Real estate investment advisors are professionals who guide their clients' real estate portfolios for investment purposes. Real estate agents, on the other hand, are individuals who facilitate real estate sales and leasing transactions and provide real estate buying and selling services to clients. While real estate investment advisors focus on more strategic and long-term investment objectives, real estate agents usually manage the purchase, sale or lease of a single property.

Property investment advisors can serve individual investors, family offices, institutional investors and property investment funds. Clients often use advisors to effectively manage or diversify large investment portfolios. In addition, real estate investment advisors may be consulted in special situations such as relocation, asset management or inheritance transactions.