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
Legal mechanism available for a person who is over his head financially and is unable to meet his financial obligations. ...
A hidden or overlooked defect that may manifest itself at a later point in time. For example, a defect in a water pipe is not immediately discovered, and it later results in a massive water ...
Decline in value of real estate property because it is near something which is damaging to its worth. For example, a house located next to a pollution treatment center, drug center, or ...
If you’re looking for the real estate agent definition, you’re in the right place. So, in the following paragraphs, we will try to examine the complex job of a real estate ...
A clause that may be inserted in a listing agreement stating no commission will be paid to the broker until the property title has actually been transferred. Normally, willing and able ...
Agreement between a lending institution and borrower where the borrower agrees to extend or spread the collateral of a loan to additional properties beyond the original mortgaged property. ...
Same as term resale proceeds: Net amount received when property is sold. It equals the selling price less outstanding mortgage balance less all costs incurred in connection with the sale. ...
The economic indicators that trail behind aggregate economic activity. Six lagging indicators issued by the government consisting of unemployment rate, corporate expenditures, labor cost ...
Primary business district of a city or urbanized area having the areas major governmental offices, professional, and retail businesses represented. ...

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