How the term "REALTOR®" came about...

C.N. Chadbourn, President of the Board in 1912, coined the term REALTOR® four years later.

The creator of the term REALTOR®, C. N. Chadbourn, tells the story of how it came about.

“I was on my way to a meeting of our Minneapolis Board in November, 1911. A street newsboy was peddling a sensational sheet which bore the headlines “REAL ESTATE MAN SWINDLES A POOR WIDOW!” A casual examination of the article showed that the ‘real estate man’ in question was not a member of our local Real Estate Board, but was only an obscure speculator with desk-room in some back office. Nevertheless, by his dishonor he had besmirched every ‘real estate man’ in Minneapolis, including all the members of our Board.

Then the thought occurred to me, “Why should not Real Estate Board members adopt some name by which to call ourselves, which would distinguish them from such rascals? Why could we not adopt a title which would designate our members, which would imply that they are vouched for by our Board as well qualified and responsible and would confirm the confidence of the public in them?

I mulled over this idea for three or four weeks. Finally I hit upon the title “REALTOR.” At the next meeting of the Minneapolis Board I sprang my idea upon the members assembled there and after some discussion the word was adopted as a title for members of the Minneapolis Real Estate Board. When the Minneapolis Board sent their delegates to the next National Convention, it was felt that the word had made sufficient progress so that it might be discussed at the meeting.”

Established in 1887, the Minneapolis Area Association of REALTORS® (MAAR) is the leading regional advocate and provider of information services, research and education on the real estate industry for brokers, real estate professionals and the public. With more than 9,000 members, MAAR is one of the 20 largest local REALTOR® association in the nation and serves the Twin Cities 13-county metro area and Wisconsin.