A real estate agent is a professional licensed to buy, sell and manage real estate for a fee on the behalf of others. Not real estate agents are REALTORS.  A broker is a real estate agent who has reached a higher educational standard and who accepts certain additional responsibilities commiserate with this level of licensing. The term "Realtor" is a registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of Realtors.

A real estate agent or broker who joins the National Association of Realtors is a Realtor.  The National Association of Realtors (NAR) claims to be world's largest professional association. The single biggest distinction between a real estate agent and a Realtor is that all Realtors agree to abide by a strict Code of Ethics. From their voluntary adherence to a Code of Ethics to their incomparable knowledge of real estate processes, Realtors are the experts of residential and commercial property transactions.

Founded in 1908, National Association of Realtors has grown from its original nucleus of 120 members to more than 1 million today. National Association of Realtors is composed of Realtors who are involved in residential and commercial real estate as brokers, salespeople, property managers, appraisers, counselors, and others who are engaged in all aspects of the real estate industry.

Realtors belong to one or more of 1,700 local associations/boards and 54 state and territory associations of Realtors and can join one of our many institutes, societies, and councils. Brokers and agents of Condo Alexandria are members of the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors. Additionally, National Association of Realtors offers members the opportunity to be active in our appraisal and international real estate specialty sections. Realtors are pledged to a strict Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice.

Working for America's property owners, the National Association of Realtors provides a facility for professional development, research, and exchange of information among its members. Condo 1 Alexandria agents and brokers take advantage of educational opportunities with the National Association of Realtors and the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors to continue expanding our knowledge of all aspects of real estate related expertise.