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
Evaluation of a contemplated project or course of action, according to pre-establisher criteria to determine if the proposal meets the requirements of the property owner. An analysis is ...
In insurance, an estimable risk for the purpose of calculating an adequate and reasonable premium providing sufficient resources should the company need to pay a claim while maintaining ...
Abbreviation for the Latin term et alii meaning "and others". ...
Early American architecture modeled after the English Georgian architecture having two or three stories with a rectangular design and ample ornamentation often including a widow's walk. ...
(1) Written statement by a responsible individual or entity of the correctness and reliability of something. (2) Written permission to do something, such as receiving a real estate ...
The allocation method estimates the value of the property’s land by gathering information from comparable properties. The allocation method of estimating site value is ideal, however, ...
In real estate, the basis to set an adjustable rate mortgage, such as a 6-month certificate of deposit (CD) rate, cost of funds index, or prime rate. A statistical measure stated as ...
Agreement by a lender to lend money to a borrower. A loan commitment typically includes the amount of money to be lent, the interest rate, and the period of the loan. ...
People often use the term in their everyday discourse, yet many wonder what the meaning of common law genuinely implies. Common law refers to a system of jurisprudence based on court ...

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