Charleston Trident Association of Realtors

What Charleston Trident Association of Realtors does

Charleston Trident Association of REALTORS (CTAR) is a nonprofit professional trade association founded in 1907 and headquartered at 5006 Wetland Crossing Drive, North Charleston, South Carolina. It serves as the local chapter of the National Association of REALTORS for the South Carolina Lowcountry (Charleston, Dorchester, and Berkeley counties), representing residential brokers, salespeople, property managers, commercial brokers, appraisers, and counselors. The association's mission centers on professionalism, ethics, education, and technology, and it acts as the recognized 'Voice of Real Estate' for the region.

CTAR's core products and services span five areas: (1) a full education stack including pre-licensing (90-hour Associate Licensing Course delivered with Axiom Real Estate Academy at $475), continuing education delivered in-person and via Zoom (in partnership with Lancaster Institute), and designation pathways; (2) MLS access through its affiliated CHS MLS and the SCCMLS for commercial listings; (3) market intelligence via the Annual Residential Market Update and presentations from Dr. Joey Von Nessen; (4) advocacy and political engagement through RPAC, the Legislative Division, and policy positions; and (5) community programs including Inclusion, REALTORS Housing Opportunity Fund, Volunteer Days, and awards programs. The operating technology stack is modest — an IMS member portal for registration and dues, Zoom for virtual CE, and standard web/email/social channels — with no proprietary AI, software product, or public API.

The business model is membership-dues-driven and recurring, supplemented by per-course fees ($10–$75 depending on member status and Gold Card tier), licensing course revenue, and event registration/sponsorship income. CTAR does not disclose financials; it operates independently with no parent, funding rounds, or M&A activity, and is governed by a member-elected Board of Directors across Residential, Commercial Investment (CID), and Global divisions.

Name

Charleston Trident Association of Realtors

Legal name

Charleston Trident Association of REALTORS

Website

https://charlestonrealtors.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1907

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Charleston Trident Association of REALTORS (CTAR) is a 1907-founded nonprofit trade association serving as the NAR local chapter for South Carolina Lowcountry real estate professionals, delivering licensing and continuing education, MLS access, advocacy, and member events across Charleston, Dorchester, and Berkeley counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

North Charleston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: CTAR generates revenue through annual membership dues from residential and commercial brokers, salespeople, property managers, appraisers, and counselors engaged in the real estate industry in the South Carolina Lowcountry.
2. Continuing Education Courses: Revenue from virtual and in-person continuing education courses offered through CTAR and third-party providers such as Lancaster Institute. Members pay reduced fees compared to non-members, with Gold Card holders receiving additional discounts.
3. Licensing Course Fees: CTAR collaborates with Axiom Real Estate Academy to offer the 90-hour Associate Licensing Course (Unit I & II) at $475 per participant, which includes books and materials. This is a recurring cohort-based program.
4. Event Registrations and Sponsorships: Revenue from event fees (CID Happy Hour, Summer Conference, Beach Sweep, Broker Social) and sponsorship packages. Events such as CID Happy Hour charge $25 for guests while members attend free.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Charleston Trident Association of REALTORS (CTAR) is a nonprofit professional trade association that serves as the local chapter of the National Association of REALTORS for the South Carolina Lowcountry. It provides REALTOR members with membership services, pre-licensing and continuing education (in-person and virtual via Zoom), access to the CHS MLS and South Carolina Commercial MLS, market reports, advocacy and government relations, networking events, and Code of Ethics enforcement.

Product overview

Charleston Trident Association of REALTORS (CTAR) operates as a professional association for real estate professionals, offering a suite of member services rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include: education programs (pre-licensing through Axiom Real Estate Academy, continuing education, online courses, and designations) delivered via in-person and Zoom virtual formats; MLS access through CHS MLS and Commercial MLS; market reports and analysis; advocacy and government relations services; and an IMS member portal for registration and management. CTAR also organizes events including the annual Summer Conference and various Lunch & Learn sessions. The organization does not appear to offer a distinct software product or SaaS platform with technical integrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CTAR REALTOR Membership
• Associate Licensing Course (Unit I & II)
• Continuing Education Courses
• CHS MLS Access
• SCCMLS Commercial MLS Access
• CTAR Market Reports
• CTAR Advocacy and Government Relations
• CTAR IMS Member Portal
• CTAR Summer Conference
• FOREWARN Training

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 900 fractional ownerships have sold through CHS MLS since 2000, demonstrating the scale of market activity supported by CTAR's MLS infrastructure.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lancaster InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLancaster Institute is CTAR's primary third-party provider of virtual continuing education courses delivered via Zoom. CTAR partners with Lancaster Institute for a wide range of CE topics including Ethics, Fair Housing, Pricing Strategies, Property Management, AI tools, and more. The partnership enables CTAR to offer live, camera-required virtual CE courses with Lancaster handling course delivery and CTAR managing registration through its IMS portal.
• Axiom Real Estate AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCTAR collaborates with Axiom Real Estate Academy to deliver the 90-hour Associate Licensing Course (Unit I & II) for aspiring real estate professionals in South Carolina. The program runs from August to October on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings at CTAR's headquarters. Cost is $475 including books and materials. This partnership is the primary pathway for new agent licensing in the CTAR region.
• National Association of REALTORS (NAR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCTAR is the local chapter of the National Association of REALTORS, representing REALTORS in the South Carolina Lowcountry. This affiliation provides members with access to national advocacy (RPAC), the REALTOR Code of Ethics, national CE standards, and NAR's cycle-based ethics and fair housing training requirements.
• South Carolina REALTORS (SCR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth Carolina REALTORS is the state-level partner providing forms updates, licensing guidance, and policy representation. CTAR participates in SCR's educational programming and utilizes SCR Forms for residential transactions. CTAR hosted 'Mastering the 2026 SCR Forms Updates' as a CTAR course.
• SC CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Member)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSC CCIM co-hosts the annual CID Happy Hour with CTAR, SC CCIM, Carolina Chapter SIOR, and CREW. This is a networking event for the commercial real estate community.
• Carolina Chapter SIOR (Society of Industrial and Office REALTORS)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCarolina Chapter SIOR co-hosts the CID Happy Hour event with CTAR and other commercial real estate organizations in the Charleston region.
• CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women) CharlestonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCREW Charleston co-hosts the CID Happy Hour networking event with CTAR, SC CCIM, and SIOR.
• CHS MLS (Charleston Trident MLS)coreTechnology or IntegrationCHS MLS is the Multiple Listing Service operated by the Charleston Trident Association for its members. It supports residential and commercial property listings and has tracked more than 900 fractional ownership sales since 2000. CTAR directs prospective members to join via chsmls.com.
• SCCMLS (South Carolina Commercial MLS)coreTechnology or IntegrationThe South Carolina Commercial MLS is a separate commercial-only listing service. CTAR directs members to join through sccommercialmls.com for access to commercial property data and transactions.
• Beacon Community BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBeacon Community Bank sponsored the 'Lunch & Learn: Going from Zero to One with AI' event hosted by CTAR, demonstrating a marketing partnership with a regional financial institution targeting real estate professionals.
• North State BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNorth State Bank is the sponsor of the CID Happy Hour commercial real estate networking event, providing marketing visibility to a regional banking audience.
• Weeks & Irvine, LLCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWeeks & Irvine, LLC served as the course sponsor for the CTAR Certified 'Manufactured Home Transactions: Detitling & Loan Essentials' program, providing lending and legal expertise for the specialized CE course.
• Banker ExchangeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBanker Exchange, represented by Krista DeBrine, partnered with CTAR to deliver a Lunch & Learn session on 1031 Exchanges designed for real estate professionals, providing tax deferred exchange expertise.
• Friends of the LowlineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFriends of the Lowline, led by Executive Director Courtney Olson, partners with CTAR to provide community updates on the Lowcountry Lowline project — a 2-mile linear park and transportation corridor. CTAR hosts these updates to inform members about development projects impacting residential and commercial real estate.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pinellas Suncoast Association of REALTORS: A Florida coastal metro REALTOR association running the same member-services stack — MLS, CE, advocacy, designations — at a similar size tier to CTAR. Directly comparable as a peer-size coastal trade association.
• Triangle Area Association of REALTORS (Raleigh): A growing Southeast metro association of comparable maturity (multiple counties, residential + commercial, education leadership). CTAR's similar mix of education-led programming, MLS, and advocacy makes this a directly comparable peer association.
• South Carolina REALTORS: The state-level REALTOR association that CTAR feeds into; provides forms, licensing guidance, and state advocacy. Directly comparable as a peer trade association serving real estate professionals in the same geography, just one tier up in the chapter hierarchy.
• Savannah Board of REALTORS: Closest geographic peer across the SC/GA border; serves a similarly sized coastal-metro membership of residential and commercial REALTORS with education, MLS support, and advocacy. Comparable as a small-flank Southeast metro trade association facing analogous coastal-market dynamics.
• Greenville Area REALTORS: Another South Carolina-based metro REALTOR association operating at a comparable scale to CTAR, providing the same combination of licensing, CE, MLS, and advocacy services. Directly comparable as an in-state peer of similar size and scope.
• Realtors of Greater Chattanooga: Mid-sized Southeast metro trade association offering education, MLS access, and advocacy for its local REALTOR membership. Comparable as a similarly scaled peer trade association in an adjacent Southeast market.

Broad incumbents

• Miami Association of REALTORS: One of the largest US REALTOR associations by membership; comparable in the full scope of services (education, MLS, advocacy, market intelligence). Represents the upper-bound scale benchmark for what a multi-county Southeast-flank association can grow into.
• Greater Atlanta REALTORS: A large Southeast metro trade association offering the same broad portfolio of education, MLS, advocacy, and professional standards that CTAR operates. Comparable functionally but at substantially greater scale, useful as a benchmark for how CTAR's offering could evolve.
• Nashville REALTORS: A larger, but otherwise structurally similar metro trade association serving a fast-growing Southeast region. Comparable in scope and services (education, MLS, advocacy) but at a meaningfully bigger scale than CTAR.
• National Association of REALTORS: CTAR's parent national body; the only organization collecting NAR dues from CTAR members and setting the REALTOR Code of Ethics and national advocacy positions that local chapters implement. Comparable because it is the umbrella trade association for the same member base, just at national scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CharlestonRealtors
• Xx.com/ChasRealtors

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Charleston Trident Association of Realtors