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

What Is a Real Estate Bubble? One definition for a real estate bubble is the fast increase in prices, usually driven by investors and speculators in major urban areas. Properties are ...

The accelerated depreciation definition is a type of depreciation that makes it possible for a homeowner or real estate investor to depreciate their property faster than the straight-line ...

Opening so that air or gas may enter or leave. For example, an air conditioner has a "vent open" or "vent closed" knob for outside air. The "vent close" switch must be on for air ...

City apartment building that is overcrowded, poorly constructed or maintained, and generally part of a slum. In law, a tenement also refers to possessions of an individual that are ...

Agreement between two or more individuals whereby each party agrees to do or not to do some act. The parties have reciprocal obligations of performance or actions. ...

Provision in a written agreement that depends on the occurrence of something else. ...

Angle from north or south of a property. When a real estate appraiser does surveying, it is looked at clockwise from north. It may assist in determining the form or boundaries of land. ...

One who receives real property under a will. ...

Having the intellect to comprehend the terms and conditions of a will and their impact. A testator must understand his or her estate and its eventual disposition and effects in order to ...

Popular Real Estate Questions