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

Most people seem to be baffled by the fundamental terminology in real estate: brokers vs. agents vs. employing brokers vs. mortgage brokers, etc. Let us provide some clarity! The primary ...

Public record in an assessment district listing the assessed valuation of all its assessed property. ...

Outline or diagram of a structure or group of structures used for planning purposes. ...

Prepayment to a landlord for refurbishing the unit beyond what would be anticipated from customary wear and tear. It is like a damage deposit. The security deposit may be refunded at the ...

The legal description of property is a legal instrument to determine as best as one can, the physical boundaries and characteristics of a plot of land and the housing built on top of it. ...

Interest in real property that exists when a tenant remains in possession of leased premises or a "hold over" after his right to possession has ended. In a tenancy at sufferance, a tenant ...

A type of property coownership of two or more individuals to whom real property is deeded and who together have an undivided interest in it as a whole. There is only one title to the whole ...

CE Shop has become a widely used and popular term in real estate. But what does it mean? “CE” stands for continuing education, and in the real estate business, it implies a ...

Conifer wood, such as pine and redwood. ...

Popular Real Estate Questions