A Grammar Lesson For Duplex Owners

RO_logoMaybe it’s just Minnesota duplex buyers, sellers and owners who need help with this, but after hearing a Minneapolis attorney speak yesterday, I realized everybody might need a refresher.

The word is pronounced Real-tor. I am a Real-tor who specializes in duplexes and small multi-family investment properties.

Not a Real-i-tor.

The letter “i” is not in the word.

At all.

Just like there’s no “i” in the word “Doctor”.

I’ve never heard a duplex investor say they needed to call a “Doc-i-tor” for help with the flu.

So why do people think there’s an “i” in “Realtor”?

It’s not like we’ve not been trying to clear things up. Just listen to any broadcast on NPR sponsored by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and you can hear how hard we’re trying.

The announcer even over-emphasizes the last syllable of the word, calling us the National Association of “Real-TORS”.

Not every real estate agent is a Realtor. A Realtor has agreed to comply with a code of ethics and is a member of  NAR. But that’s beside the point.

The mispronunciation of the word “Realtor” drives us a little crazy. So if you ever want to sell us something, practice saying it. Correctly. 

It goes a long way toward establishing credibility.