What’s the Difference Between a Real Estate Agent, REALTOR®, and Broker?

The title sounds like an opening to a joke, but it’s a legitimate question that I get asked quite often. If you’re someone who’s looking to break into the real estate industry but you don’t know where to start, these terms can be confusing if you’re not clear on the difference between the three. In this blog post, we’ll be briefly discussing the differences between the three.

But first, I’m Evie Brown, and I’ve been a licensed REALTOR® in the beautiful Phoenix, Arizona area for over seventeen years. Helping clients sell their homes and acquire new homes is my passion, hence my motto “Real estate from the heart!” I’m always looking to recruit agents into my team here at eXp Realty, so I write these blog articles to give new agents a wealth of information at their fingertips, and an eXp agent to sponsor them into the brokerage 🙂 If you’re interested in learning more about joining the largest real estate brokerage in the world, feel free to give me a call!

The differences between a Real Estate Agent, REALTOR®, and Real Estate Broker are summarized as follows:

Real Estate Agent

Real estate agents are licensed professionals who help clients buy and sell property. They work with buyers to find homes that fit their budget and needs, and they work with sellers to market their homes and get the best possible price. In some states, real estate agents must also be brokers.

REALTOR®

A realtor is a member of the National Association of Realtors (NAR), which is a professional trade organization. In order to become a realtor, you must be a licensed broker or agent and you must also agree to adhere to the NAR’s code of ethics, which is higher than the code of ethics for a typical Real Estate Agent. The term “REALTOR” can only be used by members of the NAR.

Real Estate Broker

As for a broker, a broker is a real estate professional who has more experience and education than an agent. Brokers can work independently or they can supervise agents. In some states, a broker is required to have his own real estate firm in order to supervise agents. They are a professional who has been licensed by the state to help people buy and sell property.

So, there you have it! The difference between a Real Estate Agent, REALTOR® and Real Estate Broker. This post was a little short, but since it’s a question that comes up so often, I thought I’d write a post about it to clarify, and I hope it helps someone! Do you have any questions that you’d like us to cover in a future blog post? Let us know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!