A case for dropping ‘agent’ and ‘salesperson’
National speaker and coach Darryl Davis said in HousingWire that licensing, continuing education, liability coverage and fiduciary duties position practitioners as trusted advisers and risk managers.
Real estate practitioners are professionals, not simply agents or salespeople, and the way they describe their role should reflect that distinction, national speaker and coach Darryl Davis said in HousingWire.
The work requires a state-issued license, continuing education and errors and omissions coverage. When representing a customer, real estate professionals also have legal and ethical duties that include loyalty, confidentiality and disclosure. Those responsibilities place the profession closer to medicine, law and financial planning than traditional retail sales, he said.
Although some states require “agent” or “salesperson” on licensing or transaction documents, Davis recommends using “real estate professional” in conversations with buyers and sellers. The term better defines the role as a trusted adviser who exercises judgment, manages risk and protects clients through one of their largest financial decisions.
Source: HousingWire (08/06/26) Davis, Darryl
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