Best Benefit Ever: Top-level Domains for Realtors

Members of the National Association of Realtors will soon be able to host websites using the domain .realtor—and the first members who sign up will get to do it for free.

What’s the benefit? This fall the National Association of Realtors will release .realtor top-level domains for free to the first 500,000 members who seek a license for one, injecting some variety into the world of realty URLs. Members who apply via NAR’s application site  (opens in a new tab) and are approved will get their domain free for a year (prices haven’t been set yet for additional domains). And NAR has partnered with the Canadian Real Estate Association  (opens in a new tab) to provide a free one-year license to the first 10,000 CREA members who apply for a domain. The benefit has been in the works since last year, when the association announced its plan to take advantage of the decision by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers to release many new top-level domains  (opens in a new tab).

Why it works for members: In real estate, it’s all about location, and on the web, domain names work the same way. Members who join NAR’s program will be able to differentiate their sites from those of competitors. “When consumers visit a .realtor website they will know that they have reached a source of comprehensive and accurate real estate information as well as someone with unparalleled insight into the local market,” NAR President Steve Brown said in a statement  (opens in a new tab). But first, members must gain access to .realtor by complying with NAR’s list of rules and requirements  (opens in a new tab) [PDF].

Other benefits: One of NAR’s most prominent benefits is its MVP program  (opens in a new tab), which rewards members for actively participating in the association. NAR presents a new offer every two weeks, and members can take advantage of it once they complete a requested task. Members also get discounts on a variety of products and services  (opens in a new tab), from oil changes to car rentals to office supplies and electronics.

(Kenishirotie/ThinkStock)