In the state of Florida all real estate agents have a real estate agent or broker designation of some kind. All agents or brokers in Florida are either associate agents or managing/employing/responsible broker. The agent level answers to the employing broker and the employing broker is responsible to give agent some level of oversight depending on the associate’s experience and years in the business.

Are All Real Estate Brokers/agents Realtors?

Not all real estate agents and brokers are Realtors. The best real estate companies like ours require their agents/brokers to be Realtors as well. If your real estate agent doesn’t have a Realtor logo on their website somewhere, they might not be a Realtor. Some real estate companies don’t require this for some reason. It really isn’t that hard to become a Realtor and it gives a buyer and seller an added bit of confidence to hire a real estate agent that is also a Realtor.

What Is Means to Be a Realtor…

Anyone that passes their real estate test in Florida is at least a real estate agent and in some states a real estate agent is the designation. This is the minimum number of classes and education needed to assist buyers and sellers in their real estate transaction. In the state of Colorado we have more classes than most states so our real estate agents. A Realtor has all the classes of a real estate broker and then some. A Realtor also must uphold the ethics and standards put in place by the National Association of Realtors or NAR.

Why Use a Realtor in Your Real Estate Transaction?

A Realtor can’t promise a buyer will pay less for their home or a seller can get more for their home just because your real estate broker is a Realtor. What a Realtor can say is they do have more classes and education (usually) and they also are held to a higher level of ethics and standards as a Realtor. They can use lose their Realtor designation if they break the rules of NAR. These rules apply to all areas of the Realtor’s profession. From how they deal with and treat their clients, the other party in the transaction as well as how they treat other Realtors. Basically NAR wants to bring a more respectful and ethical way of real estate agents and brokers do business.

Can My Real Estate Broker Work With a Non-Realtor?

Of course a real estate agent does not need to be a Realtor to work with a Realtor. The real estate agent that isn’t a member of NAR and a local board does not have to act in the same manner as the Realtor does. They don’t have the same ethical standards as the Realtor. It doesn’t mean you will get any better or worst service or that the non Realtor is not as ethical as the other broker. All it means is they only need to follow the rules set forth by the real estate commission which is sometimes a little less strict as the NAR regulations.