REALTOR ® vs. Real Estate Agent

Have you ever seen that episode of ‘Last Week Tonight with John Oliver', about Retirement Plans? Hold on, I'm going somewhere with this. In that episode, he compared the difference between financial advisors and fiduciaries. In that episode, he cited FINRA the Financial Industry Regulatory Industry warning that Financial Analysts and other such titles are pretty much meaningless generic job titles for people, under no legal obligation to look out for your best interest instead of their own. The difference between a financial and a fiduciary is comparable to and advice real-estate agent and REALTORS ®. 

A real-estate agent by definition is literally anyone who has earned a license to sell property by taking approximately 100 hours of courses and then passing a certification test. Sort of like the process of getting your first driver's license. While financial adviser can give you guidance and help you with your finances, but they ultimately are there to further their personal interests. A fiduciary on the other hand is both morally and legally obligated to put your best interests before their own when advising you through financial decisions. A REALTOR ® is like that. A REALTOR ® is an agent, broker, or another type of real estate professional who took the extra steps to become a member of the National Association of REALTORS ®, who have to a code of ethics and standards of practice that put the seller or buyer's interests before their own. Regular real estate agents are held to no such standard. See I got back to the point.

 It's also important to have a good relationship with your REALTOR ®. You appoint a REALTOR ® as someone to guide you through one of the largest, complicated, financial decision you'll make. It's important to sit down and talk to prospective REALTORS ®; this is a symbiotic relationship, interview each other. Find out if this person is a REALTOR ® or just an agent/broker? What is their availability usually like? Ask them about their home buying/selling process. If they can't walk you through their process, then you need to walk away and find someone else. Here's what I want to leave you with:

• Interview your REALTORS ®, don't just settle for someone who's good enough. 
• Get a REALTOR ® who's right for you.
•  When you're looking for someone to help you buy or sell your home, it's always important to ask anyone you're interviewing if they are a REALTOR ®, not just an agent or a broker.

Since you're in the mood to make financial decisions here's a video of John Oliver talking about Retirement Plans. 

Delana Cotton is a REALTOR ® and servers the northeast Atlanta region that includes Dacula, Winder, Lawrenceville, Buford, Snellville, Conyers and surrounding areas. Delana treats every transaction as if she were you, the buyer or seller. If you have a real estate transaction on the horizon, meet Delana for a no pressure chat over coffee. For more information visit GreaterAtlantaAreaHomesForSale.Com