Real Estate Broker
One of the most recurring real estate doubts is regarding what is a broker in comparison to what is a real estate agent.
Well, it depends from state to state to tell exactly what a Broker can and cannot do, but it’s safe to say that, in every state, a Real Estate Broker is someone with more real estate education and experience than a real estate agent. To become one, you have to attend a certain number of Real Estate classes and pass the state exam. The duration of those classes is longer than the ones an agent goes through and the exam they take is more difficult to pass too. Summing up: although all Brokers can act also as Agents, not every Agent can act as a Broker.
In general, you could say that a Broker is the person with the certification necessary to list the property and sign the papers and overview the transaction between the home seller and the home buyer. But there is a large variety of other services he/she provides for home sellers and home buyers, like Comparative Market Analysis (CMA), preparing contracts and acting as the guardian of the escrow. Sometimes, the home seller or buyer doesn’t even meet the Broker, but a real estate agent that works under him/her.
The Broker is the one who collects the commission once the sale is made and he/she divides the value to all participating parts like the buyer’s agent and the seller’s agent – most of the times an employee of his, but, depending on the type of listing agreement (like an Open Listing) it can be someone independent from him/her.
Popular Real Estate Terms
Method used by appraisers and investors to evaluate a level of payment income stream for a fixed period of years predicated on a specific interest rate. ...
Individual who will receive an inheritance upon the death of another. The proceeds of an insurance policy may be in a lump sum annuity. Real estate also passes to the beneficiary. ...
Dehydrated gypsum that is mixed with water to form a rapidly setting material. Plaster of paris sets too rapidly to be practical for most building applications, but it is useful for ...
Claim of a person or business to real property such as by exercising an option. ...
The definition of puffing in real estate, also known as puffering, is an exaggeration of fact bordering on falsehood. You’ve probably heard a real estate agent make outrageous claims ...
The definition of net sales price in real estate is the combined total cost to the buyer of a listing, excluding any auxiliary costs such as the sales fee, appraisal fee, real estate agent ...
Danger, hazard, risk, or peril. For example, jeopardizing a piece of property by pledging it as collateral for a loan. ...
Legal practice followed in the American and English judicial systems of following the precedents of former decisions in deciding new cases. The application of this doctrine has not only ...
Real estate not subject to property tax such as that owned by nonprofit entities including charitable, governmental, religious institutions. ...

Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.