Make Sure Your Ads are Legal! 

The Real Estate Commission has recently been auditing the advertising of our agents. Be sure that your ads are in compliance (see "Rules" below). If you have questions regarding your advertising, please review them with Perry or Jim or Donna BEFORE submitting your ads. Thank You!

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RULES OF TENNESSEE REAL ESTATE COMMISSION
Chapter 1260-2 RULES OF CONDUCT

Rule 1260.-2-.12 ADVERTISING.
(1) All advertising, regardless of its nature and the medium in which it appears, which promotes the sale or lease of real property, shall conform to the requirements of this rule.

(2) General Principles

(a) No licensee shall advertise to sell, purchase, exchange, rent, or lease property in a manner indicating that the advertiser is not engaged in the real estate business.

(b) No advertisement by a licensee shall direct responses to only a post office box number, telephone number, and/or street address.

(c) Every licensee shall affirmatively and unmistakably indicate in any advertising that he is a licensed real estate agent.

(d) All licensees shall advertise under the firm name offers to purchase, sell, rent, or lease any property. All advertising must be under the direct supervision of the principal broker and must list the firm telephone number.

(e) No licensee shall post a sign on any property for which he does not have an active written authorization from the owner.

(3) A licensee is exempt from paragraph (2) of this rule if the licensee's advertising includes the designation "owner/agent" and the property is not listed.

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And for Yard Signs:

62-13-310 (b) Licensees may not post signs on any property advertising themselves as real estate agents unless the firm's name appears thereon in letters the same size or larger than those spelling out the name of the licensee.

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TRUTH IN LENDING, REGULATION Z (FDIC):

§ 226.24 Advertising.

(a) Actually available terms. If an advertisement for credit states specific credit terms, it shall state only those terms that actually are or will be arranged or offered by the creditor.
(b) Advertisement of rate of finance charge. If an advertisement states a rate of finance charge, it shall state the rate as an "annual percentage rate," using that term. If the annual percentage rate may be increased after consummation, the advertisement shall state that fact. The advertisement shall not state any other rate, except that a simple annual rate or periodic rate that is applied to an unpaid balance may be stated in conjunction with, but not more conspicuously than, the annual percentage rate.
(c) Advertisement of terms that require additional disclosures. (1) If any of the following terms is set forth in an advertisement, the advertisement shall meet the requirements of paragraph (c)(2) of this section:
(i) The amount or percentage of any downpayment.
(ii) The number of payments or period of repayment.
(iii) The amount of any payment.
(iv) The amount of any finance charge.
(2) An advertisement stating any of the terms in paragraph (c)(1) of this section shall state the following terms,{also see "49" below} as applicable:
(i) The amount or percentage of the downpayment.
(ii) The terms of repayment.
(iii) The "annual percentage rate," using that term, and, if the rate may be increased after consummation, that fact.

{"49" - An example of one or more typical extensions of credit with a statement of all the terms applicable to each may be used.}