I regard myself as a consultant and real estate practitioner. 

Do sales happen with that process? You bet!  If they did not, I would need to be a WallyWorld Greeter. 

Ultimately, people hire me because they trust me.  From there, the information I share helps them make informed decisions regarding whatever they may purchase. 

I'd say both. When working with a buyer, it was more of a consultant role to provide them with the information and options they needed to make a decision. Once the buyer made a decision and we wrote up a contract, I went into selling mode to get their offer accepted. Beyond that, there was still some selling to be done, getting cooperation from various vendors like inspectors, loan reps, title reps, etc. This is where building relationships matters. We have to "sell" ourselves so people want to work with us.

I've never sold anybody anything in my life. I impart information, provide resources, lead people to make informed choices for themselves.

To be effective we need to be both.

You could add - a Teacher 

Coach and guide.  

I don't really try to fit my self into a box.  my first reaction is that neither of these labels fit my idea of what I am and what I do.  

I am definitely a consultant since I am a non-competing managing Principal Broker.

 When I take a listing, I am a Salesperson.  That's what they hired me to be.

 Working with a Buyer?  Maybe a consultant in the beginning.  But when we find the property that meets their needs at the price they want to pay (and can afford), I may shift into Salesperson mode.  I might need to give them that "push" to get their signature on an Offer.

I am both. While I really can't sell anything to anyone... once they've decided to buy I am in a sales process.

I am retired. Towards the end of my career in new home sales I was more of a consultant providing alternatives for consideration.

A combination of the two. Sometimes, one comes more to the forefront than does the other. 

I am a professional salesperson working as a Fiduciary.

I would also say BOTH...

But more of a Salesperson on the Listing side and more of a Consultant on the Buyer side!

Consultant for the client, salesman when discussing the home with interested parties.

Ultimately, I consider myself an Entrepreneur first always. Salespeople are relational consultants; they are one and the same. They provide clients with facts and market expertise to guide informed decisions. The only distinction between the two arises when someone approaches sales transactionally, rather than focusing on relationships and client success. In the workplace, the client's needs always come first. Semantics aside, those who believe this is a separate choice don't truly understand the Working By Referral Sales Method. 

Good question Michael Elliott . I don't think I have ever used the word consultant. I usually introduced my self as a Real Estate Professional or simply I am a Real Estate Broker.

Michael Elliott 

All sales persons consult, so yes, both:)

I consider myself an advisor plus buyer and seller's guide to achieving their set goals. Sales occur when both buyers/sellers agree on terms and conditions based on informed decisions.

Boy Michael that is a hard question for today.  I like to think I am a marriage counselor for a home and people.

     No one I know wants to be "sold" anything Michael Elliott. Matchmaking, finding real estate solutions to solve a problem and meet a need on a pretty big investment.

     Today's "real estate broker" definition gets reinvented daily right?  Customer Success Manager or Sales Coordinator? Dang. Naw. Don't try to "church it up" as Joe Dirt was warned. 

Michael Elliott 

Often, I feel like I am more of a psychiatrist than a salesperson or consultant."

Consultant.  I don't sell houses, I assist people in buying them.

I've never considered myself a salesperson.  I don't sell my buyers on a house.  I show them around until they find a house that they want to buy, and then I help guide them through the minefield that is the purchasing process.

What do we call that...?   A minefield guide?

I don't think either word fits me the best......I'll give it some thought and see what pops up.  Another pondertunity!

Our firm created a culture where we are not salespersons (well legally we are by the state requirement) but rather we are advisors. Most of our practice involves co-op's- which require us to qualify a buyer with a stricter lense than that of a banker. For those that are borrowing- most lending here is portfolio lending- so again, we need to know the right type of lenders to help our buyers with. Some buildings are rather prohibitive as to who they will approve. We help guide clients to foreign exchange specialists, 1031 exchange intermediaries, transactional lawyers and other types of real estate attorney's, etc. This is all under the world of advisory rather than sales. 

I sell myself as a consultant/project manager/caregiver and because my clients trust me, we get through the process smoothly & efficiently, Michael. I advise them during multiple Offers and when we run across other hurdles throughout the process.

I do market my listings but, in the end, negotiations are a part of the sales process so, I have to say, there is a little 'sales' in me! Another time that the salesperson in me comes alive is when I see a negative in a property that I am about to list - OR show a buyer. I am keenly aware of the negatives and we must be intuned with the negatives and more importantly, know how to turn them into positives.