The public does not typically distinguish between a salesperson and broker and the services that they provide for them. Most licensees perform the same basic tasks but do not have the same education and training. Much of this has been dictated by changes in agency relationships over a long period of time. Today, fiduciary relationships demand higher levels of skill and diligence. After all, all licensees no longer represent the seller.
New licensees entering the business are often ill equipped to handle the many challenges.
The public now expects all licensees to provide services outside this system. Since information about properties is available to virtually anyone on the Internet, the licensee s worth has shifted from that of information keeper to that of a person who has the necessary skills to put a successful transaction together. Also, agent contact with the brokers is limited. The broker rarely sees his or her agent daily in the office. Individual agents are becoming more independent and more responsible to their client for their own work.