Home Buy Master

What is the difference between a real estate agent and a real estate broker?
The person you normally deal with is a real estate agent or salesperson. 

• The salesperson is licensed but must work for a broker. 
• All listings are placed in the broker’s name, not in the salesperson’s one.
• A broker can deal directly with homebuyers and sellers, or can have a staff of salespersons or agents working for him or her. 

Why should I use a real estate salesperson
A real estate salesperson is more than just a “sales person.” 

• He or she act on your behalf as your agent, providing you with advice and guidance and doing a job – helping you buy or sell a home. 
• While it is true they get paid for what they do, so do other professions that provide advice, guidance, and have a service to sell –such as Certified Public Accountants and Attorneys

The Internet has opened up a world of information that wasn’t previously available to homebuyers and seller. 

• The data on listings available for sale is almost current – but not quite. 
• There are times when you need the most current information about what has sold or is for sale, and the only way to get that is with an agent.
• If you’re selling a home, you gain access to the most buyers by being listed in the Multiple Listing Service. 
• Only a licensed real estate agent who is a member of your local MLS can get you listed there – which then gets you automatically listed on some of the major real estate web sites. 
• If you’re buying or selling a home, the MLS is your agent’s best tool.

The role of an agent, however, has changed in the recent years. 

• In the past, agents were the only way homebuyers and sellers could access information. 
• Now agents are evolving.  Because today’s homebuyers and sellers are so much better informed than in the past, expertise and ability are becoming more important.

The real estate agent is becoming more of a “guide” than a “salesperson” — your personal representative in buying or selling a home.