December 2024
The Oregon Real Estate Agency (OREA) has received inquiries from licensees showing there is confusion about when to request a legal name change and when to register an alternative name for the purpose of real estate advertising.
Key Definitions
Legal Name: The name given to you at birth or subsequently acquired through marriage, court order, or adoption, without the use of initials or nicknames.
Licensed Name: The name that appears on your current, valid real estate license issued by OREA.
Alternative Name: A name you are known by that differs from your licensed name and has been registered with OREA.
Advertising Defined
Advertising encompasses all forms of meaningful communication by or on behalf of a licensee designed to attract the public to professional real estate services. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Print materials: mail, publications, brochures, postcards, business cards, and stationery.
- Outdoor advertising: lawn signs, displays, and billboards.
- Communication channels: mobile phone texts, cold calls, outgoing voicemail greetings.
- Broadcast media: radio, television, podcasts, and videos.
- Electronic online media: MLS, websites, email, social media, and mobile apps.
Your Name in Advertising
When using your name in your advertising, it must be one of the following:
- Your licensed name.
- A common derivative of your licensed first name and your licensed last name.
- An alternative name registered with the Agency
and your license number.
Name Change Procedures
Legal Name Change: If your legal name changes, you must complete a legal name change application with OREA, which will update your licensed name.
Alternative Name Registration: If you wish to use a name in advertising that is not your legal name or a common derivative, you must register an alternative name with OREA.
For direction on completing a legal name change or registering an alternative name, visit
https://www.oregon.gov/rea/licensing/pages/change-licensed-name.aspx.