Real Estate Advertising Rules: Broker Name, Teams, Social and Reviews

Real estate advertising rules come from four places: your state license law, which usually requires your brokerage’s name in every ad; the Fair Housing Act; RESPA, when a lender or title company shares costs; and FTC rules on reviews and endorsements. REALTORS also follow NAR’s Code of Ethics. Broad state definitions generally treat social posts, videos and podcasts that promote your services as advertising, so the same rules apply.

Search for this topic and you get a patchwork: one state’s rule, an association PDF from another, and forum threads from a decade ago. This guide pulls together the rules most states share, shows how four states word them, and links each one to the regulator’s own text. It then covers testimonials and reviews, and points to our deeper guides on Fair Housing, RESPA and Coming Soon listings.

What counts as real estate advertising?

Real estate advertising is any communication designed to attract the public to your brokerage services or to a property, in almost any medium. Most states define it broadly enough to cover social media, email, texts, video and signs.

Texas is a clear example. Its rule, 22 TAC 535.155 in the TREC rules, defines an advertisement as “any form of communication by or on behalf of a license holder designed to attract the public to use real estate brokerage services.” It lists publications, brochures, radio and television broadcasts, and “all electronic media including email, text messages, social media, the Internet,” plus business cards, signs and billboards. It excludes only a communication to your current client and a directional sign carrying just the broker’s name or logo.

Washington’s Department of Licensing gives a similar list in its advertising guidelines: printed materials, websites (including ones you don’t control where your advertising appears), social media accounts and profiles, promotional events including open houses, broadcast ads, signs, business cards, emails and texts.

The practical test is simple. If a reasonable person would see the post, video or flyer as you promoting yourself, your team or a property, treat it as an ad.

Do realtors have to put the brokerage name on social media?

Yes, in most states agents must show the brokerage’s licensed name in social media advertising, though states differ on where it can go. Several allow the disclosure on a profile page that each post links to directly, as long as it’s easy to find.

Here is how the rule reads in four places:

• Texas lets the required information sit “on a separate page or on the account user profile page,” if it’s readily accessible by a direct link from the post or text and readily noticeable there.
• Washington’s guidelines say that on social media, the firm’s name and the broker’s licensed name should be prominently displayed and “no more than one click away from the viewable page.”
• Florida’s rule, 61J2-10.025, says internet advertising must place the brokerage firm name “adjacent to or immediately above or below the point of contact information.”
• NAR’s Code of Ethics, Standard of Practice 12-5, says REALTORS must disclose the firm’s name “in a reasonable and readily apparent manner,” either in the ad or, for electronic ads, “via a link to a display with all required disclosures.”

Video and audio need the same care. A Reel or TikTok can carry the brokerage name on screen and in the caption, and your bio can carry the rest. Ask your broker whether your state accepts a profile link for every platform you use, because “one click away” works differently on Instagram than on a podcast app.

How prominent does the brokerage name have to be?

The brokerage name has to be easy to notice, and some states measure that. Texas sets a size rule; Arizona and Washington use a “clear and prominent” or “clear and conspicuous” standard and explain what that means.

• Texas: each ad must include, in a readily noticeable location, the name of the license holder or team, and “the broker’s name in at least half the size of the largest contact information for any sales agent, associated broker, or team name.” Contact information includes names, phone numbers, emails, websites, social handles and scan codes.
• Arizona: the Department of Real Estate’s Substantive Policy Statement 2025.03 says all advertising must “clearly and prominently display” the employing broker’s legal name or licensed DBA, citing rule R4-28-502(E). Among the topics it encourages brokers to cover in their policy manuals, it says the brokerage name “needs to be larger in size than the team name and must appear everywhere the team name appears.” The statement describes itself as advisory only.
• Washington: the guidelines say “clear and conspicuous” means a reasonable consumer “should be able to identify the firm based only on the advertisement.” A firm logo or website address alone doesn’t count as the firm’s licensed name, and using only part of a franchise firm name, such as the franchise brand without the local firm’s name, isn’t enough.

Notice the direction of travel: regulators want consumers to know which brokerage stands behind an ad at a glance. A huge agent headshot with a tiny brokerage logo in the corner is the most common way agents get this wrong.

What are the rules for real estate team names?

Team names are allowed in most states, but they can’t suggest the team is its own brokerage, and some states require registration or specific wording. The brokerage name still has to appear wherever the team name does.

Texas has the most detailed rules, in 22 TAC 535.154 and 535.155:

1. A team name “must end with the word ‘team’ or ‘group’.”
2. It may not include terms that could mislead the public into thinking the team offers brokerage services independent of its sponsoring broker. The advertising rule names “brokerage,” “company” and “associates” as examples.
3. The broker must register the team name with the Commission before a sponsored agent uses it in an ad, and notify the Commission within 10 days after the team stops using it.
4. Titles such as owner, president or CEO that imply a sales agent runs the brokerage are treated as misleading.

Arizona doesn’t define “team” in law. Its policy statement says it should be clear “that the Team is not an independent entity, but is working under the supervision of the Employing Broker,” and encourages brokers to address team names, signage and advertising in their policy manuals.

Washington lets a firm license an “assumed name,” which can be a team’s name. Advertising under a licensed assumed name satisfies the firm-name requirement, but mixing parts of two names, such as a franchise brand with a team name, is not allowed.

If you lead or are building a team, our guide to brokerage and team marketing covers branding choices that work inside these limits.

How do advertising rules differ by state?

Advertising rules differ by state in the details: how big the brokerage name must be, where it can go online, and whether team names need registration. The table compares the four states quoted above. It is a snapshot of each regulator’s text as read on October 10, 2026, not a complete list of each state’s requirements.

State and regulator	Brokerage name rule	Team names	Social media	Regulator source
Texas, Texas Real Estate Commission	Broker’s name at least half the size of the largest agent or team contact information	Must end in “team” or “group”; broker registers it; no “brokerage,” “company,” “associates”	Disclosures may sit on a profile or page reached by a direct link	22 TAC 535.154, 535.155
Arizona, Department of Real Estate	Employing broker’s legal or DBA name, clear and prominent	Not defined in law; advisory guidance says brokerage name larger than the team name, everywhere it appears	Same rule applies to all advertising	R4-28-502(E); SPS 2025.03
Florida, Florida Real Estate Commission	Licensed brokerage name in all ads; if your name appears, at least your last name as registered	Not addressed in this rule	Online, firm name adjacent to or directly above or below contact information	61J2-10.025
Washington, Department of Licensing	Firm’s licensed name, clear and conspicuous; logo or URL alone not enough	Team name can be a licensed assumed name of the firm	Firm and broker names prominent, no more than one click away	DOL advertising guidelines

For any other state, search your real estate commission’s website for its advertising rule and any guidance on teams and social media. Many associations publish summaries, but the regulator’s text is what an investigator will apply.

Do you need permission to advertise a listing?

You need the owner’s authority to advertise a property, and you usually need the listing broker’s permission to advertise someone else’s listing. MLS rules and IDX agreements can grant some of that permission, but only within their terms.

• NAR’s Standard of Practice 12-4 says REALTORS “shall not offer for sale/lease or advertise property without authority,” and listing brokers can’t quote a price other than the one agreed with the seller.
• Texas treats as misleading an ad about a property under an exclusive listing “without the permission of the listing broker and without disclosing the name of the listing broker,” unless the listing broker waived disclosure in writing. It also requires removing listing ads within 10 days after a listing ends, and updating the status on ads about a property 10 or more days after closing.
• Washington’s guidelines say industry professionals may only advertise properties for sale or lease, or properties sold or leased, with written authorization from the owner or the owner’s lawful representative.
• NAR’s Standard of Practice 12-7 says only the listing or cooperating broker in a transaction may claim to have “sold” the property. Texas adds that implying you were involved in a transaction you had no role in is misleading.

Timing matters as much as permission. Under NAR’s Clear Cooperation Policy, public marketing such as a yard sign or social post means the listing must go into the MLS within one business day. Our guide to Coming Soon and office exclusive listing rules explains what you can market before a listing goes live.

What are the FTC rules on real estate testimonials and reviews?

The FTC’s Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials, 16 CFR Part 465, was published in August 2024 and applies to agents and brokerages like any other business. It bans fake reviews, buying reviews for a particular sentiment, undisclosed reviews from insiders, and suppressing negative reviews through threats.

The parts that matter most for agents:

Section	What it prohibits	Real estate example
465.2	Writing, creating or selling reviews or testimonials that misrepresent that the reviewer exists, used the service, or had the experience described; buying or disseminating such reviews when you knew or should have known	Posting “client” testimonials written by your marketing assistant
465.4	Giving compensation or incentives conditioned on a review expressing a particular sentiment, positive or negative	A gift card offered only for five-star reviews
465.5	Reviews by officers or managers without clear disclosure of their relationship; managers soliciting undisclosed reviews from employees, agents or relatives	A team leader asking team members’ spouses for reviews without disclosure
465.6	Presenting a site you control as an independent review source	A “best agents in town” site you own that ranks your team first
465.7	Groundless legal threats, intimidation or knowingly false public accusations to stop or remove a review; showing only positive reviews as if they were all reviews	Threatening a lawsuit over an honest one-star review

The FTC’s Endorsement Guides, 16 CFR Part 255, add two ideas agents should know. First, a testimonial about a key result is likely to be read as typical of what clients can expect, so “Sold in 3 days, $40,000 over asking!” implies that’s normal unless you have support for it or clearly disclose what is typical. The Guides say disclaimers such as “results not typical” are unlikely to fix that impression. Second, under 255.5, a material connection between an endorser and the business, including family, business, payment or free services, must be disclosed clearly when the audience wouldn’t expect it.

State rules overlap here. Texas treats a ranking of the license holder as misleading “unless the ranking is based on objective criteria disclosed in the advertisement.” NAR’s Standard of Practice 12-1 bars REALTORS from calling their services “free” unless they will receive no financial compensation from any source, and 12-13 limits them to designations they have legitimately earned.

For the practical side, read how agents can ask for and answer Google reviews without breaking these rules.

How do Fair Housing rules apply to real estate ads?

Fair Housing rules apply to every real estate ad, in every medium. The Fair Housing Act bars housing ads that indicate any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status or national origin, and HUD’s regulation extends that to photos, oral statements and where ads are placed.

There is no official list of banned words. The standard is what an ordinary reader would take from the ad, which is why the most reliable habit is describing the property and its features rather than the people you picture buying it. REALTORS also follow Article 10 of the Code of Ethics, which adds sexual orientation and gender identity. Commonly flagged phrases, with safer rewrites, are in our Fair Housing word, photo and targeting guide. If you run paid ads on Facebook or Instagram, read our guide to Meta’s Special Ad Category for housing as well.

When does RESPA affect real estate advertising?

RESPA affects real estate advertising whenever a lender, title company or other settlement service provider pays for part of your marketing or you pay for part of theirs. Section 8 bans anything of value given for referrals, so shared costs have to match the marketing value each side actually receives.

A co-branded flyer, a jointly hosted seminar or a lender-sponsored podcast can be structured lawfully, and all can go wrong if the lender pays more than its share. Texas adds a disclosure rule: an ad promoting another service provider is misleading if you expect compensation when clients use that provider and the ad doesn’t say so. Our guide to RESPA co-marketing rules includes a cost-split worksheet and a documentation checklist.

Is a podcast appearance or speaker profile advertising?

A podcast appearance or online speaker profile is likely advertising when it promotes your brokerage services, because state definitions such as Texas’s cover broadcasts and “all electronic media.” Treat your guest bio, episode intro and show notes the way you treat a social profile.

In practice that means:

• Give your name and brokerage as licensed when the host introduces you, or ask the host to read them.
• Make sure your bio on the show’s page and any speaker directory names your brokerage the way your state requires.
• If you discuss your listings, follow the listing permission and MLS timing rules above.
• If you talk about neighborhoods, describe features, never who lives there.
• If the show is sponsored by a lender you work with, or you’re paid to appear, disclose the connection on air under the FTC’s Endorsement Guides.

When you list your brokerage on a speaker profile in the Icons podcast guest hub, use the same name format your broker approved for your website and social profiles, so every appearance identifies your brokerage the same way.

What should every real estate ad include? A checklist

Every real estate ad should identify your brokerage clearly, make only claims you can support, and pass a Fair Housing read. Run each new ad, post or video through this list before it goes out, and keep your broker’s advertising policy next to it.

• Brokerage’s licensed name, at the size and placement your state requires, or on a directly linked profile where allowed.
• Your name as licensed (or a registered alternate name), and your team name only if it meets state rules.
• No titles or wording that suggest a team or agent is a separate brokerage.
• Owner’s authority for any property shown; listing broker’s permission and name for other brokers’ listings.
• Listing status current; old listing ads removed on time.
• MLS timing rules met before any public marketing of a new listing.
• Testimonials real, representative or clearly qualified, and any material connection disclosed.
• No incentives tied to positive reviews; no hiding negative ones.
• Rankings, “sold” claims and designations accurate and sourced.
• Copy, photos and targeting checked for Fair Housing.
• Shared costs with any lender or title company split by value and documented.
• Your broker has approved the template or the piece, as your state and brokerage require.