Lawmakers consider delay to real-estate team naming rules to ease compliance

Sen. Mark Meek introduced Senate Bill 1513A on Feb. 24, saying the measure is a "simple timing fix" to House Bill 3137 that restricted how real estate teams may use words such as "realty" or "real estate" in team names. Meek, who represents Senate District 20, told the committee the naming changes are intended to prevent consumer confusion about which brokerage is responsible for a team’s activities and complaints.

"Updating signage, websites, printed materials, advertising, marketing, and other business communications" requires time, Meek said, and SB 1513A would give brokerages until July 1, 2027, to come into compliance. Jeremy Rogers, general counsel and government affairs director for Oregon Realtors, said enforcement of requirements that a brokerage’s name be prominently displayed has been difficult in practice and that the delayed implementation responds to concerns raised after the prior bill passed.

Committee members asked for practical examples of how names would appear; Meek said teams would be required to reference the brokerage clearly (for example, "[Team Name] Team, a branch of [Brokerage]") so consumers are not misled that a team is an independent company. No public opposition was recorded during the hearing.

The bill was presented to the committee for consideration; the committee closed the public hearing and moved on to other items on the agenda.