Commercial Real Estate Agents

Real estate agents are independent sales workers providing services to a licensed real estate broker on a contract basis. In exchange, the broker pays the agent a portion of the commission earned from the agent's sale of the real estate. Brokers are independent business persons who sell real estate. Brokers also may rent or manage properties for a fee. When selling real estate, brokers arrange for title searches and for meetings between buyers and sellers wherein details of the transactions are agreed upon and the new owners take possession of the property. A broker may help to arrange favorable financing from a lender for the prospective buyer; often, this makes the difference between success and failure in closing a sale. In some cases, brokers and agents assume primary responsibility for closing sales; in others, lawyers or lenders do so. Brokers supervise agents who may have many of the same job duties. Brokers also manage their own offices, advertise properties, and handle other business matters. Some combine other types of work, such as selling insurance or practicing law, with their real estate business.