For simplicity’s sake, a real estate agent could also be referred to as a real estate salesperson. A licensed agent is employed by a real estate broker in a registered real estate agency or brokerage. He or she works as an intermediary and marketing specialist for clients who wish to buy some real estate or sell a property. When looking at the difference between real estate agents and brokers, you might say this is the entry-level position in the real estate profession.
Real estate agents may be recruited and trained by brokers, or they may be graduates of a number of universities and vocational colleges that offer training programs. You can also prepare for the real estate agent’s registration exam through a distance-learning program offered by one of the provincial regulatory associations or a private college. After they’ve fulfilled the basic educational requirements and written the licensing exam, real estate agents in Canada “article” for up to two years; this supervised period ensures that all new agents properly learn the ethics and practices of the profession.
In Quebec, all real estate agents are now legally referred to as real estate brokers. They have received the same training and practice with the same permits, it’s just the name that’s changed.