Starting July 1, California’s real estate agents will be required to disclose their Department of Real Estate (DRE) license numbers on all materials they use as a first point of contact with consumers.
While the new law, Senate Bill 1461, does not specifically name what materials qualify as “first point of contact,” it has given some examples of materials that should be revised to show the DRE license number.
Some materials needing to be updated include business cards, stationery, advertising flyers and other materials used to solicit a professional relationship between a licensee and consumer.
These are some loose guidelines. As the new guidelines take effect, additional materials, including promotional items, may also need to be re-printed with the agent’s DRE license number.
There are some marketing materials that are excluded from the law, including advertisements in print or electronic media, "For Sale" signs and classified rental ads with the address or phone number of the rental property.
As realtors scramble to meet the requests of this new requirement, the DRE may adopt regulations that clarify the “first point contact” materials.
Whatever the DRE decides, it is a great idea for realtors to start re-designing and re-printing the materials that they know will need to have the DRE license number on them.
Business cards, letterhead and other flyers should be revised now. A proactive approach to re-printing materials and meeting the July 1 deadline can save realtors time, money and hassle during an economic time that is already full of headaches. There’s no better time to plan ahead than the present!
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