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I just passed my state exam and I am in the process of talking to a couple of different real estate agencies. Do any of you professionals have any words of wisdom as to what to ask and what was your deciding factor in why you chose to work for whom you did?
Find out about their reputation in the community & what kind of additional training do they provide. It's bad if they give you a desk & a phone and say you are on your own, find someone who will help make you successful.
Hopefully they don't hire every warm body that walks in the door. They should be selective in who joins their company.
It really can depend on the individual broker to a large extent and not the chain itself.
I would highly advise you to interview with several agencies - and ask a TON of questions and take notes.
Before real estate, I had a long history of success in sales - I didn't need "sales" training per se, technical training yes, cold calling no. I wanted a place where I could get as much or as little help as I needed and not be chained to a "buddy". (Works for some, but from personal experience it sucks for me.)
Think about what you need for a successful career and interview from there.
Definitely interview several brokers. It is good to ask about their training programs (and don't forget to ask about the cost of their training programs.) Ask them directly: "What will you do to help me get established in real estate and grow my business?" Then ask if you can speak with a couple of "newbies" (less than 2 years in the business) at the agency. If the broker doesn't hesitate to give you the names and encourages you to visit with them, that's a good sign. Be sure you go ahead and visit with them. Find out what their struggles were that first year and how the broker helped them succeed.
The most important thing for a new agent is training. See who'll offer the best training and go with them. It will probably be the bigger companies in the area. Brands like C21/C-B/ERA. Remember that 50% of 1 transaction is better than 100% of 0 transactions.
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