First, .REALTOR, now .realestate
After being granted the rights to the .REALTOR top-level domain, the National Association of Realtors became one of the first trade groups to have won the rights to a top-level domain from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) which coordinates domains and IP addresses globally.
Today, the association is announcing that they have racked up their second top-level domain, winning the rights to the new .realestate top-level domain, a process that takes years and many complexities to complete.
The two domains will be used to “create order for real estate information on the Internet and to provide NAR members with tools that help brand themselves as the most trusted, valued source of real estate information,” the trade group said in a statement.
NAR has worked closely with Second Generation subsidiary Real Estate Domains, LLC, an investment firm and registry operator for the top-level domain .JOBS.
How .realestate differs from .REALTOR
NAR notes that .realestate will have “wider business applications” as it will be open to non-members, as opposed to .REALTOR which is only available to members.
To us, this appears to be a way for ancillary real estate services to get in on the top-level domain madness without violating the NAR’s firm grip on their trademarked term, Realtor. Will Zillow, HOAs, mortgage brokers, and inspectors start snatching up .realestate domains? Possibly.
“NAR is thrilled that it has acquired the rights to the .realestate top-level domain,” said NAR President Steve Brown. “As the leader in the real estate industry and the ‘voice for real estate,’ NAR has been a pioneer for new technology in the digital space and intends to use the .realestate domain in conjunction with the .REALTOR domain to build an online space where home buyers, sellers and investors can find credible and professional real estate resources and services.”
When can you get your own URL?
The .realestate business rules, pricing, and the launch date will become available in the first quarter of 2015 at realtor.org.
