Our Mission

The Columbus Board of REALTORS® is a visible advocate of the real estate industry, providing members with quality education and enhancing the quality of life in our communities.

What is the Association?

The Columbus Board of REALTORS® is a not-for-profit trade organization that holds its members to a higher standard of practice – the REALTOR® Code of Ethics – which ultimately distinguishes our REALTORS® from the average “Real Estate Agent.”

CBOR Members also enjoy membership in the Georgia Association of REALTORS® and National Association of REALTORS®. This provides access to numerous state and national resources.

CBOR Members support the protection of private property rights, strive to enhance the public perception of REALTORS® through community involvement and education, and give the utmost dedication to professionalism, which will always serve as the foundation for our success.

What is a Real Estate Board?

The Real Estate Board is to the Real Estate profession what the Bar Association is to the lawyer and the Medical Association is to the doctor. It is a force for good. It is a force for the betterment of its practitioners and the public they serve. In such an association there are crystallized the rules of conduct, the guides and standards of stern discipline, which proclaim to the community the sense of integrity and the high qualities and ideals which you demand and which characterize the service of men of good will engaged in an honorable profession.

– Justice Frankenthaler of the New York Supreme Court

Why Use a REALTOR®?

Not every licensed real estate agent is a REALTOR®. Ask your agent….”Are you a REALTOR®?”

REALTORS® work to protect your investment!

Only REALTORS®, not licensees, are fighting right now to prserve the federal Mortgage Interest Deduction on first and second homes. REALTORS® are the only voice in Washington protecting your investment, preserving private property rights and defending the American Dream of Homeownership.

REALTORS® excel in production!  –  90% of the top fifty real estate firms in Georgia are REALTORS®.

• REALTORS® add value to the real estate transaction.
• REALTORS® are the most trusted resource for real estate information, and most home buyers and sellers rely on REALTORS® for guidance when it comes to navigating the intricacies of a real estate transaction.
• Working with a REALTOR® gives buyers, sellers and investors the advantage they need to succeed in today’s market. REALTORS® help people buy and sell hundreds, if not thousands, of homes over the course of their careers.
•  REALTORS® know what matters to buyers and sellers in your area. They have theexpertise and experience to help sellers protect their investment and help buyers build theirs.
• REALTORS® understand local market conditions and can leverage that knowledge to help their clients reach their real estate goals.
• A vast majority of today’s home buyers and sellers know that working with a REALTOR® is a smart move in itself – more than four out of five recent home buyers and sellers used a real estate professional in recent transactions.
• Consumers who have worked with a REALTOR® are sold – nine out of 10 buyers and eight out of 10 sellers said they would use the same agent again or recommend that agent to others.
• Not all real estate licensees are REALTORS®. Only members of the National Association of REALTORS® can call themselves REALTORS®.
• REALTORS® subscribe to NAR’s strict Code of Ethics as a condition of membership. Buyers and sellers who work with a REALTOR® are assured of the protections the Code affords.
• REALTORS® have access to educational opportunities and training in real estate specialties that are not available to other licensees.
• REALTORS® represent all types of real estate clients: buyers, sellers, investors, landlords and tenants.
• There are REALTORS® who specialize in commercial real estate.

Background

The term REALTOR® is not a generic term; it is a registered collective membership mark that identifies a licensed real estate professional who is a member of NAR. The term REALTOR® is NOT synonymous with “real estate agent.”

There are more than 3 million licensed real estate professionals in the U.S., but only 1.2 million are members of NAR. REALTORS® work in both residential and commercial real estate as brokers, salespeople, property managers, appraisers, counselors and others engaged in all aspects of the real estate industry.

Today’s typical home sale involves as many as 20 steps to complete the transaction. REALTORS® work through the real estate transaction process daily and understand how it affects the interests of their clients and customers. REALTORS® know how to position a home for sale, negotiate contract terms, manage inspections and ensure a smooth settlement.

REALTORS® take ethics training at least once every four years to retain their membership. NAR adopted its Code of Ethics in 1913 and was only the second trade or business group in the United States to adopt mandatory ethical standards.

NAR offers advanced educational opportunities to its members that allow REALTORS® to offer a more diverse array of services with such accredited sub-specialties as buyer’s representation (ABR®), residential real estate expertise (CRS®), Internet readiness (e-PRO), and senior housing issues (SRES).

Through membership in NAR’s affiliated institutes, societies, and councils, REALTORS® stay abreast of the most recent trends in their fields, remain well-informed of industry developments in their specialized areas, and address industry issues more effectively.