Definition of "Real estate broker"

Ginny Solis-Wright real estate agent

Written by

Ginny Solis-Wrightelite badge icon

Realty One Group

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.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

A judgment of a court issued as a final order after hearing all the evidence and material directly related to some matter before its consideration. A final degree considers al the rights to ...

What does inchoate refer to generally? The term inchoate is a formal word that can describe many things in various fields of life. An inchoate act defines something at an early stage, ...

The quality of life enjoyed by a person depending on factors such as spendable income, housing conditions, health and education. ...

Listing Agreement A.K.A. Listing is basically a contract allowing a real estate agent or broker to list a home for sale and act as the home seller agent representing his/her interests ...

Process determining an individual's financial ability to meet the terms of a loan. When selling real estate, the sales broker must qualify the buyer to make certain he/ she has the ...

The willingness of a lender to give a mortgage to a mortgagor. A mortgage commitment will give a time period the mortgage will be given and an indication of the interest rate to be charged ...

A zero lot line is a term in residential real estate that refers to houses that are either very close to or at the edge of the property line. These houses are also called zero lot line ...

The government under emminent domain takes Way to determine how much to pay an owner whose property before-and-after method. ...

Also called all inclusive trust deed (AITD). A mortgage (trust deed) that encompasses existing mortgages and is subordinate to them. The existing mortgages stay on the property and the new ...

Popular Real Estate Questions