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The differences between buyers' agents and purchasing agents 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 purchasing agent. Additionally, a buyers' agent has an average salary of $59,175, which is higher than the $51,950 average annual salary of a purchasing agent.
The top three skills for a buyers' agent include buying process, real estate license and purchase agreements. The most important skills for a purchasing agent are purchase orders, customer service, and logistics.
| Buyers' Agent | Purchasing Agent | |
| Yearly salary | $59,175 | $51,950 |
| Hourly rate | $28.45 | $24.98 |
| Growth rate | 5% | - |
| Number of jobs | 33,999 | 45,856 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| 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.
A purchasing agent's general task is keeping purchase records and making sure that there won't be any discrepancies with the handling of orders. The purchasing agent should be responsible for the order processing and payment collection. Purchasing agents should also be proficient in interpreting and evaluating data, researching on best marketing sources and alternatives, issuing required documentation for suppliers, as well as managing customer queries as needed. Being a purchasing agent requires critical-thinking skills in assessing concerns and providing solutions should there be any possible negotiation conflicts.
Buyers' agents and purchasing agents have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Buyers' Agent | Purchasing Agent | |
| Average salary | $59,175 | $51,950 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $86,000 | Between $37,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Maryland |
| Best paying company | - | Abiomed |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a buyers' agent and a purchasing agent in terms of educational background:
| Buyers' Agent | Purchasing Agent | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between buyers' agents' and purchasing agents' demographics:
| Buyers' Agent | Purchasing Agent | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.0% Female, 56.0% | Male, 49.5% Female, 50.5% |
| 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, 9.3% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 7.0% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |