Agents, Brokers and REALTORS®: What's the difference?

The word “agent” is a general term used, in casual conversation, to describe the three types of professionals involved in buying and selling real estate: agents, brokers, and REALTORS®. But, in reality, they are not the same. And it is important to know what differentiates them.

Let's briefly see what each of them is:

A real estate agent is a licensed professional who helps people buy, sell, rent or invest in homes. To become an agent, a person must receive pre-licensing training from a certified institution (which varies from state to state) and pass their state's real estate licensing exam. Once licensed, the agent must affiliate with a real estate agency.

Some agents specialize in representing buyers and others in representing sellers. Some do both. An agent who represents both the buyer and the seller in the same real estate transaction is called a dual agent. By law, the dual agent must disclose to the parties that he works for both. (If an agent also works for other people, you obviously need to know that.)

A real estate broker is a professional who has additional training, beyond the agent level, as required by state law, and who has passed the broker exam. In some cases, brokers also have more years of experience than agents. The biggest difference between a broker and an agent is that a broker can work independently. Agents work under the supervision of a broker.

A REALTOR® is a broker or agent who belongs to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), the nation's largest professional association. (And, so you have all the information, we tell you that the HouseLogic.com site is from the NAR.) A REALTOR® agrees to abide by a strict Code of Ethics to protect buyers and sellers; for example, it is committed to protecting and promoting the interests of its clients. Agents and brokers who are not members of the NAR may not call themselves REALTORS®. There are more than 1 million REALTORS® in the United States. You can use the Find a REALTOR® tool on realtor.com® to connect with one of these professionals in your area.

Estee Soto

Estee Soto is a real estate agent with eXp Realty, a certified mentor and eXp Latino ambassador, and the CEO and founder of TagCrush LLC, an all-in-one digital marketing platform for real estate agents. She leads the TAGHOMES team, specializing in luxury properties, new developments, and international buyers across Florida.

More information about Estee Soto HERE