Apparently, news travels fast, as only 2 days after I got the news that our Reston office is closing, I began getting calls and emails from other area brokers asking me to visit them so they could show me what they offer. Well, in short, our broker has been in the business for 35 years. He might want to retire before he reaches 40 years in business, so he didn't want to commit to another 5 year lease at Reston. So, the solution was to merge the Reston office with the McLean office. I suppose that some agents who live in or near Reston, and focus on Reston business, might think about switching? Personally, I don't think it's a decision that should be rushed. Agents will simply have to quit using the Reston address on their business cards, etc, and start using the Mclean address. Will the public notice the change? Will Reston buyers and sellers hesitate to call an agent in McLean? The Reston office # will be transfered to McLean office. Agents will still have same cell # and email address.
I suppose the only negative is, there will be no office in Reston to meet people, and no place for people and agents to park cars while you're out showing property. And traffic to and from McLean is heavier so that could factor into some agents decisions.
Choosing companies- Will most agents stick with Remax? I think so, assuming they can find a broker they like.
How far ahead should an agent start the process of changing companies? I would think at least 3 - 6 months unless an agent already knows of a company and broker they like. But starting cold, it takes time to visit brokers, analyze, maybe talk with other agents, etc. Updating web sites shouldn't take too long these days. What if you have 5-10 active listings? Will your broker let you take your listings with you? I have seen agents in the past who knew they we're switching, but waited until all of their listing sold or expired. In some cases, the sellers weren't fans of the new company that the agent was switching to which factored into thier decision to wait to switch. On the negative side, the same agent didn't take on any new listings during this waiting period, which I think could have hurt his business more than his current broker keeping the few listings he did have. I don't think the buying or selling public needs to be too concerned about their agent switching offices.
Plan Your Switch For a Smooth Transition
Jeff Pearl / Lic in VA
Remax Distinctive - McLean VA
703-727-4876
Homes / Land / Farms / Historic
Equal Housing Opportunity Provider
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