REAL ESTATE ADVERTISING & TEAM NAMES
Real Estate Team Names & Advertising: What Michigan REALTORS® Need to Know
Your team can have a brand. Just don’t make it look like a brokerage.
A practical guide to Michigan’s advertising requirements, team names, brokerage identification and the dos and don’ts of marketing yourself as a REALTOR®.
⚠️ QUICK ANSWER
Words like “Realty,” “Real Estate,” “Group,” and “Company” are not automatically prohibited in a team name.The issue is whether your advertising makes the public believe your team is a separate real estate brokerage.
Your employing brokerage must be clearly identified in real estate advertising.
SECTION 1 — THE 30-SECOND COMPLIANCE CHECK
Before You Publish, Check These 5 Things
☑ 1. Brokerage name: Is your licensed employing broker’s business name included?
☑ 2. Brokerage contact information: Does the advertising include the broker’s telephone number or street address when required?
☑ 3. Size matters: Is the brokerage name displayed in equal or greater type size than your team/licensee name?
☑ 4. Don’t look independent: Would a reasonable consumer understand that your team operates under a brokerage?
☑ 5. Broker approval: Does your advertising comply with your brokerage’s own advertising policies?
Then: If you can’t answer YES to all five, stop before you publish.
SECTION 2 — CAN I CALL MY TEAM “XYZ REALTY”?
Can My Team Use “Realty,” “Real Estate,” “Group” or “Company”?
Yes—but there’s a catch.
| Team Name | Automatically Prohibited? | What You Need to Watch |
|---|---|---|
| Smith Realty Group | ❌ No | Clearly identify employing broker |
| Lakeshore Real Estate Team | ❌ No | Don’t make it appear independently licensed |
| West Michigan Property Company | ❌ No | Brokerage must remain apparent |
| The Smith Group | ❌ No | Still must comply with advertising rules |
“Teams who do use those types of words want to be extra diligent about identifying their employing broker in any advertising.”
— Becky Berke, Michigan REALTORS®
SECTION 3 — WHAT DOES MICHIGAN LAW REQUIRE?
Michigan Advertising Requirements
In covered real estate advertising, you need:
THE EMPLOYING BROKER’S LICENSED BUSINESS NAME
AND THE EMPLOYING BROKER’S TELEPHONE NUMBER OR STREET ADDRESS
AND THE BROKERAGE NAME MUST BE AT LEAST AS LARGE AS THE TEAM/LICENSEE NAME.
SECTION 4 — “HOW BIG DOES MY BROKERAGE NAME HAVE TO BE?”
Michigan’s Two Type-Size Tests
The block containing the team/licensee name cannot be larger than the block containing the brokerage name.
SECTION 5 — ADVERTISING VS. BRANDING
Not Everything You Put Your Name On Is “Advertising”
The question is what you’re communicating—not simply what platform you’re using.
LARA has opined that the key phrase of the MI real estate advertising statute (MCL 339.2512e) is “any advertisement to buy, sell, exchange, rent, lease, or mortgage real property or a business opportunity.
If the activity is meant simply to RAISE BRAND AWARENESS – and is not advertising a specific business opportunity to buy/sell real estate – then it does not need to include the name of the employing broker and telephone number/street address.
SECTION 6 — THE CORPORATE SHIELD
Why This Matters Beyond Compliance
This isn’t just about avoiding a violation. It’s about protecting yourself.
🛡️ Liability:
Operating as though your team is a separate business can create questions about whether you’re actually conducting business in the name of your brokerage.
🏢 Brokerage Protection
Your brokerage’s corporate structure may provide important protections—but you shouldn’t assume those protections apply if you’re holding yourself out independently.
💼 E&O Insurance
Michigan REALTORS® has cautioned that advertising outside the name of the brokerage can create questions about whether the activity falls within the brokerage’s E&O coverage.
When your advertising makes the brokerage relationship clear, you’re helping protect yourself, your broker and your clients.
SECTION 7 — REALTOR® CODE OF ETHICS
REALTORS® Have an Additional Standard
Article 12 requires REALTORS® to present a true picture in advertising and marketing.
SOP 12-5 requires disclosure of the REALTOR® firm’s name in a reasonable and readily apparent manner.
SECTION 8 — FAQ
Can I use “Real Estate” in my team name?
Yes. But you still need to clearly identify your employing brokerage in advertising.
Can I use “Group”?
Yes. But you still need to clearly identify your employing brokerage in advertising.
Does my team name have to include my brokerage name?
Not necessarily. However, you must make the affiliation with your employing broker clear in advertising. Including the brokerage name directly in the team branding may be the safest and clearest approach.
Can I register my team name as an LLC?
That does not make the team a licensed real estate brokerage. Your licensed real estate activity must still be conducted through your employing broker.
Does my brokerage logo satisfy the requirement?
Not necessarily. The brokerage's licensed business name must be used as required. A logo or franchise name alone may not be sufficient unless it includes the properly licensed/authorized name as well as the phone number or address.
Does this apply to Facebook and Instagram and other social media networks?
Yes, when the content constitutes real estate advertising or solicitation, the brokerage name and phone number or address must be included.
Does the brokerage name have to be bigger than my team name?
It must be equal to or greater in type size under Michigan's advertising requirements.
What if LARA isn't enforcing this right now?
Don't build your compliance strategy around enforcement assumptions. The requirement exists regardless of whether you've personally seen enforcement.
Who should approve my advertising?
Your employing broker. Your broker may also have advertising requirements that are stricter than the state's minimum requirements.
Last Updated: August, 2026