When you obtain your sales person’s license, you must be under the guidance of a broker. The search to find the right real estate broker is one of the most important decisions required when starting a real estate career.
Real estate brokerages have differing overall directions, commitments, priorities and major goals which must be compatible with the individual goals you set for yourself.
At an early stage in your real estate career you must decide what is important to you and find a brokerage which best compliments your needs and interests. Some important issues you must think about include:
- Training
- Support Services
- Office Atmosphere
- Technical Assistance
- Sales and Promotional Tools
- Business Generation
- Commission Plans
A real estate broker provides the framework within which you will work and prosper, and the time must be taken to find the one which best suits your needs. To help you choose the broker which is best suited to you, the following list of questions will get you started in the right direction.
About the Company / Broker
- What is the company’s focused direction?
- Does the company have a published service commitment / mission?
- What are the major goals for the company and how do you plan to achieve them?
- What is your company’s market share?What yardstick do you use to measure your success?
- Do you see yourself as a buyer’s agent or seller’s agent company?
About Training
How do you train new sales associates on areas not covered in post license or continuing education classes?
- What kind of training do you have available to make me successful at finding and qualifying buyers?
- What training do you have to help me obtain listings?
- Who does training in your office and what real estate experience do they have?
- How am I specifically trained (off-the cuff, lecture, role playing, etc.)
- What other responsibilities does your trainer have?
- Do you have scheduled training programs? If so, what is the schedule?
- Do you have trainers / coaches who will go out into the field with me and help with my first few transactions?
- What type training manuals do you have?
- What does training cost?
About Support Services
- What company software is used to assist the sales assciates?
- Who is available during the day to answer my questions?
- Who do I see if the broker is busy?
- How many days a week is the office open? What are the hours ?
- What programs are the support staff trained on?
- What other services do you offer which will provide a complete service to my clients and aid in my professionalism?
- What do the support services cost?
About Technology Assistance
- Do you have a web site?
- Are there any costs to the sales associates associated with your web site?
- Do I need a lap top?
- Do you have technical support for real estate related sales services?
- Is there a cost to the sales associate?
About Sales Tools and Systems
- What marketing tools does the company have for a sales associate?
- Is the broker or trainer available to assist in the first sales calls?
- What tools are available for prospecting? Is there a cost?
- Do I need to have a camera?
About Business Generation
- What does the company do to help the sales associate generate business?
- Do you distribute leads / referrals? How are they distributed?
- How are walk-ins and call-ins distributed?
About The Office
- What does the company do to make the office a fun place to work?
- Does the company have any kind of awards / recognition programs?
- How frequently does the company run contests and what are the prizes?
- Does the company attend any business development or networking opportunities?
About Commission Plans
- Do you maintain a commission plan for your sales associates?
- What kind of commission plan do you have (i.e., rent-a-desk, full service, etc.)
- What kind of franchise fee do I pay? How much per sale / per month / per year?
- How frequently can I change my plans?
- What can the company do to help me save on costs?