Not every real estate agent is a REALTOR, and the difference matters more than most people realize. I’m Robbie English, REALTOR, Broker at Uncommon Realty, and I’ve worked in and around Great Hills for years. This page is about what those credentials actually mean and why they’re worth checking for before you hire someone to represent you here.
REALTOR is a trademark, not a job title
“REALTOR” is a registered trademark of the National Association of REALTORS, and only members of NAR and their local association are allowed to use it. Plenty of licensed real estate agents are not REALTORS, which means they answer to the state’s minimum licensing rules and nothing beyond that. Being a REALTOR means agreeing to a higher standard than the law requires, and it means a local board of REALTORS has the authority to investigate and discipline you if you don’t meet it.
What the Code of Ethics actually covers
The NAR Code of Ethics runs seventeen articles deep, covering duties to clients, duties to the public, and duties to other REALTORS. It sets rules around honest representation, disclosure, handling client funds, and how agents deal with each other during a transaction. If a REALTOR violates it, the local association can investigate a complaint and issue real discipline, up to losing membership entirely. That’s a layer of accountability a non-member agent doesn’t answer to.
My role as a Designated REALTOR
I’m also the Designated REALTOR at Uncommon Realty, which is a broker-level role, not an administrative title. Getting there required a real estate broker license on top of my original sales agent license, which in Texas means hundreds of additional hours of coursework beyond what a standard agent needs, plus qualifying experience and a separate state exam. As the Designated REALTOR, I hold our firm’s REALTOR membership and I’m accountable for the office’s compliance with the Code of Ethics, not just my own transactions.
Why this matters for a Great Hills transaction
Great Hills has enough variation in home age and lot condition that you want someone who’ll tell you the truth about what they see, not chase whatever closes fastest. The credentials don’t replace local knowledge, but they mean I’m operating under a standard with real consequences if I don’t meet it. You can read more about the neighborhood itself, including schools, HOA rules, and home stock, on my Great Hills neighborhood page.
Why work with me
Beyond the credentials, I’ve spent decades in this business and I’m also a national real estate speaker and instructor, teaching other agents around the country how negotiation and strategy actually work. You can read more about my background on my agent bio page and about Uncommon Realty.
If you decide to hold onto a Great Hills property as a rental instead of selling, I also offer property management through Uncommon Rentals by Uncommon Realty.
Ready to talk?
If credentials and accountability matter to you as much as local knowledge does, let’s talk. I’ll tell you plainly what I see and what my role actually means for your transaction.
I look forward to serving you, the uncommon way.
