Final answer:
A real estate salesperson typically serves as a sub-agent in a transaction, assisting the primary agent with duties like showing properties and facilitating communication. They may also represent buyers or sellers directly as agents, but they should not be confused with brokers, who manage brokerages. Customers are non-represented parties, while clients are those engaged with the agency.
Step-by-step explanation:
A real estate salesperson serves as a sub-agent in a transaction. The role of a sub-agent is to assist the primary agent, who is typically the one who has a direct contractual relationship with the client, either the buyer or the seller in the real estate transaction. A sub-agent may perform various duties under the direction of the primary agent, such as showing properties, facilitating communication, and providing administrative support.
It's important to understand the distinction in roles within the real estate industry. While the term broker is often used interchangeably with agent, a broker is a licensed individual who owns or manages a real estate brokerage and has agents working under them. A real estate salesperson can work on behalf of a seller (as a listing agent) or a buyer (as a buyer's agent), and when they do so, they become agents for their respective clients. The term customer refers to the other non-represented party in a real estate transaction. The client, on the other hand, is the individual who has engaged the services of the real estate professional and can expect fiduciary duties.