Real estate brokers and real estate agents are two different things. An agent provides their services, independently, to a broker for a fee. A real estate broker sells property owned by others, and may offer management services. Most real estate brokers deal in residential property, but some deal with industrial, commercial and agricultural. The real estate brokers who deal in the latter are often times employed by specialized firms or larger corporations. A real estate broker encompasses many area of property purchasing and has to be extremely knowledgeable. It is the responsibility of a real estate broker to be proficient in the laws governing real estate purchasing in the market they are working in, as well as, financing options. Additionally, a real estate broker handles title searches for properties, and general marketing.

Both real restate brokers and agents have similar job duties. They both obtain listings of properties and do research about the current market to determine the market price for a property and decide what the property needs to be listed at, if they are working for a seller, or if a property has a favorable listing price, if they are working for a buyer. In the case of rental property, both real estate brokers and agents have to be familiar with the region's functionality. A property's accessibility to transportation, they utilities available, and the job market all tie into whether a rental property will be more favorable to a buyer, or seller. The major differences between a real estate broker and an agent is license requirements and client interaction.

In the way of licensing, a real estate broker is required to have obtained a high school diploma, be at least 18 years of age, and pass a written examination. The thoroughly comprehensive test covers basic real estate laws and transactions. Additionally, a real estate broker is required to have 60-90 hours of in-field training as well as a length of time actually selling real estate. This time varies between 1 and 3 years. However, sometimes states will waive the experience length needed if an applicant has obtained a Bachelor's degree in real estate, as well as completed the other licensing requirements.

As for client interaction, it is generally an agent, not a real estate broker, which handles meetings with buyers and sellers. An agent will assess a client's needs, their budget (or desired property listing) and handle filling out contracts. It is also the job of an agent, to present potential properties (or buyers) to the client. An agent also handles negotiations between two parties. So a real estate agent is more the face of a real estate transaction, while a real estate broker is the wheels and gauges.

While the current real estate market is welcoming to real estate brokers, and agents alike, the job outlook for these positions is unstable. Since both jobs depends upon the economy of the nation, and the production of the population, it can be a risky career choice for some.