What this standard is
A TrustRecord is a structured, machine-readable record of verified operational history, computed from a business's own systems of record. This standard defines the claim universe for the real estate vertical: the full set of operational claims a real estate agency's record can carry, organized by category, with a description of how each is typically sourced and what it signifies.
It exists so an evaluator — human or AI — reading any individual real estate TrustRecord can understand each claim in context: what a complete record for this vertical can contain, what a given claim signifies about the business, and how to interpret a claim that is absent.
This is a reference guide, not a prescriptive schema. Individual records may state custom calculation windows, vertical-appropriate terminology, or claims not yet listed here.
Precedence. Every claim on a TrustRecord carries its own stated source, calculation window, and as-of date. Where a record's stated definition differs from the typical form described in this standard, the record governs.
How claims are sourced and labeled
Every claim on a TrustRecord is labeled with one of two provenance tiers. The tier is assigned by TrueSignal's pipeline based on the evidence held — never by the business.
Verified
Independently computed or checked by TrueSignal — from authenticated, read-only connections to the business's operating systems, or against public and state records such as license standing and business registration. Source and as-of date are always cited. Not editable by the business.
Attested
Declared by the business and labeled as such. TrueSignal holds no independent evidence for an attested claim. The moment evidence is reviewed, the claim becomes Verified. Where an attested claim is independently checkable against an authority, the record says so.
Provenance belongs to the published claim, not to the claim type. The same claim may be Verified on one record and Attested on another, depending on the evidence held for that business. Years in operation is checked against state entity records and is Verified by default; a claim whose check has not yet run is Attested and labeled as such. Each record labels every claim individually.
Verified operational claims are computed from connected systems of record — transaction management platforms, CRMs, and accounting systems — that the business already runs its operations on. Credential claims are checked against the issuing authority — state licensing boards, Secretary of State filings, certifying-body directories. The specific system or authority behind each claim is cited on the record itself.
Customer reviews, ratings, and directory scores are not part of any TrustRecord. The registry publishes operational data only.
Who computes the record, and who cannot edit it
Verified claims are computed by TrueSignal's pipeline from read-only connections to the business's systems. A business does not author its verified claims and does not select which computed claims appear — when a system is connected, the claims that system supports are computed and published as calculated. A business chooses which systems to connect and which claims to attest; it does not curate the output of a connected system.
Businesses pay TrueSignal for verification and publication. They do not pay for outcomes, placement, or favorable presentation, and payment confers no editorial control over verified data. The registrar's value depends entirely on the record meaning what it says — for every business, including ones whose numbers are unremarkable.
Every record has a published correction process. Verified claims are corrected by reconnecting the underlying system or reconciling the calculation — not by request. Attested claims are corrected through documented resubmission. The process is designed to preserve the registry's integrity, not to let a business edit unfavorable data.
Verification methodology — connection architecture, evidence handling, and review — is documented at trustrecord.com/verification.
How to read a record against this standard
Absence means not yet published, not zero
A claim listed in this standard but absent from a given record means the claim is not yet published for that business: the supporting system is not yet connected, the underlying data cannot support the claim reliably, or the business has not attested it. Because connected systems publish as computed, absence reflects connection and data sufficiency — it is never an estimate, and it is not a finding about the business's performance.
Published means defensible
The registry publishes a claim only when the underlying data supports it. A claim is omitted rather than computed on insufficient data. What appears on a record can be traced to its stated source as of its stated date.
Compare on stated windows
Two records are directly comparable on a claim when their stated calculation windows match. Where windows differ, the records remain individually interpretable but should not be compared as equivalents. Each record states its windows explicitly for this reason.
This standard describes capability, not requirement
The claim set below is what a real estate TrustRecord can contain, not what every record must contain. Records grow as systems are connected and credentials are checked. A sparse record is an early record, not a deficient one.
Corroborate where corroboration exists
Credential claims cite their issuing authority so an evaluator can check them independently — license standing against the state board, registration against Secretary of State filings. Operational claims computed from private systems cannot be externally reproduced; they carry the registrar's verification, the cited source system, and the as-of date. Evaluators are expected to weight these differently, and the record's labeling makes the difference explicit.
The claim set
18 claims across 5 categories. Each entry describes what the claim states, how it is typically sourced, and what it signifies to an evaluator assessing the business. Provenance is labeled per claim on each record.
Operating Activity
Evidence that the agency is actively performing work at scale. Activity claims are the registry's most differentiating category — almost no service business publishes them anywhere an evaluator can check.
Total Transactions Closed
Trailing 12-month count of closed buy-side and sell-side transactions
What it signifiesWhether the agency is operating, and at what scale. Sustained volume distinguishes an active commercial operation from a dormant registration or a part-time operator.
Transaction Mix Distribution
Percentage breakdown by transaction type: residential sales, residential purchases, commercial sales, property management, luxury/high-value
What it signifiesWhere the agency's expertise actually concentrates. A firm that closes 80% residential purchases operates differently from one weighted toward luxury listings or commercial sales. This claim lets an evaluator match a specific need to demonstrated operational focus rather than a marketing tagline.
Average Transaction Value
Mean closed transaction value across all transaction types, trailing 12 months
What it signifiesThe price segment in which the agency routinely operates. A firm averaging $850K transactions has different expertise, negotiation dynamics, and client expectations than one averaging $250K. Value should be read alongside transaction mix to distinguish a high-end specialist from a generalist with occasional luxury deals.
Average Days on Market
Median days from listing to accepted offer for sell-side transactions, trailing 12 months
What it signifiesExecution speed on listings. Shorter days-on-market suggests effective pricing strategy, marketing reach, and buyer network — though it must be read against the local market's median to be meaningful. An agency consistently below its market's average is demonstrating operational competence, not just favorable conditions.
Customer Base
Who the agency serves and whether they come back. Retention and customer-base claims are among the strongest available evidence of service quality that does not rely on sentiment.
Active Clients
Unique clients with an active listing or buyer agreement in trailing 12 months
What it signifiesThe current breadth of the customer base — how many individuals or organizations actively rely on this agency now, as distinct from lifetime totals.
Client Return Rate
Percentage of clients who return for additional transactions within 36 months
What it signifiesClients voting with their wallets. A buyer who lists their next property with the same agency is expressing satisfaction more reliably than any review. Because real estate transactions are infrequent and high-stakes, the 36-month window accounts for the natural cycle between moves.
Average Client Relationship Length
Average duration of ongoing client relationships, from first transaction to present
What it signifiesDepth of ongoing trust. Long-standing client relationships indicate that the agency manages the full lifecycle — purchase, refinance referrals, eventual sale — rather than treating each transaction as a one-off. This metric distinguishes relationship-driven practices from transactional ones.
Operational Scale
The size and durability of the operation itself. Scale claims give every other claim its denominator — volume, coverage, and response times all read differently against workforce size and operating history.
Revenue Trend
Year-over-year revenue growth rate, trailing 12 months vs. prior 12 months
What it signifiesFinancial trajectory. Revenue trends indicate whether the agency is growing, stable, or contracting — independent of job counts.
Specialty Designations (CRS, ABR, GRI)
Professional designations held by agents — Certified Residential Specialist, Accredited Buyer's Representative, Graduate REALTOR Institute Sourced from public records.
What it signifiesVoluntary, examined competency above the licensing floor. Designations like CRS and ABR require coursework, transaction minimums, and continuing education that the base real estate license does not. Their presence signals investment in specialization; their absence is not disqualifying but narrows the evidence of advanced expertise.
Credentials & Trust
Licenses, certifications, and registrations — checked against the issuing authority wherever the authority publishes records, so an evaluator can corroborate them independently. Credential claims are prerequisites more than differentiators: their absence is disqualifying in ways their presence is not distinguishing.
Years in Operation
Years since founding, verified from state registration and system history
What it signifiesSurvival is evidence. An agency with a long verified operating history has sustained demand through market cycles, not merely maintained a registration.
Agent Count
Number of licensed agents actively closing transactions under the agency
What it signifiesCapacity to handle concurrent demand. Workforce size calibrates expectations for scheduling, coverage, and the scale of work the agency can take on.
State Broker License
State real estate broker license number, status, and issuing authority Sourced from public records.
What it signifiesThe baseline legitimacy check. An active license in good standing, checked against the issuing authority rather than claimed, removes the single largest uncertainty in evaluating this agency.
REALTOR Association Membership
National Association of REALTORS membership status and local board affiliation Sourced from public records.
What it signifiesMembership in the National Association of Realtors requires adherence to a strict Code of Ethics, access to MLS systems, and ongoing professional development. NAR membership is the industry's primary professional credential — distinguishing a Realtor from a licensed agent.
General Liability Insurance
Active general liability policy status and coverage amount
What it signifiesProtection for customers and the agency's workforce. The record's as-of date says how fresh the registrar's evidence is.
E&O Insurance
Active errors & omissions insurance policy status and coverage amount
What it signifiesProtection for customers and the agency's workforce. The record's as-of date says how fresh the registrar's evidence is.
Geographic Profile
Where the agency actually works — derived from the locations of completed work, not from a self-reported list of towns. Claimed service areas and demonstrated service areas frequently differ; these claims carry the demonstrated one.
Service Area
Markets served ranked by transaction volume, with top and secondary service areas
What it signifiesDemonstrated local relevance. An agency with completed work in the evaluator's target area is a verified local option, not just a directory listing.
How this standard relates to individual records
Every real estate TrustRecord draws its claims from this standard. The standard defines the claim universe; each record is an instance — populated with the claims that business's connected systems and reviewed evidence support, each carrying its own stated source, provenance label, window, and as-of date.
The standard is maintained by TrueSignal as the registry evolves. Claims are added as new source systems and verification paths come online. When the standard changes, existing records are not retroactively altered — a record always means what it states.