Real Estate Agent · Seattle, WA · Member since 2017 · 1 post · 0 votes
Does anybody have any advice on the best brokerage to start your real estate career at it in Seattle. I am talking in terms of resources availbile and willing people to offer initial help along the way?
Century 21 has some tremendous training - very professional and accessible. But beyond that, as @Robert E. said, it's up to your broker. I always recommend a face to face with the broker before signing on. Don't look at it like a job interview, it's not. Instead, you need to figure out whether the broker would be a good fit for you. Ask questions, listen carefully, see if you like the way they explain things, have the resources you need, etc.
One thing some brokers do is waive the monthly "desk fee" for agents if they recruit new agents. So, if some folks are excessively enthusiastic about their office, ask them if they get anything for recruiting new agents into the office. ;-)
I worked for Century 21 during my stint as a realtor. They have a LOT of great company trainings, but the bulk of your learnings will depend on your individual broker office. Best of luck!
Century 21 has some tremendous training - very professional and accessible. But beyond that, as @Robert E. said, it's up to your broker. I always recommend a face to face with the broker before signing on. Don't look at it like a job interview, it's not. Instead, you need to figure out whether the broker would be a good fit for you. Ask questions, listen carefully, see if you like the way they explain things, have the resources you need, etc.
One thing some brokers do is waive the monthly "desk fee" for agents if they recruit new agents. So, if some folks are excessively enthusiastic about their office, ask them if they get anything for recruiting new agents into the office. ;-)
That's a great point, Aaron! When i was researching different brokerages, my RE teacher gave me some advice: they aren't interviewing you, YOU are interviewing THEM!
Wanna jump in here and plug Keller Williams. They're not #1 in the Puget Sound yet but definitely growing and getting bigger and bigger. KW has the top training for new hires IMHO, just the Ignite and BOLD classes are worth the price of admission. If you're looking into any particular office PM me, I know most of them. Shock: some are much better run than others.
@Victor Smith I also just moved to a brokerage and recently went through the process of finding someone to work for.
It's interesting to see all the different programs that are out there, however one drawback I didn't like was that ability to have the full support from your office (i.e DB and MBs). I interviewed at multiple and they all had what seemed to be good programs, but afterwards who knows where the support will be.
Luckily I was able to find a brokerage that allows for practically no fees. They supply all or most of your materials to get started. They also stay with you and coach you through your first couple of deals.
If you're interested, let me know and I will be happy to help!
Riley Kuranishi which brokerage are you a fan of?
Gustavo Munoz Castro what are your thoughts on the KWs in Bellevue and Kirkland?
My wife and I both love real estate. She just quit her job to become an agent. She finishes the classes next week and will soon be interviewing brokerages.
Thanks
Scott
KW Bellevue just got a new team leader so the jury is still out. Kirkland is a Ben Kinney office and has a pretty great Team Leader, I'd give them a try.
I personally interviewed at the top producing brokerages in King County, those being John L Scott. I also looked into KW, Coldwell Banker and Redfin. They all have their pros and cons, depending what exactly you're looking for. I ended up deciding on a place called Kensington. It's a newer brokerage firm but they have systems in place unlike any other places I interviewed at, plus a lot of other good things I'd be happy to discuss sometime if you like.
Windermere is a top performer along with John L. Scott. They both put their brokers through the most extensive training programs. Listing wise I know Sotheby's sells more luxury real estate.
Windermere has given me all the training I could want and then some. I went through a week-long training on working with buyers and sellers, and a week-long training on the ins and outs of transactions. They have lots of small training sessions for 2-3 hours on most any topic you are interested in like contacts and leads, social networking, Title information, etc.
I have also gotten some good training from the NWMLS on how to do CMAs, and use the MLS to find properties. They're free unless you want clock hours for the classes.
You can learn from classes and training. But the best training is learn from the deals that you work on. So I will not focus on which realtor firm to join. I will just search for the experienced realtors and ask them whether I can join and work for them, no matter what company it is. Most of the realtor companies are just franchises. Whether it's century 21 or KW, it does not mean much to you.
You may even consider join some flippers or real estate investment company. You may close more deals and learn more than you just become a mundane entry level realtor in a realtor company.
I have been an investor myself, closed tens of deals before I think of becoming a broker. I later founded my own realtor company, which is not tied to any big name, as I feel that many traditional brokers just want to cut short path and earn fees quickly and their pricing do not justify the hefty fees.
@Victor SmithCurios what brokerage did you end up going with? I recently passed the exam and looking to join a team as part time. I am not looking to quit my current job, but looking to do this on the side as I am an investor myself and got a couple of other investors/friends who are looking to utilize my service.
I can't seem to find brokerage's compensation structures online, other than Skyline properties as follow: