USDA | U.S. Department of Agriculture Loans, a zero-down payment, low interest rate mortgage that is available for low- income borrowers in rural areas |
| WCR | Women’s Council of REALTORS®, an affiliate of NAR offering the PMN designation, primarily for women and open to men |
| YPN | Young Professionals Network, a dynamic entry point for real estate professionals striving to become more successful in their careers and gain leadership experience |
