The business or profession of acting as a broker, arranging transactions or deals between buyers and sellers for a commission.
From 'broker,' derived from Old French 'brocour' (one who broaches or deals in goods), itself from 'broche' (a peg or pointed tool), metaphorically meaning to open up transactions.
Broking became a crucial financial role in the 1600s because it solved an information problem—when you had goods to sell but no direct access to buyers, a broker with a network could find the right person, and this role became so valuable it eventually created entire stock markets and modern finance systems.
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