How must a Christies International Real Estate franchisee identify themselves when dealing with customers?

According to the 2025 Christies International Real Estate Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees must conspicuously display a disclaimer stating "EACH OFFICE IS INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED" or any modification required by Christies International Real Estate, near the entrance of their office. This disclaimer must also be included on all signage, business cards, stationery, promotional and advertising materials, websites, email signatures, real estate documents, and all other materials used by the franchisee.

This requirement ensures that customers understand that each Christies International Real Estate office is independently run, which is a common practice in franchising. This clarifies that the franchisee is responsible for their own business operations and liabilities.

Furthermore, franchisees operate under the trade name "CHRISTIE'S INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE" with an approved suffix or prefix that uniquely identifies their office. While franchisees can't use the Christies International Real Estate marks in their entity's legal name, they must use the approved trade name in their business operations. This dual requirement of using the trade name while also displaying the disclaimer about independent ownership aims to balance brand consistency with transparency about the franchisee's independent role.