Eighty percent of consumers either don’t know or are unsure about the difference between a Realtor and a real estate agent, suggesting that industry efforts to promote the advantages of working with a Realtor “may have been significantly less effective than hoped,” the Houston Association of Realtors said today in releasing the results of a survey of more than 6,600 homebuyers, sellers, owners and renters.

Only agents who are members of the National Association of Realtors may call themselves Realtors.

The survey found consumers often had their own ideas about the difference between Realtors and real estate agents, including:

  • “The Realtor is the boss, and the agent works for the Realtor.”
  • “Generally the Realtor is more educated and experienced.”
  • “One is a broker and one is not.”
  • “The Realtor owns the business.”
  • “Generally a Realtor is more professional, though there are exceptions on both sides of the coin.”

Of the 59 percent of consumers working with a real estate professional, fewer than 1 in 3 knew whether they were working with a Realtor.

When consumers who are not currently working with an agent were asked if they had a preference to work with a licensed real estate agent or a Realtor, only 12 percent chose a Realtor.

The survey found that 94 percent of consumers believe real estate agents are professional and competent,  and 88 percent were satisfied with their agent.

“While consumers have a low awareness of the difference between an agent and a Realtor, survey respondents tell us that they are satisfied with their agent and consider them highly professional and competent,” said HAR Chairman Danny Frank of Prudential Anderson Properties in a statement.

Show Comments Hide Comments
Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines
What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments
By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman.
Success!
Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines.
Back to top
Only 3 days left to register for Inman Connect Las Vegas before prices go up! Don't miss the premier event for real estate pros.Register Now ×
Limited Time Offer: Get 1 year of Inman Select for $199SUBSCRIBE×
Log in
If you created your account with Google or Facebook
Don't have an account?
Forgot your password?
No Problem

Simply enter the email address you used to create your account and click "Reset Password". You will receive additional instructions via email.

Forgot your username? If so please contact customer support at (510) 658-9252

Password Reset Confirmation

Password Reset Instructions have been sent to

Subscribe to The Weekender
Get the week's leading headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Top headlines from around the real estate industry. Breaking news as it happens.
15 stories covering tech, special reports, video and opinion.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
It looks like you’re already a Select Member!
To subscribe to exclusive newsletters, visit your email preferences in the account settings.
Up-to-the-minute news and interviews in your inbox, ticket discounts for Inman events and more
1-Step CheckoutPay with a credit card
By continuing, you agree to Inman’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You will be charged . Your subscription will automatically renew for on . For more details on our payment terms and how to cancel, click here.

Interested in a group subscription?
Finish setting up your subscription
×