What's The Difference Between A Realtor® And A Real Estate Agent

Question: What is the difference between a Realtor® and a Real Estate Agent? Are Realtors and Real Estate Agents different? I’ve heard that all Real Estate Agents are Realtors®, and all Realtors® are Real Estate Agents, how does this work?

Answer: Most people make the assumption that real estate agents and Realtors® are one in the same, when in fact they are very different. The reason for this misconception is that most real estate agents are Realtors®, so it is not uncommon for those in the real estate field to use the terms “real estate agent” and Realtor® interchangeably. With that being said, there is a world of difference between the two.

A real estate agent is simply a licensed (usually by state) individual who can actively be involved in real estate deals for paid commissions. However a Realtor® is a not only a licensed real estate agent, but a member of the National Association of Realtors®. With this membership comes access to the extremely powerful MLS database system which holds all home/commercial/agricultural/etc property listings. Furthermore, all Realtors® are required to swear by a code of ethics, along with pay fees to the National Association of Realtors.