I thought they were the same thing except realtors were a specific group you had to pay to be in and have a good record.
Realtors are a specific group of real estate agents. But real estate agents and real estate attorneys are entirely different things: the latter are lawyers while the former are not. Real estate agents are salespeople who search sales listings and give home tours and negotiate deals and whatnot. They have a duty to act in your interest, but they are not qualified or licensed to practice law.