Many people, when buying or selling a property, employ the services of a real estate practitioner.

They believe, and rightly so, that real estate practitioners, especially a real estate agent or a realtor, can help them sell or buy a property faster than when they do it by themselves.

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Is A Real Estate Agent the same as A Realtor?

In the eyes of the public, “real estate agent” and “realtor” are the same and used interchangeably. However, there’s a great difference between the two.

Before the passage of the law, the Real Estate Service Act of the Philippines on July 29, 2009, a real estate agent is a salesperson licensed by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) upon the recommendation of his/her real estate broker. The real estate agent is given permission to represent the broker in the buying and selling of real estate properties.

A realtor is a licensed real estate broker.  In the Philippines, the right to use the emblem and the term REALTOR® is exclusive to the licensed real estate brokers who are regular members of a realty board duly affiliated with the Philippine Association of Realtors® Boards (PAREB), Inc.

Therefore, not all licensed real estate brokers are realtors, but all realtors are licensed real estate brokers.
Is A Realtor Better Than Real Estate Agent or Vice-Versa?

There is no comparison between the two.  Realtors, as licensed real estate brokers, have lots of success in helping their clients, while some Agents struggle to satisfy their clients.

However,  many people in buying or selling their properties prefer Realtors because they must comply with a Code of Ethics being licensed professionals  and the standard set by PAREB, which in part gives the client some additional assurance of ethical conduct.