TX Real Estate Brokers for Spnsoring Agents

[Nitish Paliwal]

Hi BP Family!

I am about to receive a Real Estate Sales Agent license. I am looking for some experienced Agents' advice for how to go about choosing a Brokerage firm to get sponsorship from in Texas (Austin) location.

I will be starting out, so I am keen on looking for someone who can provide mentorship and guidance. That is the most critical aspect, commission split is not!  While I will be doing this on a part-time basis, I am very willing to put in the time, effort and energy to meet my leader's expectations.

If you are an active agent or a sponsoring broker who has some nuggets of experience to share, then please let me know!

[Russell Brazil]

Join a brokerage with lots of training, such as Keller Williams

[Nitish Paliwal]

Quote from @Russell Brazil:

Join a brokerage with lots of training, such as Keller Williams

Thanks Russell. I have heard good things about KW too. Besides, are there any specific team leaders that I should consider joining within KW's purview? If yes, how do I go about finding the ones that are willing to help motivated team members?

[Bruce Lynn]

#1 Broker in Austin is KW, so for sure you should interview with us.

One thing I suggest with any broker you interview is to ask to sit in on a class before you decide.  That will tell you a lot about the culture of the brokerage.   Do they have classes?  Do they have a classroom?  Where is the training?  Do they want to charge you?  Do they have interesting classes on the calendar?

That way you can get a basic idea of the live training they offer.  You can talk to the other students.  All of that may give you a better insight to the company and culture.

Good luck and best wishes.  2024 is going to be a tough year, but plenty of opportunity to be successful.   There are always people moving.

[Eliott Elias]

Choosing the right brokerage is very important when starting out. The agents in your office are who you are going to look to for guidance and to set a blue print for your career. They will hold a heavy influence on you. There are investor focused and realtor focused brokerages. I am happy to chat and help as well. 

[Nitish Paliwal]

Quote from @Bruce Lynn:

#1 Broker in Austin is KW, so for sure you should interview with us.

One thing I suggest with any broker you interview is to ask to sit in on a class before you decide.  That will tell you a lot about the culture of the brokerage.   Do they have classes?  Do they have a classroom?  Where is the training?  Do they want to charge you?  Do they have interesting classes on the calendar?

That way you can get a basic idea of the live training they offer.  You can talk to the other students.  All of that may give you a better insight to the company and culture.

Good luck and best wishes.  2024 is going to be a tough year, but plenty of opportunity to be successful.   There are always people moving.

Thanks Bruce, that is a great advice. Yes, I am going to talk to KW. Any suggestions regarding how to identify a good team lead to work with? Since I am new, I have not made any connections whose word of mouth I can rely on. 

[Nitish Paliwal]

Quote from @Eliott Elias:

Choosing the right brokerage is very important when starting out. The agents in your office are who you are going to look to for guidance and to set a blue print for your career. They will hold a heavy influence on you. There are investor focused and realtor focused brokerages. I am happy to chat and help as well. 

 Thank you Eliott, I will definitely connect with and reach out to you! 

[Jordan Moorhead]

@Nitish Paliwal I love my KW office and would love to connect you with the right people that can get you set up for success

[Nitish Paliwal]

Quote from @Jordan Moorhead:

@Nitish Paliwal I love my KW office and would love to connect you with the right people that can get you set up for success

 Thanks Jordan! I will reach out to you.

[Hamp Lee III]

Welcome to BP!

I've been a part time agent for a year. Outside of the training program my brokerage has, I've been sticking with a few of things.

1. Study, Study, Study. Train, Train, Train. You’ll soon discover that the information you’re studying to pass your real estate exam doesn't even scratch the surface of all you need to learn to be a good real estate agent. So, I would recommend going through your brokerage training (if they have one), reading books, watching videos, and listening to podcasts. There are a couple of great books in the BP bookstore on being an agent.

2. Select a niche. There's so much we can do as real estate agents. If you don't select a niche, you'll spin around in circles trying to do a little of everything and not mastering anything. I suggest starting with what you're already doing. I'm an active duty member who invests. I’m a third-generation real estate investor. I want to help families build their financial legacies through real estate. This has been working very well for me, so really spend time honing your niche.

3. Select a brokerage. I’m rather new, but my decision to choose a brokerage largely came from what I needed now, and your specific niche.

I’m active duty Air Force and found that many brick and mortar brokerages wouldn’t work for me. I found a great cloud-based brokerage that will allow me to train without physically being in the office taking leave from my military position.

I think about finding a brokerage like going shoe shopping. What works for you today may not work tomorrow. Make the best decision for you today. If it doesn’t work, make the best decision that day. There are so many options otherwise that will keep your head spinning.

Lastly, remember that you are interviewing the brokerages not the other way around. Be yourself and go in with what you are looking for. I had three things, but they changed as I visited more brokerages and narrowed down what I wanted.

4. Provide value to others. Posting on BP and sharing real estate information with your sphere of influence (and social media) is a great way to get started. It lets others know you're a real estate agent, and you know what you're talking about. It's a great way to build trust. Farming your local subdivision with monthly newsletters can also do this, depending on your niche. Believe me, people will reach out to you.

5. Identify the needs of your SOI. Your SOI may have specific needs. Many of the people in my SOI want to use their VA loan a second time or start investing. So, I'll adjust my messages to focus on those areas. Your SOI is unique, but when you provide value to them, you might see an even greater return.

[Nitish Paliwal]

Quote from @Hamp Lee III:

Welcome to BP!

I've been a part time agent for a year. Outside of the training program my brokerage has, I've been sticking with a few of things.

1. Study, Study, Study. Train, Train, Train. You’ll soon discover that the information you’re studying to pass your real estate exam doesn't even scratch the surface of all you need to learn to be a good real estate agent. So, I would recommend going through your brokerage training (if they have one), reading books, watching videos, and listening to podcasts. There are a couple of great books in the BP bookstore on being an agent.

2. Select a niche. There's so much we can do as real estate agents. If you don't select a niche, you'll spin around in circles trying to do a little of everything and not mastering anything. I suggest starting with what you're already doing. I'm an active duty member who invests. I’m a third-generation real estate investor. I want to help families build their financial legacies through real estate. This has been working very well for me, so really spend time honing your niche.

3. Select a brokerage. I’m rather new, but my decision to choose a brokerage largely came from what I needed now, and your specific niche.

I’m active duty Air Force and found that many brick and mortar brokerages wouldn’t work for me. I found a great cloud-based brokerage that will allow me to train without physically being in the office taking leave from my military position.

I think about finding a brokerage like going shoe shopping. What works for you today may not work tomorrow. Make the best decision for you today. If it doesn’t work, make the best decision that day. There are so many options otherwise that will keep your head spinning.

Lastly, remember that you are interviewing the brokerages not the other way around. Be yourself and go in with what you are looking for. I had three things, but they changed as I visited more brokerages and narrowed down what I wanted.

4. Provide value to others. Posting on BP and sharing real estate information with your sphere of influence (and social media) is a great way to get started. It lets others know you're a real estate agent, and you know what you're talking about. It's a great way to build trust. Farming your local subdivision with monthly newsletters can also do this, depending on your niche. Believe me, people will reach out to you.

5. Identify the needs of your SOI. Your SOI may have specific needs. Many of the people in my SOI want to use their VA loan a second time or start investing. So, I'll adjust my messages to focus on those areas. Your SOI is unique, but when you provide value to them, you might see an even greater return.

 Thanks for all the inputs, Hamp! I appreciate your insights and the thorough guidance. I have spoken with 3 teams yet, and going to speak with 2 others. All that you have said have resonated with all of the team leaders that I have talked to. You are spot on! 

[Mark R.]

Good advice here so far. I'd also suggest considering a group or team to start as well. There are benefits to a well-run team that might come at a cost, but IMO your goal should be to learn as much as possible in the beginning. 

I think it is also important to be clear on what you prefer for your brokerage --- in-person/hybrid/remote.  If you want to chat, send me a DM. I'm a broker and have a ton of experience with flips/rentals. 

[Nitish Paliwal]

Quote from @Mark R.:

Good advice here so far. I'd also suggest considering a group or team to start as well. There are benefits to a well-run team that might come at a cost, but IMO your goal should be to learn as much as possible in the beginning. 

I think it is also important to be clear on what you prefer for your brokerage --- in-person/hybrid/remote.  If you want to chat, send me a DM. I'm a broker and have a ton of experience with flips/rentals. 

 Awesome, Mark! I will send you a Request, let's connect! 

[Nitish Paliwal]

Wanted to keep this post updated. Thanks all for providing your inputs and insights. I have decided to go ahead with KW, and have joined a team with an awesome leader! 

Looking forward and onwards to this new leg in my RE/Investing career.