Oregon Realtors ask Senate committee for more time to comply with new team-name rule

Representatives of the Oregon Realtors told the Senate Committee on Commerce and General Government that one provision of last year’s House Bill 3137—prohibiting use of the words “realty” or “real estate” as part of a team name—has proven difficult for brokerages to implement. Jeremy Rogers, general counsel and government affairs director for the Oregon Realtors, said SB 1513 would delay that specific provision’s operative date to July 1, 2027, so firms with team names containing those terms have time to comply.

Rogers explained that HB 3137 introduced team regulation and definitions into statute, requiring teams to disclaim affiliation and for brokerages to ensure advertising is not misleading. He said the statutory team‑name restriction aims to prevent consumer confusion when team branding could imply an independent firm rather than a team within a brokerage. Rogers cited work the association has done with members and said a delay is a pragmatic response after legal adoption and rule‑making triggered stakeholder concern.

Committee members questioned whether the name ban meaningfully protects consumers or simply imposes branding costs. One senator expressed confusion about whether consumers care which entity name appears on advertising; a practicing broker on the committee answered with practical examples in which consumers might mistakenly treat a team leader as the managing principal broker and therefore not know who has final supervisory authority.

The committee took testimony, discussed the proposal and closed the public hearing on SB 1513. Committee staff indicated an amendment clarifying the delay may be forthcoming.