Choosing a brokerage is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as a real estate agent. The wrong company can leave you feeling overworked, undervalued, and frustrated. The right one will provide you with the support, education, and the resources you need to succeed.
Here are four things to look for when making your decision:
Training
One of the most important factors to consider is training and resources. Do they provide agents with weekly extensive training on how to succeed in the industry? Are there experienced mentors who can help you grow as an agent? The more training available to you, the better chance you have of succeeding as a new agent and continuing to build your business year after year. They should be keeping you ahead of what is going on in the market and making sure you have all of the training to do your job well.
Support
A good brokerage firm will have a support staff in place to help agents with everything from marketing to transaction management. If you’re especially busy or don’t have much experience, look for a firm with a robust support system. Do they have an in-house marketing team that can help you promote your listings, or are you responsible for generating your own leads? Having a team behind you is key to ensuring your transactions run smoothly and allowing you to grow your business with each passing year.
Culture
It’s also important to consider the company culture when choosing a brokerage. Do the agents seem happy and engaged? Is it a competitive environment or more collaborative? Do YOU fit in with the company culture? You should be spending a lot of time at your brokerage, so it’s important that it’s somewhere you feel comfortable and supported and not be in a cutthroat type of environment.
Transparency
Do you know the commission structure? Are there fees and what are they for exactly? Knowing how a brokerage operates in a broad sense, as well as the smallest details should be very transparent to you as an agent. You should have no questions or doubts as to how the company manages its resources and your money. There should also be financial transparency when it comes to your commissions. How they are calculated and what is in your check each closing.
These are just a few of the things you should keep in mind when choosing a real estate brokerage. Do your research and take your time making your decision; this is not a decision you want to take lightly; the brokerage can make or break your success in this business. If you are interested in learning more about Lamacchia Realty please click here.