A realtor is a real estate agent who is a member of the National Association of Realtors. A realtor’s job is to help you find a home to purchase, advise you on the price, and assist you if you want to make an offer. Realtors can also assist you in selling your current home. Buyer agents represent buyers’ best interests in a transaction, while seller agents represent the sellers’ interests.

Realtors get paid a commission on the sale of home. The commission is typically paid by the seller. What work does an agent do to earn his commission? Realtors visit new property listings each week. They keep current on the status of existing listings so that they have insight on the current market conditions.

For a client, the realtor screens property listings to rule out unsuitable properties. The realtor calls listing agents to make appointments and get showing instructions for properties that the client wants to see. A realtor spends hours with clients showing different properties until the right one is found.

When a client wants to make an offer, the realtor prepares the offer paperwork, and presents the offer to the listing agent. The realtor also handles any counteroffer negotiations.

If the sellers accept the offer, the realtor helps his client with paperwork before the sale. They also assist in finding a mortgage. The realtor can coordinate property inspections and other transaction details.

For Additional Information See:

-- National Association of Realtors Web site at: www.realtor.com

-- U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics Web site about Real Estate Brokers and Sales Agents at:

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos120.htm

-- RealEstateAgent.com