Being a real estate agent involves getting licensed in the state you want to work in and hanging your license with a broker. There are 1,150,141 Realtors as of March 25, 2016, out of about 2,500,000 real estate agents. About half of all agents are Realtors. Being a Realtor comes with many perks besides just being able to say you are a Realtor. Many MLS boards require their members be a Realtor to gain access to the MLS. If you do not become a Realtor, you may not have access to MLS, which is vitally important to real estate agents.
Being a Realtor also gives you access to many organizations.
- NAR: National Association of Realtors.
- State Board of Realtors: Most states have a state board of Realtors.
- Local Board of Realtors: Most areas have a local board of Realtors specific to your market location.
I am in Northern Colorado, and also belong to CAR (Colorado Association of Realtors) and GARA (Greeley Area Realtor Association). Since I am member of those boards, I am able to attend local meetings, luncheons, classes and charity events put on by those boards. I am also able to run for leadership roles on those boards.
How much does it cost to become a Realtor?
It is more expensive to become a Realtor as opposed to a real estate agent. Here are the breakdown of fees I pay for various boards. These will vary on the board you belong to and the state you are in.
- NAR: $120 per year
- NAR: $35 special assessment per year
- CAR: $165 per year
- GARA: $209.17 per year
- Total: $519.17
These fees are separate from any MLS dues and fees that must be paid. As you can see, it is expensive to become a Realtor, but I would never think of being an agent without being a Realtor as well.
Why would buyers and seller prefer to work with a Realtor?
MLS access is the number one benefit of being a Realtor. If you have no access to the MLS, it will be very hard to value properties, find properties for sale or market houses. Besides gaining access to MLS, Realtors are also held to a higher level of ethics.
Below are the pledges a Realtor makes, that a real estate agent is not required to make:
- Pledge to put the interests of buyers and sellers ahead of their own and to treat all parties honestly.
- Shall refrain from exaggerating, misrepresenting or concealing material facts; and is obligated to investigate and disclose when situations reasonably warrant.
- Shall cooperate with other brokers / agents when it is in the best interests of the client to do so.
- Have a duty to disclose if they represent family members who own or are about to buy real estate, or if they themselves are a principal in a real estate transaction, that they are licensed to sell real estate.
- Shall not provide professional services in a transaction where the agent has a present or contemplated interest without disclosing that interest.
- Shall not collect any commissions without the seller’s knowledge nor accept fees from a third-party without the seller’s express consent.
- Shall refuse fees from more than one party without all parties’ informed consent.
- Shall not co-mingle client funds with their own.
- Shall attempt to ensure that all written documents are easy to understand and will give everybody a copy of what they sign.
- Shall not discriminate in any fashion for any reason on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.
- Expects agents to be competent, to conform to standards of practice and to refuse to provide services for which they are unqualified.
- Must engage in truth in advertising.
- Shall not practice law unless they are a lawyer.
- Shall cooperate if charges are brought against them and present all evidence requested.
- Agree not to bad mouth competition and agree not to file unfounded ethics complaints.
- Shall not solicit another REALTOR’S client nor interfere in a contractual relationship.
- Shall submit to arbitration to settle matters and not seek legal remedies in the judicial system.
Realtors are able to market themselves as abiding by these standards, where real estate agents may not have to abide by these standards (depending on state laws).
Conclusion
Becoming a real estate agent is not cheap, it takes money to get your licenses, insurance, and you may have to pay part of your commissions to a broker. Becoming a Realtor is even more expensive, but well worth it if you want to be successful selling homes.
 |
| JUSTIN LEE THAYER |