If you’ve been in the market for properties, you’ve likely come across the terms “real estate broker” and “real estate agent,” but what exactly is the difference between them and what are their specific roles in the real estate market?

Real Estate Broker

A real estate broker serves as the primary intermediary between investors and the real estate market. Their responsibilities encompass a wide range of activities including property acquisition, advising on setting purchase and sale prices to reflect true market value, seeking financing to facilitate transactions, and organizing and overseeing legal processes between sellers and buyers.

To effectively fulfill their role, a real estate broker must possess a deep understanding of the market. This involves supervising appraisers, buyers, and sellers, as well as having a solid grasp of legislation, quotations, and necessary procedures to ensure the best options and competitive prices for the properties in question. In many cases, the real estate broker becomes the public face of the company, representing its reputation and values to the public.

Real Estate Agent

The real estate agent, on the other hand, focuses on representing clients directly within a specific agency. Their main task is client acquisition, property search and display, and facilitation of the process of buying, selling, renting, swapping, or transferring real estate and its associated rights.

It is important to note that a real estate agent works under the supervision and support of a real estate broker. While both share the common goal of facilitating successful transactions in the real estate market, the agent operates more autonomously on a day-to-day basis, interacting directly with clients and properties.

In summary, while the real estate broker plays a more strategic and supervisory role in the market, the real estate agent is dedicated to the direct representation of clients and the operational management of real estate transactions. Both are fundamental links in the value chain of the real estate sector, working together to meet the needs of investors and buyers in the market.