Greg, interesting point of view. Do you see any benefits to part time agents being in an office?

BTW, what's your connection to Colorado?

There are good part time agents and not so good full time agents.  Who is going to decide?  If a part time agent does 20 sides a year and a full timer does 10, who is the more qualified agent?  I do agree that most of them need to go.

I find most full time agents are actually part time agents, and some part time agents that are more productive than the full time agents.  It depends on the individuals work ethic.  An agent in my office has a mortgage brokers license and works at a major bank in their retention department, he is extremely productive and just likes the benefits of the bank job.

I don't think it's so much of an issue of part time vs full time if you're talking about the hours worked in a week. I think it is the differnece between an agent that goes out and finds buyers and sellers and brings them together vs an agent who shows up for some floor time and lucks out with a walk-in or floor call and parlays that into a sale.

Full time agent = Hunts for clients
Part time = Relies on luck of the draw

I am a firm believer that they should make it as hard and as expensive as possible to obtain your real estate license, and expensive to keep it.  That would knock a lot of the part time & unproductive agents out of the business.  I also think that unless you can maintain a minimum number of transactions a year, you should have a junior or apprentice license & should be required to work under a producing agent.  Really, how well informed can you be if you are only doing 1 deal a month, or one every other month, what level of service are you providing your client? 

 I have a deal right now with a part time agent that doesn't even know the difference between a title commitment & a HUD statement.  He also got upset when I told him that the seller needed to see a pre-approval letter or proof of funds prior to accepting the offer, because he is a "REALTOR" and his word that his client can buy should be enough....unbelievable.

You make some good points Michael and I can understand your frustration.

I think some of the problem goes back to the Broker of the office not making sure their agents are well trained and supervised for a period of time. Here in Colorado, the employing/managing broker is suppose to highly supervise their agents for the first two years of getting their license.

Then after the two years they bail and go to another company. That broker now assumes they are seasoned. But in reality they are still without the knowledge to do the job. Bottom line seasoned and part-time licenses need training/overseeing untill proven.

Great Points,You nailed it!

I've found that it is a communication and productivity issue, not necessarily how many hours someone is in the office, or if they would be considered full or part time.  For anyone who is productive, if we counted the number of hours, it would well exceed the typical 40 hrs. of a full time job.  Many of us have home offices in addition to going in "the office" and even carry smart phones.... allowing us to multi-task at an even greater speed than ever before.  I've worked with "well seasoned" agents that had the worst communication skills, and "newbies' that busted their butts to make sure a transaction went smooth.  How well can they multitask though....in this fast-paced and ever changing industry, that matters more to me than if they are putting additional time in somewhere else to make ends meet.

Krista Ingram - Colorado Realtor

I think Rob Proctor makes a great point.  It really comes down to training.  Unfortunately some folks never got proper training, but they aren't all part-timers.  Some full time agents weren't trained properly either. I don't think it's fair to say that all part-time agents are bad.  I have seen some good part timers, although I do admit that they must be well trained and be great with time management.  

I think the 90/10 rule applies. 10 percent good for the industry-90 percent bad.

Just wanted to remind everyone, that on Wednesday, 4.23.08 at 12 noon we are holding an Official Press Conference and an Open House for the the general public to visit the Ocala Mansion. This will be the only time the public will be able to tour the Ocala Mansion at 1315 SE 22nd. Ave, Ocala, Fl. 34471 prior to selecting the Winner! For more info http://www.ocalamansion.com/      

PET LOVERS START PACKING!

YOU COULD WIN MY OCALA MANSION!

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$200.00 Entry Fee & The Best "Pet Lover Story" WINS!

Ocala Mansion Essay Contest Kicks Off at Noon, Wednesday, April 23^rd, 2008 

With an "Official Press Conference" at the property - 1315 SE 22^nd Ave., Ocala, Fla. 34471

     Contest entrants will be able to visit the Mansion from 12 noon to 3:00p.m. Eastern Time. 

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"I purchased this magnificent mansion a few years ago for my retirement home and looked forward to having a quiet and simple life there. But sometimes, no matter how carefully you plan out the details of your life or make decisions, things change, and that's exactly what happened," Giovannetti said. "My entire life changed both professionally and personally while I was living there, and I am no longer retired. So to support my new lifestyle and career change I purchased a much smaller home in The Villages. Hence, this essay contest!"

"One person out of 6250 minimum entries will win this magnificent home valued at $1.25 million on or before July 23^rd, 2008. All you have to do is send us your ‘Pet Lover Story' according to the rules and regulations, along with your cover letter, a 4x6 color photograph of the pet and a US $200 entry fee. In 100 to 300 words, tell us about your pet," Giovannetti said.  "‘The Pet Lover Story' can be funny, sad, heroic or inspirational. It can be about a rescue story, service animal, or an act of love or courage. The judges will select a winning entry based upon an honest and sincere expression of thought and emotions about a pet that is heartfelt and one that truly touches the hearts of the judges. It's that easy. "

"Even kids under the age of 18 can enter as long as their entry includes a written statement with a signature from their parent or guardian approving their participation in this contest. The contest is also open to all not-for-profit organizations," she said.

"Besides, all you ever hear on the news is bad news: crashing real estate market, pregnant women being murdered by their own husbands or boyfriends, political officials being indicted, gas prices going up, the economy going into a recession and on and on. I believe in miracles and sincerely want to bless someone else's life with this magnificent home. I need to find a very special family, individual or organization that could truly be happy there, and perhaps it would make his or her dreams come true! So start writing!" Giovannetti said. For more information visit http://www.ocalamansion.com/