Friday, March 6, 2015

Realtor vs. Real Estate Agent?

 Hi, Rick. What's the big deal about a real estate agent being a Realtor®? We are interviewing agents and this confuses us. 
Thanks, Betsy D.

When buyers are making the perhaps biggest purchase of their lives, and sellers are dealing with a life change that is often stressful and emotional, it helps to have a highly respected and trusted professional on your side. An agent with the Realtor® trademark by his or her name is more than a real estate agent. "Realtors" are trained in ethics for their dealings with the public and the real estate community as a whole. The Realtor Code of Ethics is the cornerstone of their ethics training. It guides Realtors and is a testament to the level of commitment, education and dedication each possesses.
This Code of Ethics is 100 years old and ID-BUY buys into it! All of our agents are Realtors®. Erin, Cory, Viktoria, Rick and Kim all abide by this high standard of ethics as do our unlicensed team members as well. And even though a lot has changed in real estate in those 100 years, the code is a living, dynamic statement that has moved with the times, updating yearly to guide agents in their  professional lives and dealings to date.
We here at ID-Buy Real Estate subscribe to the highest code of ethics in our company. Our mission statement is below:

“ID-BUY Real Estate provides unsurpassed service to all of our real estate clients whether they are selling or buying a property.  Every agent and employee of ID-BUY Real Estate will always hold the client and all parties involved in a transaction in the highest regard and treat them with honesty, professionalism, respect and integrity. They are each responsible to understand our clients real estate goals and reach them in an ethical manner.”
Here are some core principles that guarantee fair dealings with clients, the public, and other Realtors:
  • Realtors protect and promote their clients’ interests while treating all parties honestly.
  • Realtors refrain from exaggeration, misrepresentation, or concealment of pertinent facts related to property or transactions.
  • Realtors cooperate with other real estate professionals to advance their clients’ best interests.
  • When buying or selling on their own account or for their families or firms, Realtors make their true position or interest known.
  • Realtors make sure that contract details are spelled out in writing and that parties receive copies.
  • Realtors give equal professional service to all clients and customers irrespective of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, or sexual orientation.
  • Realtors paint a true picture in their advertising, marketing, and other representations.
  • Realtors make only truthful, objective comments about other real estate professionals.
  • In choosing a Realtor, home buyers are selecting a professional who voluntarily holds to a high ethical standard. Many Realtors proudly display cover photos that identify them as Realtors who live by the code.
If you meet a Realtor® who is NOT all these things, let the broker of the real estate firm know.
If an agent is not a Realtor, the broker takes responsibility.  And we never want another agent giving our profession a black eye.

Thanks, Rick Bennett
ID-BUY Real Estate
with Keller Williams Realty Boise
208.407.0532
www.id-buy.com