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 stated of years. The length of time something is effective, such as a two-year rental. A condition specified in an agreement. An example is that the tenant must not have a cat in ...

Marketing attractive space at the appropriate location at a good time in the correct square footage at a reasonable price or rental charge. An example is the renting out of space for retail ...

Under law, a warranty in effect even if not expressly stated. It provides that real property sold is warranted to be appropriate for sale and is in proper condition even if not stated, ...

The basic home inspection definition is well-known for everyone, right?However, when it comes to real estate, the term “inspection” can serve a bunch of purposes – but the ...

A collection of packaged residential mortgage loans for sale in the secondary mortgage market to investors. Companies with mortgage pools expect to earn a short-term profit and use the ...

The definition of a census-designated place or CDP is rather complex and difficult to understand. We are going to try to explain it as much as possible. Starting from the top and working ...

Locating a structure after considering such factors as the homeowner's desired privacy, noise, wind, and sunlight. Position of a structure on a specific location relative to ...

Income derived from a collection of asset investments. Real property investments produce rental and lease payment income. Investments in mortgages and other long term debt instruments ...

In order to define allotment, we have to take into consideration what it refers to. While generally, it refers to a certain amount of something that is allocated to a particular person, the ...

Popular Real Estate Questions