Advertising

(1) All advertising, regardless of its nature and the medium in which it appears, which promotes either a licensee or the sale or lease of real property, shall conform to the requirements of this rule. The term “advertising,” for purposes of this rule, in addition to traditional print, radio, and television advertising, also includes, but is not limited to, sources of communication available to the public such as signs, flyers, letterheads, e-mail signatures, websites, social media communications, and video or audio recordings transmitted through internet or broadcast streaming. Advertising does not include promotional materials that advertise a licensee such as hats, pens, notepads, t-shirts, name tags, business cards, and the sponsorship of charitable and community events. (2) For purposes of this rule, the term “firm name” shall mean either of the following: RULES OF CONDUCT CHAPTER 1260-02 (a) The entire name of the real estate firm as licensed with the Commission; or (b) The d/b/a name, if applicable, of the real estate firm as licensed with the Commission. (3) General Principles (a) No licensee shall advertise to sell, purchase, exchange, rent, or lease property in a manner indicating that the licensee is not engaged in the real estate business. (b) All advertising shall be under the direct supervision of the principal broker and shall list the firm name and the firm telephone number as listed on file with the Commission. The firm name must appear in letters the same size or larger than those spelling out the name of a licensee or the name of any team, group or similar entity. (c) Any advertising which refers to an individual licensee must list that individual licensee’s name as licensed with the Commission. (d) No licensee shall post a sign in any location advertising property for sale, purchase, exchange, rent or lease, without written authorization from the owner of the advertised property or the owner’s agent. (e) No licensee shall advertise property listed by another licensee without written authorization from the listing agent or listing broker. (f) No licensee shall advertise in a false, misleading, or deceptive manner. False, misleading, and/or deceptive advertising includes, but is not limited to, the following: 1. Any licensee advertising that includes only the franchise name without including the firm name; 2. Licensees who hold themselves out as a team, group, or similar entity within a firm who advertise themselves utilizing terms such as “Real Estate,” “Real Estate Brokerage,” “Realty,” “Company,” “Corporation,” “LLC,” “Corp.,” “Inc.,” “Associates,” or other similar terms that would lead the public to believe that those licensees are offering real estate brokerage services independent of the firm and principal broker; or 3. Any webpage that contains a link to an unlicensed entity’s website where said entity is engaged or appears to be engaged in activities which require licensure by the Commission. (4) Advertising for Franchise or Cooperative Advertising Groups (a) Any licensee using a franchise trade name or advertising as a member of a cooperative group shall clearly and unmistakably indicate in the advertisement his name, firm name and firm telephone number (all as registered with the Tennessee Real Estate Commission) adjacent to any specific properties advertised for sale or lease in any media. (b) Any licensee using a franchise trade name on business cards, contracts, or other documents relating to real estate transactions shall clearly and unmistakably indicate his name, firm name, and firm telephone number (all as registered with the Commission). (5) Internet Advertising: In addition to all other advertising guidelines within this rule, the following requirements shall also apply with respect to internet advertising by licensees: RULES OF CONDUCT CHAPTER 1260-02 (a) The firm name and the firm telephone number listed on file with the Commission must conspicuously appear on each page of the website. (b) Each page of a website which displays listings from an outside database of available properties must include a statement that some or all of the listings may not belong to the firm whose website is being visited. (c) Listing information must be kept current and accurate. This requirement shall apply to “First Generation” advertising as it is placed by the licensee and does not refer to such advertising that may be syndicated or aggregated advertising of the original by third parties outside of the licensee’s control and ability to monitor. (6) Social Media Advertising (a) For the purpose of this rule, “social media” means internet-based applications or platforms that allow the public to create and share content and information. Examples include, but are not limited to: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. (b) With regards to social media advertising by licensees, the firm name and firm telephone number listed on file with the Commission must be no more than one click away from the viewable page. (c) Listing information must be kept current and accurate. This requirement shall apply to “First Generation” advertising as it is placed by the licensee and does not refer to such advertising that may be syndicated or aggregated advertising of the original by third parties outside of the licensee’s control and ability to monitor. (7) Guarantees, Claims and Offers (a) Unsubstantiated selling claims and misleading statements or inferences are strictly prohibited. (b) Any offer, guaranty, warranty or the like, made to induce an individual to enter into an agency relationship or contract, must be made in writing and must disclose all pertinent details on the face of such offer or advertisement.