Which Local REALTOR® Board Covers Your NJ County?
The short answer: New Jersey has 13 local REALTOR® boards and associations, and the one you would join is the board that corresponds to your brokerage office's location, not your home address (NJ REALTORS®, Join). Joining is optional. REALTOR® membership isn't one of the state's requirements for a real estate license (NJREC FAQ).
This page is a lookup: the 13 boards, where their offices are, and which board lines up with each county. It sits alongside our guide to PSI test centers in New Jersey, the other county-by-county question new licensees ask.
Do you have to join a REALTOR® board to get a NJ license?
No. The Real Estate Commission's requirements for a salesperson license are: be at least 18, have a high school education or equivalent, finish a 75-hour pre-licensure course at a licensed school, pass the state exam, and apply through a sponsoring Employing Broker (NJREC FAQ). Board membership isn't on that list.
REALTOR® is a membership mark, not a license. It identifies a member of the National Association of REALTORS® who subscribes to its Code of Ethics (NAR). Our guide to agent vs. REALTOR® vs. broker explains the difference in detail.
One legal point is worth knowing: NJ law lists "using any trade name or insignia of membership in any real estate organization of which the licensee is not a member" as grounds for discipline (N.J.S.A. 45:15-17(j)). So if you're licensed but not a member, don't call yourself a REALTOR®.
How does REALTOR® membership work in New Jersey?
According to NJ REALTORS®, membership "begins at the local level and extends to NJ Realtors® and the National Association of Realtors®." You contact the local board for your area, and "the correct local board for you will correspond to your office location." New members get a membership card and a nine-digit NRDS number (NJ REALTORS®, Join).
In practice, that means the board question usually gets settled when you pick a brokerage. Ask during your sponsoring broker interviews whether the office expects agents to join and which board it belongs to.
What are the 13 local boards?
The list and addresses come from NJ REALTORS® (Local Boards). The county column is our own note on where each office is located.
| Board / association | Main office | Satellite offices listed | County of main office |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic City & County Board of REALTORS® | Egg Harbor Township | none | Atlantic |
| Cape May County Association of REALTORS® | Swainton | none | Cape May |
| Cumberland County Board of REALTORS® | Vineland | none | Cumberland |
| Gloucester Salem Counties Board of REALTORS® | Woodbury Heights | none | Gloucester |
| Greater Bergen REALTORS® | Saddle Brook | none | Bergen |
| Liberty Board of REALTORS® | Secaucus | none | Hudson |
| Mid Jersey Association of REALTORS® | South River | Branchburg | Middlesex |
| Monmouth Ocean Regional REALTORS® | Tinton Falls | Manahawkin; Toms River | Monmouth |
| NEXUS Association of REALTORS® | Cherry Hill | Toms River | Camden |
| North Central Jersey Association of REALTORS® | Morristown | none | Morris |
| Ocean City Board of REALTORS® | Ocean City | none | Cape May |
| Sussex County Association of REALTORS® | Sparta | none | Sussex |
| Warren County Board of REALTORS® | Oxford | none | Warren |
Which board covers my county?
Here's every county, matched to the board offices in it and to any coverage we could verify. Where we couldn't verify coverage, the table says so.
| County | Board office(s) in the county | Verified coverage note |
|---|---|---|
| Atlantic | Atlantic City & County Board | n/a |
| Bergen | Greater Bergen REALTORS® | n/a |
| Burlington | none listed | NEXUS covers Burlington (Bright MLS) |
| Camden | NEXUS (Cherry Hill) | NEXUS covers Camden (Bright MLS) |
| Cape May | Cape May County AOR; Ocean City Board | n/a |
| Cumberland | Cumberland County Board | n/a |
| Essex | none listed | Not verified. Ask NJ REALTORS® or your broker |
| Gloucester | Gloucester Salem Counties Board | n/a |
| Hudson | Liberty Board | n/a |
| Hunterdon | none listed | Mid Jersey AOR covers Hunterdon (Bright MLS) |
| Mercer | none listed | Mid Jersey AOR covers Mercer (Bright MLS) |
| Middlesex | Mid Jersey AOR (South River) | Mid Jersey AOR covers Middlesex (Bright MLS) |
| Monmouth | Monmouth Ocean Regional REALTORS® | n/a |
| Morris | North Central Jersey AOR | n/a |
| Ocean | Monmouth Ocean Regional satellites (Manahawkin, Toms River); NEXUS satellite (Toms River) | NEXUS covers Ocean (Bright MLS) |
| Passaic | none listed | Not verified. Ask NJ REALTORS® or your broker |
| Salem | none listed | The Gloucester Salem Counties Board includes Salem in its name |
| Somerset | Mid Jersey AOR satellite (Branchburg) | Mid Jersey AOR covers Somerset (Bright MLS) |
| Sussex | Sussex County AOR | n/a |
| Union | none listed | Not verified. Ask NJ REALTORS® or your broker |
| Warren | Warren County Board | n/a |
A caution about reading this table: a board's name and office address don't officially define its territory. Under NJ REALTORS® bylaws, each board's territory is recommended by NJ REALTORS® and decided by NAR's board of directors. A board's name only has to be "generally descriptive of its location and wherever feasible of its territory" (NJ REALTORS® Bylaws, Art. XV). For a definite answer about a specific office address, ask the board or NJ REALTORS®.
Is a REALTOR® board the same thing as an MLS?
No. A board is a membership association. A Multiple Listing Service is a database that lets listing brokers work with buyers' agents. NJ REALTORS® lists eight MLSs serving New Jersey (NJ REALTORS®, MLSs):
- All Jersey MLS (Fords)
- Bright MLS (headquartered in North Bethesda, MD)
- Cape May County MLS (Swainton)
- Garden State MLS (Parsippany)
- Monmouth Ocean Regional MLS (Tinton Falls)
- New Jersey MLS (Saddle Brook)
- Realty MLS (Secaucus)
- South Jersey Shore Regional MLS (Egg Harbor Township)
Several share an address with a local board, which is why people mix them up. The MLS does matter under state rules, though. Listing agreements that put a property in an MLS must name the complete MLS (N.J.A.C. 11:5-6.2(e)), and listing brokers must notify the MLS of a new listing within 48 hours of its effective date (N.J.A.C. 11:5-6.4(f)).
What does a local board offer members?
NJ REALTORS® lists member resources that include professional forms and contracts, a legal resource library, monthly housing statistics by state, county and municipality, and free or low-cost continuing education (NJ REALTORS®, Join). If you join, make sure any CE you take counts toward New Jersey's requirement. Our continuing education guide explains what qualifies.
How do you find the right board, step by step?
- Pick your brokerage first. The board follows your office location.
- Find your office's county in the table above.
- Confirm with the board or NJ REALTORS® before you apply, especially if your county shows "not verified."
- Ask your broker whether the office is a member firm and whether it expects agents to join.
None of this affects your license itself. That runs through the Real Estate Commission and your employing broker.
If you're still at the start of the process, Business Elementary's 75-hour pre-licensing course is the first required step.
Sources
- NJ REALTORS®, Local Boards: https://www.njrealtor.com/about/local-boards/
- NJ REALTORS®, Join NJ Realtors®: https://www.njrealtor.com/membership/join/
- NJ REALTORS®, MLSs: https://www.njrealtor.com/about/mls/
- NJ REALTORS® Bylaws (adopted June 7, 2022), Article XV, Territorial Jurisdiction: https://www.njrealtor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/6.7.22-Adopted-NJR-Bylaws.pdf
- Bright MLS, Our Associations (county coverage): https://www.brightmls.com/our-associations
- NJREC, Real Estate FAQs: https://www.nj.gov/dobi/division_rec/recfaqs.htm
- N.J.S.A. 45:15-17 (via Justia): https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/title-45/section-45-15-17/
- N.J.A.C. 11:5-6.2 and 11:5-6.4 (via Cornell LII): https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/new-jersey/N-J-A-C-11-5-6-2 ; https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/new-jersey/N-J-A-C-11-5-6-4
- NAR, Membership Marks Manual: https://www.nar.realtor/membership-marks-manual/definition-of-realtor
Last reviewed: October 27, 2026
Related guides:
- Want to know how the MLS itself works? See How MLSs Work in New Jersey for listing entry, broker cooperation, statuses and how agents get access.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many local REALTOR® boards are there in New Jersey?
Thirteen. NJ REALTORS® lists 13 local boards and associations, from Greater Bergen REALTORS® in Saddle Brook to the Cape May County Association of REALTORS® in Swainton (NJ REALTORS®).
I live in one county but my brokerage is in another. Which board do I join?
The board that matches your office. NJ REALTORS® says the correct local board "will correspond to your office location" (NJ REALTORS®, Join).
Can I call myself a REALTOR® if I'm licensed but not a member?
No. REALTOR® identifies NAR members (NAR), and NJ law lists using the insignia of an organization you don't belong to as grounds for discipline (N.J.S.A. 45:15-17(j)).
How many MLSs serve New Jersey?
NJ REALTORS® lists eight, including Garden State MLS, New Jersey MLS, Bright MLS and the South Jersey Shore Regional MLS (NJ REALTORS®, MLSs).
What is an NRDS number?
A nine-digit National Realtor® Database System number that new members receive when they join a local board. It's used to access member benefits such as NJ REALTORS® online forms (NJ REALTORS®, Join).