Contrary to what many people may first think, “real estate” encompasses far more than simply the residential brokers that help you buy and sell your home. In fact, the term refers to a much broader industry, including developers, financial analysts, corporate real estate officers, property managers, appraisers, and more.
Commercial and Residential Brokerage
Brokerage is probably the most familiar—and most prevalent—career in the real estate industry. Real estate brokers act as intermediaries, helping buyers and sellers or owners and renters of real estate find one another, and facilitating the transaction once a “match” has been made. Because of the unique characteristics of different real estate markets, most brokers tend to specialize in a particular property type: commercial office, retail, and industrial, multi-family residential or owner-occupied residential.
A real estate salesperson or broker license is generally required to engage in any activity related to buying, selling or leasing real estate on behalf of someone else. Licensing in Kansas is overseen by the Kansas Real Estate Commission. There are two licenses available: salesperson and broker; a salesperson must work under the supervision of a licensed broker.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook for Real Estate Brokers and Sales Agents
- Kansas Real Estate Commission real estate licensing page
