I didn’t know this before I became one, but a REALTOR® isn’t so much a job title. A REALTOR® can be defined as “A real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of Realtors and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics. This professional is committed to protecting and promoting private ownership of real property, establishing and maintaining high professional standards of practice, and creating unity in the National Association of Realtors organization and respect for the real estate profession.”

You can be a real estate agent without being a REALTOR®. All REALTORS® are required to follow a “Code of Ethics” (which I have linked to below if your interested) and they agreed to be a member of a team to promote the highest and best use of land and the widest distributing of land ownership.  So overall in theory a REALTOR® is supposed to look out for you, the customer, first, and protect our private land rights.  And there are rules and regulations to keep them in line. 

… All that being said, we don’t always have the best reputation, somewhere down there with insurance and car sales men ;) , and in some cases I can see why. I have heard some horror stories. That is too bad because it can really hurt the agent who wants to do well and help people. I got into the business because after my husband and I built our house we couldn’t believe the joy of home ownership. Owning property gives you a voice, it gives you respect and best of all it helps you invest in your future. I want to help other people with that venture. Sure, I need to make a living, but so far what I have made, I have earned every penny of. I have worked harder as a REALTOR® then I have doing any other job in my life, including being a firefighter in the Army.  But it is fulfilling and a learning experience. I look forward to my days and meeting new people. This is a great business, and I can’t figure out how so many people screw it up!  Check out the links on REALTORS®  and leave your comments on the whole issue. How do you perceive REALTORS® vs real estate agents, is there a difference?

http://www.realtor.org/mempolweb.nsf/pages/code - code of ethics

http://www.realtor.com/basics/allabout/realtors/why.asp?poe=realtor - why use a REALTOR®

http://homebuying.about.com/od/realestatecareers/a/realtor.htm -about.com info on REALTORS®