Whether you need help finding a rental or ready to buy a home or want to sell a property,

using a great real estate agent can be essential for a smooth and financially successful

transaction. But if you don't understand exactly what various real estate pros do or how they work

with clients, the industry can seem confusing. This podcast will review how to find the best

real estate agent for your situation. I'll review what you should expect from great agents,

how they get paid, and what to ask before hiring one. Welcome back,

everyone. It's episode 944 of Money Girl, and I really appreciate you spending some time with me.

I'm Laura Adams, an award-winning author, on-camera spokesperson, money speaker, and founder of

the Money Stack. That's my substack newsletter. You can subscribe for free

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And we have a July event coming up on becoming a successful investor. So if that is something

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All right, let's talk about the differences between real estate professionals.

Just like every industry, real estate has lots of jargon. And I think some of the most

misunderstood and maybe misused terminology has to do with, you know, what professionals call themselves

and what we call them. A lot of the terms are used interchangeably, but they're not the same

thing. So things like real estate professional,

agent, broker, realtor, and property manager. So hiring the best pro starts with understanding

what they do and how some roles may even overlap. First, let's talk about the term real estate professional. This is just

anyone working in the industry, and they may or may not be licensed to sell real estate.

A real estate pro could be licensed as a property appraiser or work as a mortgage broker.

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