CHICAGO – December 19, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — The Canadian Real Estate Association, in cooperation with the National Association of Realtors®, has secured the rights to the .MLS top-level domain. CREA has registered Canadian certification marks for the letters MLS and the term “multiple listing service” in Canada and is the exclusive licensee of the Realtor® mark in Canada.
“It was important to keep the .MLS domain in the Realtor® family, and NAR was happy to work with our Canadian cousins in this effort,” said NAR President Chris Polychron, executive broker with 1st Choice Realty in Hot Springs, Ark. “As Realtors® on both sides of the border, we all stand together to create order for real estate information on the Internet and give our members the online advantages they need to best serve their clients and customers.”
The .MLS domain is the third top-level domain win for NAR; the association has also won the rights to the .REALTOR and .realestate top-level domains. Because of NAR’s exclusive marketing partnership with CREA, Realtor® members of CREA are also able to use the .REALTOR domain.
“This win is a great example of how CREA and NAR are working together for the benefit of our members. MLS® systems are widely recognized by consumers as a go-to resource when they want to buy or sell real estate,” said CREA President Beth Crosbie. “Owning the .MLS domain protects the integrity of what the MLS® trademark signifies to Realtors®, consumers and real estate boards and associations.”
NAR worked with CREA to secure the .MLS domain through its wholly owned subsidiary, the Realtors® Information Network. The MLS Domains Association, a nonprofit group of 55 U.S. multiple-listing services, was also in support of CREA’s application.
CREA applied for the .MLS top-level domain through the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, the entity that coordinates domains and IP addresses for the Internet. Second Generation assisted NAR and CREA in obtaining the .MLS domain. A Cleveland investment firm and registry operator for the top-level domain .JOBS, Second Generation also worked with NAR to secure the .realestate and .REALTOR domains.
The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) is one of Canada’s largest single-industry trade associations, representing more than 109,000 REALTORS® working through some 90 real estate Boards and Associations.
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Visit www.crea.ca to learn more about The Canadian Real Estate Association.
Media Contact: Sara Wiskerchen / 202-383-1013
