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
Term used in the real estate industry describing the price requested by a property owner vs. the price a buyer is willing to pay. Bid is the highest price a purchaser is willing to pay ...
Buying more house than a buyer can afford based on his or her income. ...
The term “a priori” can be pretty puzzling in real estate. Originating from Latin, “a priori” translates to "from the earlier" or "from the former." This concept, ...
Note having more than one maker, if one or more of the makers default on the note, all makers are sued jointly, rather than just one or all, to make restitution ...
A legally transferable debt instrument by which the issuer agrees to pay the payee within a certain time period. Note usually pay a specified rate of interest tied to the market rate of ...
Oral defamation of the character or reputation of another. It is the basis for a lawsuit. ...
Null or void something; Revoke or destroy; rescind or set aside; abandon; abolish; repeal; surrender; waive; terminate. In real estate, to void a buy or sell order, price, or quantity. The ...
A correlation defines how two variables relate to one another. We can confirm a correlation if an alteration in one variable can change the other’s behavior. Using quantifiable data ...
Pipe or conduit for electrical wiring. Enclosed conduit made of metal or other appropriate materials for transferring low pressure hot or cold air throughout a structure. ...

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