C.A.R. Consumer Advertising Campaign Highlighting Differences between REALTORS and Real Estate Agents Set to Launch April 13; Campaign Reinforces the Value of Using a REALTOR When Buying or Selling a Home.

LOS ANGELES -- The California Association of REALTORS(R) (C.A.R.) will launch its 2005 Consumer Awareness REALTOR(R) Differentiation Advertising Campaign on April 13. Designed to highlight the differences between REALTORS(R) and real estate agents who are not REALTORS(R), the campaign originally hit the airwaves in 2003 and was met with overwhelming success among consumers and REALTORS(R) alike.

Research conducted at the conclusion of the initial campaign showed the first appreciable, significant improvement in recall of, and appreciation for, the REALTOR(R) designation in the 10 years C.A.R. has been conducting consumer market research. The research also showed that consumers are assigning an increasing importance to working with a real estate agent who is a REALTOR(R).

"Titled 'REALTOR(R) -- The Most Important Title in Real Estate(TM),' the campaign this year features 60-second radio spots being aired statewide," said C.A.R. President Jim Hamilton. "Based on the success of the campaign in the previous two years, we feel it's very important to continue the momentum behind the message by communicating directly with consumers about the added value they receive by working with a REALTOR(R) when buying or selling a home.

"The campaign reinforces the differences between REALTORS(R) and real estate agents and emphasizes the level of professionalism that California's more than 165,000 REALTORS(R) bring to the real estate transaction," he said. "The campaign empowers consumers to be more proactive and more selective about the person they will be working with when buying or selling their home."

The $1.6 million radio campaign emphasizes that consumers have a choice when selecting an agent to represent them when they're buying or selling a home, that REALTORS(R) adhere to a strict code of ethics, and that they're more likely to get results when working with a REALTOR(R). The ads also acknowledge C.A.R.'s Centennial anniversary and the REALTORS(R) who have been helping Californians buy and sell homes for 100 years.

For complete information on the 2005 Consumer Awareness REALTOR(R) Differentiation Advertising Campaign, go to http://www.car.org/index.php?id=MzE4MzA.

Leading the Way...(R) in California real estate for 100 years, the California Association of REALTORS(R) (www.car.org) is one of the largest state trade organizations in the United States, with more than 165,000 members dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate. C.A.R. is headquartered in Los Angeles.

Today's release also is available on C.A.R. Online at http://www.car.org/index.php?id=MzQ4Mzc.