REALTOR® Membership
The Greater Boston Association of REALTORS® (GBAR) represents over 10,000 real estate professionals throughout the Greater Boston and Eastern Massachusetts area and is one of the local boards of the National Association of REALTORS® – the largest trade association in America. GBAR provides professional development courses, standard forms, legal reports and updates, brokerage counseling, legislative and regulatory representation, ethics, mediation and arbitration services, as well as recognition awards. REALTORS® subscribe to the strict Code of Ethics of the National Association of REALTORS®.
REALTOR® Membership Individuals who, as sole proprietors, partners, corporate officers, or branch office managers, are engaged actively in the real estate profession, including buying, selling, exchanging, renting or leasing, managing, appraising for others for compensation, counseling, or financing, building, developing or subdividing real estate, and who maintain or are associated with an established real estate office in the state of Massachusetts or a state contiguous thereto. Individuals who are engaged in the real estate profession other than as sole proprietors, partners, corporate officers, or branch office managers and are associated with a REALTOR® Member.
Primary and secondary REALTOR® Members. An individual is a primary member if the Board pays state and National dues based on such Member. An individual is a secondary Member if state and National dues are remitted through another Board. One of the principals in a real estate firm must be a Designated REALTOR® member of the Board in order for licensees affiliated with the firm to select the Board as their "primary" Board.
Designated REALTOR® Members. Each firm (or office in the case of firms with multiple office locations) shall designate in writing one REALTOR® Member who shall be responsible for all duties and obligations of Membership including the obligation to arbitrate pursuant to Article 17 of the Code of Ethics as well as the payment of Board dues. The "Designated REALTOR®" must be a sole proprietor, partner, corporate officer, or branch office manager acting on behalf of the firm's principal(s) and must meet all other qualifications for REALTOR® Membership.
Affiliate Membership
Affiliate Membership is a special category of membership reserved for individuals who are not actively engaged in the real estate profession, but who have an interest in the activities of the association, including access to resources, programs, services and information. Affiliate Membership is open to qualified individuals whose firms and businesses offer goods and services used by real estate professionals and/or their clients and customers.
Life Membership
To be considered for life membership, individuals must hold a current real estate salesperson or broker’s license from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; have held membership in the REALTOR® organization for a minimum of 30 years, including continuous membership in good standing with the Greater Boston Association of REALTORS® (GBAR) for no less than 10 years; and must be able to demonstrate at least 10 years of volunteer service to GBAR. Documented volunteer service shall be defined as participation as a GBAR director or member of a GBAR committee, task force, presidential advisory group; or acting as a representative of GBAR on the board of directors or a committee, task force or presidential advisory group of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board, Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® and/or National Association of REALTORS®
Life Membership Application
New Hire/Termination & Field of Business Forms
Complete these forms to notify the GBAR Membership Department of any changes within your office.
New Hire/Termination Form
Field of Business Form