Broker/owner, your name, your brand on the sign. It's your name that appears on my commission check. This is your office, those are your employees and I totally get that.
But what I sense you don't get is that all of that is made possible by me - the agent. I am the talent. I am the one you recruited based on my local market knowledge. My skills. My reputation. My expertise. My ability to drive the buyer/sell experience.
I am the one whose name appears on the deals.
In an effort to leverage these skills, the ones that drive our collective partnership, I look to you, the company, to match my efforts with yours. While I'm out in my domain -- the field --performing, I need to know that back here, in the office -- your domain -- you are performing as well. I am referring to the inefficiencies, repetitive marketing tasks and other tasks that would be far more cost effective for us and you if they were all automated. Systems that focus on lead generation, lead incubation, follow up lead management and client care - you know, all the touchpoints that are critical to our collective livelihood.
Without it, I the agent have to perform these tasks myself. Every second I stand in front of a copy machine shoving paper into it, I sense the devaluation of my worth, my merit and my production time. I am a real estate professional earning executive level income. I should be mired in executive task and defer menial ones to automation.
I am the talent. You are my agency.
The way things are set up now, it is not working for me. If you want to keep getting a cut of my commissions start acting like my agent. If this isn't resonating, take a look at how William Morris Agent treat their moneymakers. Look at how top talent managers treat their clients. Their entire focus is promoting their talent. From public side -- their website -- to the private side.
When I go to our brokerages website all I seem to find is information about you and the same property listings that can be found on every other listing website. Where's your imagination, your creativity, your sense of building a brand that differentiates from the other brands who are doing the very thing you are?
Don't you realize what you have? Without us, the talent, you have nothing. By not leveraging us, you squander the single biggest asset of our company. Build your brand around us. The talent!
88 Comments on Agent to broker: Why don't you get it?
FEB
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Where did you go?? Now you're back.
I have always considered the "agent on the road" the most important part of the complex. Could be because I was "on the road" for so long.
Most brokers' main function is recruiting. The agent's job is selling real estate for sellers to buyers.
That's very eloquent ... but I'm a very pragmatic kind of broker. I need to know precisely what exactly that ideal agent would want. For me to pay for flyer printing costs? For me to pay his or her monthly ISP cost? A private office? For me to pay the cell phone bill? I'd love to hear some specifics.
Wow...Jonathan! I just got back from vacation and find this. You pretty well summed up my feelings. Some of the tedious requirements of my office are a total waste of time. Maybe I should direct my broker here???
Well, I work for a very agent-centric broker that has won 'innovator of the year' awards and does a lot of those things you're asking for. I can't imagine working for a broker like you describe.
I have my own fully equipped office.....at home. ....and do all my own websites and blog sites.... and I'm actually fine with all that. It's my business... and I like to run my business how I like it.
I loved this! I laughed so hard at the video clip, my husband had to come see what was so funny and the dogs started barking like mad. I want to say, "show me the unconventional thinking"!
Jonathan, Thanks for making me smile today!!! SHOW ME THE MONEY!! OK, I don't run a brokerage but I am throwing my 2cents in too!! I did work at a company - a huge company in south king county who's broker knew this. The office support I had was amazing. He made us feel like we were the most important people in the world. Sad thing though - that company made me pay out the nose for it. When I stopped my desk fee which in 2001 was $1100 a month and went to a 50/50 split the company match was huge!!! and I basically received nothing for it except the "big name". I loved that company because of the broker. When I returned to WA after being in CA for 3 years I decided to choose a company that let me keep all my money - I did and I do. However, I am on my own. That is ok, I really like it that way. But you would think there was some place in the middle.
Your post reminds me of my aerospace days and the TQM bandwagon we all jumped on - Total Quality Management met we had all types of customers - external and internal and you as an employee were a customer and had them. I see the real estate professional as the internal customer of the broker or real estate company.
Oh - man I have written a blog in your blog!!! I am just at a cross roads with companies and so this is very timely for me. Thanks - now I am off to the boardwalk to take new photos for my new Bremerton blogs cuz it is sunny out today!!!
Oh - and PS I really wanted to tell you that I love your new picture. But I will admit that your old picture was very motivating and every time I would see it - it made me smile. I love enthusiasm. It was your purple cow picture and I miss it :)
You pose a great question, especially one that experienced agents need to decide when looking for a new office. However, I guess it comes down to, who is more efficient in spending your money, you or your broker?
Jonathan, not all companies are traditional companies where we share our commission. Keller Williams and Remax you pay an office fee, you run your business the way you want to with the branding of an international company. I would rather hire my own assistant to do my copying, delivering signs and lock boxes and the hourly jobs, so I and my team can do what we do best. The buyer agents working with buyers and me listing and rainmaking.
Both those companies do hand out leads with no referral fees; however, I still do my own PPC and marketing and that is where 99.9% of the business comes from.
To be honest most, not all Brokers don't have a clue beyond the day to day of recruting new agents and retaining the ones there.
For new agents a traditional company is OK, but if you really want to grow you must do it on your own and not be dependent on any company, brand or broker. You need systems and models to follow.
Sharing my commission is not an option for me, I would rather run my business like a business and pay for office space, assistants, CPA's etc.
Finally, thanks to Activerain, where I have learned so much, I don't really ever go anywhere that I haven't heard it all before right here in the rain.
Jonathan - we work for a very autonomous office and that's what we like - we left corporate america for a reason. We don't need much from a broker and like Monica said in addition we don't want someone to tell us how to market (i.e. desk times) - Like the new photo too!
sorry man but you must work in the wrong office. My broker/owner does everything for us in terms of making the systems run as easy as possible and to keep our expenses down. i suggest looking elsewhere !
Johnathin-there is a point in every agents career that they need to decide how much the broker contributes to their bottom line and how much they are willing to give up to have a broker deal with all of the legal, accounting and other issues. When you feel as if they aren't contibuting then you need to either find a new broker or go out on your own.
OK...I get it. And I mean I get it! I do EVERYTHING FOR MY AGENTS...and then some. That said...why not get your brokers license and do it the way you want? Or go work for a broker that supports your efforts and is on the same page as you? It's not like we were not in the trenches as well. I mean I outproduced most of my agents when I was actively selling. Share your ideas with your broker..maybe he'll cut you in! But beware...they call us brokers for a reason...we are broker than everyone else!
I do it all from home. I wandered into my broker's office yesterday for the first time in two months. That is just the way I like it. I'd like to pay less when I toss in a deal, but I do have a broker with a spine... I'm cool with that.
This is a great post for a number of company owners and/or managers to read. There are plenty of tedious tasks in this business for sure. I work for a great RE/MAX office and we run our business like mini businesses under the umbrella of RE/MAX. The owner/broker I work for does a tremendous amount for those of us who work there, but we aren't a traditional office so there isn't any way we can expect much of what you wrote about to happen in our office. I have worked in the past in traditional offices, and having some of the things you wrote about actually happen in those offices would be a terrific improvement for sure.
The handwriting is on the wall! Leave - go where you can run things yourself your way. I was offered a chance to buy into a small Remax franchise 11 years ago and I jumped on it. The time was right I was chafing at having few services other than a desk and phone from my broker/owner and had paid her 26k that year. If the time isn't right to go to a 95/5 situation desk fee wise then go where the splits start at 70/30 and can go up. Not all brokerages are run to make oodles of money that's the always recruiting mega office concept. Some are run by people mainly looking to minimize their cost of doing real estate. Best of luck - now time for one of my favorite homilys "luck is when opportunity meets preparedness".
I feel very sorry for you!.... and at the same time I feel grateful for the broker I have... I guess I should thank my lucky stars for the agency I am working for.... Thanks for the enlightenment... Darci Gullett Livingston County Michigan, The Michigan Group.
I'd like to say that Jim (of Jim Sanders Realty Inc) is a fine broker who has worked his way up himself and knows the drill. We have a full time office assistant to do those tedious tasks for us, in a nice comfortable and well equipped office. We don't pay for silly things like desk fees, phone calls, supplies etc. We are encouraged to get out there and sell some properties. We get training, we get advice, we get motivation. But you'd better be productive!
I once heard from the great motivational speaker, Jim Rohn, "you get paid for bringing value to the marketplace". Obviously, if you feel like you are worth more based on your talent and the amount of value you give your clients you should either renegotiate with your broker or go to a broker that appreciates that value. What's nice is you are an independent contractor who can work for whoever you want to work for. That's the beauty of our profession.
"I do EVERYTHING FOR MY AGENTS" - ditto, lol. My comment to this post got so long I had to go write a blog post response instead. As with everything there are the great, the good and the average and the really bad brokers out there. But this post made by blood boil.
Update: Jon, I do realize who you are and that you were writing from an angle as an unhappy, unsupported agent. But to often, I have heard these things from agents who don't take advantage of the sytems in place and the opportunities available.
Some firms tout they are agent focused but fall far short. That's why they lose so much people. They don't see the "value" of each individual agent within their firms. Then they are dismayed when the pocket card is put in front of them to sign. Go figure..
1. I do actually own my own brokerage. It is a smaller company with 4 offices located in Washington state, Virginia, and Maryland. Sometimes my own brokerage forgets who the talent is, and if anything I wrote this post so that we will forget less often in the future.
2. This post is for "traditional' style offices. I am not questioning the business model or merit of a desk fee type office. I think they are fantastic for the agent that wants to work at that office. But for the "traditional" style office that takes a split from the agent, they really need to step up their game. There is so much that could be done, so much potential.
3. I do think that if the traditional style office can step up and reach it's potential, then the potential reward for the agent can be great. Agents are most valuable, (making the most money) when they are working with clients or working on a transaction. Not when they are doing work that is better off automated.
A lot of agents in my marketplace (Silicon Valley, Los Gatos CA in particular) are moving around now. Why? Some of it is brokerage instability, I think. Some of it is dissatisfaction with being charged too much and getting too little in return (not happy with splits). With one local title company shuttering its doors recently, other agents are afraid of being with a "weak" company that might go under. Some top agents are tired of being ignored while the broker manager only recruits. For us agents, it's cheaper to keep a past client and check in etc. than to prospect out new ones. Managers need to remember that too and not JUST prospect for new agents, but spend a little time keeping the current ones happy.
So yeah, it does come down to "what am I getting for my money here"? That is precisely the reason I moved in December to Keller Williams (we don't yet have a real estate office in Los Gatos but soon and very soon we will...). I did the math and it was very enlightening.
Brokers need to view their agents as clients, and try to use the same principals to "keep them". Everyone's happier in the long run with stability.
That is the sad state that most agents live in ever day yet they do nothing to change what they do. If every agent was to leave those horrible offices the offices and brokers would be forced to change. Yet that will never happen do to the agents themselves becoming complacent in where they are.
It's the difference between an agent driven business model or a company driven one. I chose the former and have am fortunate to have a great cohesive group who "gets it".
This is why EXIT Realty enjoys independent thinkers like yourself. We beleive at EXIT the agents are the assets of the company and that we reward the agents for helping grow the company. We beleive that good people like yourself would be a great asset and we would greatly appreciate it if you stopped what you are doing and come to work for the right company. Give me a call and I can get you in most anywhere in the North American continent. 605-271-3948. Ask for Ritch!
Jon, I worked for one of those brokers--no longer! My broker fits your description of innovative and extremely pro-agent. I know while I'm out driving Buyers and making listing presentations that there are a dozen folks back at the office creating fabulous marketing materials for me to use on my next one and taking care of listing my homes flawlessly online. It is SO very refreshing! Come to Charlotte and join my firm--they'll take great care of you!
Ouch, this one really hurts. You know (since you are one) as a broker you wear many hats, and if it's that easy we do we have the wouldn't the turnover in brokerages that we do. I feel like you've lumped us all together in this post. As for the talent, to sell and/or to manage, that door swings both ways.
BTW, we just had another office closing (one of several so far) in our city, well know long-term office, lot's of agents, guess it's not all that easy having staying power.
First of all, not all 50/50 brokerages are created equal. You can not change an entire office, nor do you possess any inherent right to do so. If you feel that strongly about your talent then you need to examine a local Re/Max or similar office more closely. Perhaps even start your own office, to assure your needs and desires are fulfilled. I have felt the way you do now and the best thing I for myself was to leave. Bitterness serves no one and you sound venomous.
Without a doubt one of the most narcissistic blog posts that I have EVER read, but considering it's coming from an AR founder, I suppose you have your right.
Ya know Mr. Johnathan, I have spent just over 4 years in this business as an I.T. Director, supporting a successful 9 office CB franchise, bouncing around, working on PCs, running into virtually every single one of our agents at some point, and I now easily understand why I managed to bare witness to so many agents arguing over complete BS with one another over absolutely STUPID crap. With heads the size of yours, and obviously many others here, it's no wonder agents hate dealing with each other so often.
ME ME ME...I I I
Let me ask you something, and the rest of the agents who feel the company owes them practically everything deemed "menial"...specifically from a new agent perspective now that I am actually freshly licensed.
Who trains me? Who provides me the skills to learn how to be a productive agent? Who gives me business when I have none to start? Who covers my a** when I royally screw up? Who provides me with marketing materials to utilize for listing presentations? Who pays for the rediculous newspaper ads for sellers that don't have email or a computer and need to be "kept happy?"
What about the agents who suck the company resources dry for six months and leave? Who pays for that? How about the one person who comes into the office, late on a Friday night, and prints out 300 full color flyers at 10 cents a copy, for their saturday afternoon church picnic? Who takes care of that cost?
Hmm? But...what do I know, everyone should be making 100% or a 90/5 split. Without adoubt a brokerage can survive with that kind of business model. Sure they do....but their 6 room office building houses 287 agents paying a $1400 fee every month. I guess that's the new model eh?
What I have come to find out in my nearly 5 years as an I.T. professional working in real estate is that virtually everyone of the agents who require the brokerage to do "menial" tasks for them, USUALLY comes down to the simple fact that they have no idea, no patience, and no ability to do the tasks themselves. If you're a great agent, I "get it"...you've earned your stripes, but what I find absolutely disturbing is the fact that once an agent feels they are "great", you're basically saying, find a brokerage that will give you more and more money, do everything for you, or if not, just kiss your current one goodbye and start your own business. The entire process of turning you into a great agent, gets the brokerage spit on in the long run, especially if the agent becomes successful.
If you start your own brokerage, as you have, kudos and you have my respect. But is that the majority of agents? Pffst....uh no. Remember...ME ME ME...I I I? That's usually their only concern and simply reading these replies to your post practically proves it.
I've seen instances where agents who acquire listings on a late Saturday night, end up taking photos, and doing the "paperwork"....BUT...instead of taking the time over the weekend, or that exact night to get it into the MLS asap...because it's a "menial" task, they end up waiting until Monday or Tuesday to give the photos and listing sheets to office staff.....why?? Because my gosh...I don't do such lowly work and it takes time away from more important tasks.
I'm sorry, but I absolutely don't agree with you and your post, nor do I agree with the great many replies.
Hey, Laurie, I got you link and listen, I'm so tired of wining agents. WaH, wah, wah. Some of us brokers are in the trenches doing everything we can to survive this tidal wave of a real estate recession and we are doing it by leading the way. In my office, I go door knocking with my agents and give them the leads, how many brokers out there do that? In my office, even thought there is a loss, i cover it. I run a traditional office wherein I consider myself a partner with the agents. There is more to an office then stucco and lights, brick and motar. Much more then providing a space to do business, we brokers have to motivate people. Is that really our responsibility? Nevertheless, we constantly forget about all the little things that add up to an office: like toilette paper, coffee, a smiling receptionist, mailroom service, copy machine and internet access. God bless you brokers for taking on this responsibility.
Right on Jonathan. And don't you just love what Laurie says above. We have superb brokers; they are fundamentally talented, especially Nancy Fennell, who many in the country know. But they do not sell houses any more. They're gift is managing talent, thoroughbreds, races horses, about 350 of them... who produce somewhere between $1.5B and $2B a year in sales throughout our region.
Interesting you wrote this blog from an agents prospective. I actually have been working on a blog similar to this. I think it is important to point out a few key points.
1) I agree that the broker does have responsibilities to the agent and the #1 thing they are responsible for in my opinion is... leadership. Who you have leading your company, your troops each and every day is the person who makes or breaks your company. They are the ones that inspire or deflate your agents, set the tone for the spirit and personality of your office and lead the vision and direction of you business to the future. They really are the soul and the agents become the heart, both very important and powerful.
2) The agent needs to take responsibility for their own business. They cannot rely on other people to make it happen. They are the ones that need to show up, they need to invest in themselves, their business and resources to grow. If they are wise agents, they will be choose a leader that shares the same visions, dedication to resources. If they seek vision then they need to be with visionaries, people out their doing it different, thinking outside the box and dedicated as well to the craft however in a much different way.
3) Agents should not expect the broker to be paying for the employment for an assistant to be doing the job of the agent. If the agent wishes to run his business like the business executive they are then they need to build it just like a business and employ support staff for them individually and not expect it to come from the office and their pockets.
I believe that much of this would be solved if realistic expectations and understanding was had by both sides of the fence. There are some amazing brokers out there that lead with such spirit, vision and passion, while I agree there are many as well that have forgotten the value of their agents, lost their spirit and passion. Don't lose your vision, your focus and those who have helped you along the way.
Way to lump all Broker / Owners into one package and characterize them negatively.
Who are you going to do for an encore? Smokers? Fat chicks?
It's not up to the broker to do your marketing for you -- nevertheless, some brokers (like me) do exactly that, and it's the foundation of our business.
If you don't want to work for a broker, one alternative is to go get a broker's license.
Whining about it is also an approach, but hardly a solution.
Very well done... You mention that this was written with the traditional office in mind, but it should resonate with the 100% desk fee office models as well... the broker still needs to provide a well oiled machine... and some simply just don't get it.
Great post, Jonathan. I think some brokers, such as Wes Foster of Long & Foster on the East Coast, and some mega-company owners like Dave Liniger, the founder of RE/MAX. The result is they flourish, and their agents usually do, too, while the competition (who shall remain nameless) continues to struggle with recruiting and production (overall, with some exceptions). Imagine the potential, even for them, if your philosophy was executed better at the branch office level! You are a great advocate for the little guy, the agents, and I just have one thing to say - YOU'RE HIRED! (As my advocate, that is)
I was with another company for 5.5 years..it is a good company and trains agents well. The only thing I didn't care for was they didn't allow me to run my business the way I want and they were not allowing me to get the maximum potential I know I can get and they were not paying out what I deserve. I now run my own business the way I see fit as long as it is legal and ethical and Remax pays me 95% all the time. I pay a bit more to Remax but in the end I come out with more to me and control my business. The other company had too much control over what I was trying to accomplish. At the begining it was ok...but I decided a change was for the better and it was.
I'm at a cross road at this time and I thought your post was so right for my situation. I have to think what to do next with my career. I know that my company is making a lot of money on my account but with their name I get in a lot more doors. think about this: I went on vacation to London for Christmas and I was able to make money on a referral. I know that going somewhere else would not have given me that opportunity. So although, my company may make money on my account I've also made money on using their name.
While we're lamenting the shortcomings of the Broker/Owner let us not forget that once-upon-a-time when all the super resource starved agents were sleeping ...
said Broker summoned the gumption and wetted the steel to open up that agency. Yes, his name is on the commission check. But it's also on the lease (including equipment rentals). His name is on the license. He's at far greater economic and regulatory risk than the agent.
For those on this thread that can do it better --
(a) Can you pass the Broker's license?
(b) Do you have the balls guts to open your own shop?
I, for one, am extremely thankful to be at the brokerage where I am at! I get the highest split and awesome support from my brokers without being 100%. I think my brokers are equally thankful. We have very few agents with very high producers and I am surrounded by success and support daily.
Washburn - ok, you have populist game. in reality, of course from my limited point of view, either hand alone can become quite dirty. you need two to wash. and of course, one alone is quite silent. it will take both to create applause.
you foster an excellent framework for negotiation. negotiation requires two sides at the table. i do not regret sharing a portion of my earnings with a broker. i am free to leave and find another if i am not satisfied with what i am offered. i also believe that the freedom of the marketplace will always keep the door open for new brokers.
your post should be heeded by those brokers that wish to retain agents. it should not be misconstrued as a bill of rights that agents should print and nail to their brokers door.
J-Mac, It should not be misconstrued as a bill of rights that agents should print and nail to their brokers door.
Well put and timely. Just when we all thought Reason was dead.
I own a small office with two agents, but I need to actively sell and list to keep the lights on. For those of you with an image the broker as a really rotund guy in a greasy shirt smoking Havana's while the agents are out pounding the pavement ... well, I believe that will turn more myth than merit in the coming cycle.
Too bad your in Washington, I work for a Company with total support for the agents. All you have to do is make your calls and we do the rest.........We have great programs, our company prepares CDs for us to bring on listing appointments with a great listing presentation, and ones with music for farming. Ever agent gives the homeowner a virtual tour when they list for free to the agent. Agents have their letters prepared for them by the office, for expires and FSBO. They make it easy to do business. So maybe you just work for the wrong company.
I have been trying to get our broker who has the message to get the back room to go paperless so I don't have to stand next to the copy machine. Brokers today have a difficult job to manage the talent and yet make money. Thanks for the post.
Wow, you really stimulated some lengthly comments. I guess you have to decide what you want to get from your brokerage. Some give heavy support and charge a large split and fees. Others leave you alone and give a more generous split.
Jonathan~ Wow, you've really touched a nerve, its been interesting. I work with a wonderful Broker who provides many support services for their agents "virtually". As a Virtual Assistant my company provides marketing support for all the agents providing Listing/Marketing Coordination, and could provide online Transaction Management support and others as well.
Although its not for every office, one thing is certain, it provides a valuable, consistent assistance to the agents whether from the Broker Office or from their home offices, provides them with valuable tools, like Virtual Tours, Audio Tours, Appointment/Showing Desk, property flyers, all without having to provide that assistant with office space,a computer, employee expenses etc. Very innovative I think:)
Jon - lots of fodder here to take in different directions. I left a company-centric company for an agent-centric company and haven't regretted it.
Nick - you say What about the agents who suck the company resources dry for six months and leave? Who pays for that? How about the one person who comes into the office, late on a Friday night, and prints out 300 full color flyers at 10 cents a copy, for their saturday afternoon church picnic? Who takes care of that cost? I asked those same questions before I left my last company and the answer was - I was! By paying a larger split to that company than to an agent-centric company I was subsidizing the education of new agents, the extra printed flyers, the overuse of staff time, the nonproductive agents. Now I pay only for what I use. I like it that way.
Great post ! Just when I was feeling I was in a bad broker/agent situation I see this and feel it even more strongly now. I had the feeling that I was working for a corporation (9-5) job the other day when I found my broker trying to take over my responsibilities on my deal!!! Too much. Thanks for the post, because it is what I have been asking.... is this a good fit for me. Thanks.
Your post made me smile too. I think it has to be just like any relationship. Sometimes the lines get clouded and things go wrong. But hopefully, there is always the platform to speak about it.
Responses here were interesting. Maybe one of these days I will have the patience to train an assistant. One reason I took the step to become a broker was because brokers did not provide beyond ask and answer questioning and a brick and mortar office that I did not use. I have not recruited yet, and may not, I rather like being solo and creating a team as needed when needed. However, if I were paying 50% commission I would expect more assistance.
A little self promotion -- I would like to see more Brokers offer (at a steep discount) our Home Showing and Appointment service for their Talent. Our service let's you delegate the home showing appointment process for your listings while you still own the control. It's fully automatic saving busy agents a lot of time and capturing a lot of information. www.onecallshow.com. Mostly, at the broker level, they hesitate because they do not want to impose a new fee on the 10% that are not producing. Have a great weekend.
Excellent Point, Those reasons are why I went out on my own a few years ago. I got tired of doing ALL the work and then having to split my paycheck. I've been much happier ever since.
I love the fact the brokers do nothing but take percentages of the agents commission. I never really understood why that worked the way it did. As I am spending a fortune on marketing and spending hours promoting my business, what does the broker do. I have NEVER gotten a client off of my broker in 5 years!
This is the single best blog entry I have ever read, and the one I always wanted to write but never got around to it. I just left the broker you described, the one that lacked imagination and creativity. The one that told me I was wasting my time on ActiveRain, the one that USED to be getting a cut of my commissions. Now somebody else is getting it!
It sounds like you work for the wrong company or maybe thiers another problem. The top poducers in our industry are leaders who would rise to the top no matter what broker they hung thier license with. Even though if you can partner this type of agent with the right company you can create a powerful team of Agents. Or you can try it on your own. Good Luck...
Jonathon - Great post - and you're not alone. I have found myself feeling much the same way recently. My brokers are cutting expenses and now have stopped having meetings. There is no motivating force, but fortunately I am self-driven. In regard to Cheryl Johnsons reply - how I read into it, sounds to me that you're facing some of the same issues I am, lack of office support, hi-tech/innovative systems & tools. I totally agree with you - my time can be better spent drumming up new business instead of standing at the copier, fax, and doing things in twice the amount of time than need be. I think one of the best perks any top agents could have is an admin of their own - at least part time or in a large office where there are a few top agents, a 4:1 ratio admin/agents. I'd like somebody just 2 hours a day that i could rely on so I can be productive in other ways - then watch my numbers!
I LOVE my agency! They serve me well. Maybe you need to be with a REAL, working team. A difference in the management styles of Brokers, can be like the difference between Kindergarten and Grad School. Just having a license doesn't make a Broker, anymore than a license makes you a REALTOR. It's all in the movement, the ACTION.
After reading all the responses about, "The great broker I work for" I wonder...What makes your broker so great? There are a million reasons of course, but what are the thoughts on that? Why is your broker the best?
KNOWLEDGE, SERVICE and INTEGRITY... she walks the talk and is BRILLIANT at it, I must say... it's all about mentoring, education, not just understanding the laws, but understanding WHY... not just performing a calculation for mortgage payments or a measurement for square footage with the help of calculators with built-in programs, but UNDERSTANDING HOW and she makes sure that we actually KNOW what we are doing. So, besides knowing WHAT to do, we know how to think about it and WHY. It's very comprehensive. This is Professional. (There are over 30 women that work in our office, and she has kept the group working harmoniously for years. That, in itself, says A LOT! I personally think one of the reasons may be that NO ONE, absolutely no one, may touch the thermostat! HA!)
Jonathan, having been an Owner and Broker of a company, I can say until you walk in someones shoes, you can't totally understand where they are coming from.
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Where did you go?? Now you're back.
I have always considered the "agent on the road" the most important part of the complex. Could be because I was "on the road" for so long.
Most brokers' main function is recruiting. The agent's job is selling real estate for sellers to buyers.
It's what keeps the world going round.