Читать книгу Flipping Houses For Dummies - Ralph R. Roberts - Страница 52

A real estate agent is anyone who has a state license to negotiate the sale or purchase of a property and works for a real estate broker or brokerage company. A Realtor is a real estate agent who’s also a member of the National Association of Realtors (NAR). The United States has more than 2 million real estate agents, but only 1.5 million are Realtors.

What’s the difference? Because the qualifications for obtaining a real estate license vary from state to state, the quality of real estate agents varies much more than the quality of Realtors. NAR requires its members to complete additional training and testing to improve their knowledge and abilities and encourages members to follow a strict code of ethics. The association also provides its members with additional resources and tools to assist in finding and marketing properties effectively.

Of course, association membership doesn’t mean that a particular Realtor is more qualified than a given real estate agent, but the odds are pretty good that you’ll receive superior advice and service from a Realtor. To find a bona fide Realtor, look for the Realtor logo on business cards and stationery. Almost all Realtors make a point of proudly displaying this logo. You also can search for a Realtor in your area at www.realtor.com.

Talented, well-connected agents can help you locate excellent investment properties in a fraction of the time it would take you to do so and can help you purchase properties for thousands of dollars less than you would pay if you negotiated the purchase yourself. On average, you take twice as long selling a property yourself than you do when you work with a real estate agent.