RealTick
RealTick is a professional-grade market data and order execution platform used by active and professional traders to view live prices and place trades across stocks, options, and other instruments. It is not a broker itself; it is trading software that plugs into brokerage accounts and exchange data feeds, giving the trader a fast, customizable set of screens for watching the market and sending orders.
In practice this means a trader logs into RealTick, connects it to a supported brokerage or execution venue, and builds a workspace of live quote windows, charts, time-and-sales tabs, and order-entry tickets. Because it is built for speed and depth of data, it tends to be more configurable and information-dense than a typical retail broker app, letting a trader see order book detail, route orders to specific venues, and react quickly to price changes.
The nuance that trips people up is that RealTick is one of several platforms a broker may offer, and having access to it is separate from having a funded, active brokerage account behind it. A trader might see RealTick used in a chat room or webinar and assume it is a broker or a strategy; it is neither. It is the interface, and the trading rules, costs, and account requirements come from whichever brokerage or clearing firm provides access to it.
It is also worth knowing that platforms like RealTick are typically aimed at frequent, active traders rather than casual investors, so they often carry monthly platform fees or minimum trading activity requirements, and they assume the user already understands order types and market mechanics.
This term depends on a rule or threshold that changes over time, so no specific figure is quoted here. Confirm current ownership/branding of RealTick and its actual relationship to Lightspeed (the original definition claims Lightspeed offers it as distinct from 'Lightspeed Trader'); platform ownership and distribution arrangements change and should be checked against Lightspeed's or RealTick's current official site. Also verify whether the named individual (@Adriano) and any TT-specific usage claim are still accurate before publishing, since this is a specific factual/institutional claim rather than a general trading concept.
A day trader cares because the platform used to view quotes and route orders directly affects execution speed and the amount of market detail visible, both of which matter when decisions are made in seconds.
A trader watching a fast-moving stock uses RealTick's Level 2 window to see multiple buyers and sellers stacked at different prices, then uses the platform's order ticket to send a limit order to buy 500 shares at $24.10, watching the order book update in real time as it fills.
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