Solutions Advertising Policy is straight from the state advertising rules. Violating these rules is serious business and it is imperative that you follow these to the letter.
Ads in general – This includes Facebook posts, Facebook Marketplace, Instagram and all Social Media posts
The licensed name of the brokerage firm must appear in all real estate advertisements.
The licensed name of the brokerage firm is the full name that firm is registered under the Department of Business and Professional Regulation
If an ad includes a licensee’s personal name, the person’s last name must appear as it is registered with the Florida Real Estate Commission.
Ads may not include any fraudulent, false, deceptive or misleading information, and it must make clear that they are dealing with a real estate licensee.
Team Advertising
“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.
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.
At least once monthly, the registered broker must maintain a current written record of each team’s or group’s members.
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 (b) Associates (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
This rule applies to all advertising.
In advertisements containing the team or group name, the team or group name shall not be in larger print than the name 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.
Nicknames
Many agents use nicknames. If they wish to use a nickname in advertising, they should include it in quotation marks after their first name or first initial. For example: John “Johnny” Johnson or J. “Johnny” Johnson. Any time an agent’s name appears in an advertisement, it must use the last name as it is registered with the Florida Real Estate Commission. (61J2-10.025(2), Florida Administrative Code).
Websites and online ads
Internet ads and websites must display the brokerage company’s licensed name above, below or adjacent to the point of contact information. Point of contact information could be a brokerage or licensee’s mailing and/or physical addresses, email addresses and telephone, cell phone or fax numbers or any other means by which an individual would contact the brokerage or individual licensee. This includes Facebook ads, Facebook marketplace, or any other personal or property advertisement.
Advertising rebates
A licensee may share brokerage compensation with a party to a transaction as long as full disclosure is given to all interested parties. Any advertising about this rebate must not be false, fraudulent, deceptive or misleading and should clarify any conditions or limitations that apply.
Mailings
If an agent sends a mass mailing to all residents in a condominium complex, there is no need to include a disclaimer informing recipients who have already listed their property to ignore the advertisement. It is not an ethical violation for a Realtor to send a “general mailing … addressed to all prospects in a given geographical area,” even though some of the prospects may already be exclusively represented by other Realtors. (National Association of Realtors Code of Ethics Standard of Practice 16-2)
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