A real estate agent does not a realtor make! Realtors with the little “R” trademark next to the word realtor (“REALTOR®) means that they have completed specialized courses in the field. When you are buying a home, finding the right realtor can be very important. Realtors who have earned the trademarked “r” has completed coursework to become a real estate agent and has joined the ranks of the National Association of Realtors, also known as the NAR. They also have pledged to a strict code of conduct and ethics.

Beyond the coursework required to become a realtor, there are additional classes that are required to earn specialized training in designation. This is important also in finding the right realtor. Of course, any realtor has been trained in the buying and selling of a home, and is capable of doing both; to become specialized in home buying; realtors take additional classes to gain either the ABR or the ABRM. These are Accredited Buyer Representatives. If you are buying a home, and looking for the right realtor, you may want to consider one who has achieved the ABR/ABRM status.

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There are also other specialized classes that can be taken to achieve such ranks as a CCIM, which is a certified commercial investment member. However, these credentials are not necessary to helping someone who is buying a home. Just be aware that there are courses to cover every aspect of buying and selling a home. When you are looking for the right realtor, you want to know they have your best interest in mind.

When you are buying a home or selling a home, there are different types of real estate relationships in which you can enter. An agency relationship is one where you work generally through an agency which has the capacity to handle both the buying and selling aspects of the transaction. The “agent” understands the responsibilities of both buyer and seller, and their relationship with you is normally put in a written agreement, and a contract. There are two types of contracts, a listing agreement, which makes the agent a seller’s agent; and a “buyer-broker” agreement which signifies the agent will work on behalf of the buyer. If you are buying a home, be aware that until that buyer-broker agreement is signed, the agent is working on behalf of the seller.

The difference between a Buyer’s and Seller’s Broker is that if you are a buyer, you could say to an agent “I want to offer $175,000 for the home, but I’ll go as high as $190,000, but don’t tell the seller that.” If you have not signed a buyer-broker agreement, and are working through an agency, the agent is duty bound to tell the seller exactly what you said. A seller’s agent is not duty bound at all to the buyer. If you are looking for the right realtor, the only thing you really need to be sure of is that they sign a buyer-broker agreement with you. For this reason, many people who are buying a home go with a realtor who has taken the additional courses to become an accredited buyer’s representative.

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