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The differences between buyers' agents and planner/buyers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a buyers' agent and a planner/buyer. Additionally, a buyers' agent has an average salary of $59,175, which is higher than the $54,261 average annual salary of a planner/buyer.
The top three skills for a buyers' agent include buying process, real estate license and purchase agreements. The most important skills for a planner/buyer are supply chain, purchase orders, and customer service.
| Buyers' Agent | Planner/Buyer | |
| Yearly salary | $59,175 | $54,261 |
| Hourly rate | $28.45 | $26.09 |
| Growth rate | 5% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 33,999 | 33,452 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A Buyers' Agent specializes in helping clients with their real estate needs. Their responsibilities begin at meeting the clients to identify their needs and preferences, discuss budgets and other relevant information, and understand the procedures' extent. From there, a Buyers' Agent conducts research and analysis to curate house listings that a client can choose from. They represent the client when liaising with the sellers' agent, conducting inspections and appraisals, and negotiating terms.
The role of buyers/planners is to ensure that office materials and equipment are well-supplied within their organization. They decide and purchase the materials needed for use or resale by their organization. They are responsible for evaluating prospective suppliers based on their cost, product quality, and delivery times. They are also the ones who negotiate contracts specifying the payment terms, price, and delivery schedules. Most employers prefer their buyer to have earned a bachelor's degree with a major in operations management or business management.
Buyers' agents and planner/buyers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Buyers' Agent | Planner/Buyer | |
| Average salary | $59,175 | $54,261 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $86,000 | Between $37,000 And $77,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Billerica, MA |
| Highest paying state | - | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | - | Edwards Lifesciences |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a buyers' agent and a planner/buyer in terms of educational background:
| Buyers' Agent | Planner/Buyer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between buyers' agents' and planner/buyers' demographics:
| Buyers' Agent | Planner/Buyer | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.0% Female, 56.0% | Male, 47.9% Female, 52.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 7.4% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 7.9% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |