What’s in a word? Quite a lot, really.

A few months ago, several Northwest media outlets reported that a Realtor allegedly stole property from homes that she accessed through the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) lock box. These selected media incorrectly identified her as a Realtor.

She was a licensed real estate agent, but not a REALTOR®.

The word “REALTOR®” is a professional designation requiring members to submit to a strict code of ethics and to engage in extra training to better serve clients.

Steve Klaniecki, director of communications for the Washington Association of REALTORS®, requested stations and newspapers that identified the person as a REALTOR® to correct this mistake.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office recently upheld the REALTOR® and REALTORS® trademarks, honoring the right of the National Association of REALTORS® to use the terms exclusively to designate membership in the association.

“In addition” Klaniecki said, “we believe there are important distinctions and offer the following information about the differences between REALTORS® and licensed real estate agents.”

•1. REALTORS® must subscribe to a strict code of ethics and standards of practice, which are not required of licensed real estate agents.

•2. REALTORS® must receive additional training and education not required of licensed real estate agents.

•3. In Washington, more than 16,000 professionals, or 59 percent of licensed real estate agents, are REALTORS®.

•4. The National Association of REALTORS® includes more than 1 million members.

•5. The type of theft mentioned above is very rare, because the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) lock box has an electronic tracking system that records and identifies each agent visitor to the home for sale.