How to find brokerages that work with investors

[Luca Perinuzzi]

I'm studying for my real estate license, and plan to primarily work with investors once I'm licensed. How would you recommend finding a brokerage with similar interests/goals that could possibly be a sponsor. Also things like culture fit, company goals, etc. Just looking for a way to go about finding these brokerages. 

[Zachary Ware]

Talk with other agents in your area and find out who the most investor-orientated brokerages are. This will have the added benefit of networking with other agents. 

[Abel Curiel]

Quote from @Luca Perinuzzi:

I'm studying for my real estate license, and plan to primarily work with investors once I'm licensed. How would you recommend finding a brokerage with similar interests/goals that could possibly be a sponsor. Also things like culture fit, company goals, etc. Just looking for a way to go about finding these brokerages. 

 Hey Luca!

Residential brokerages have similar goals - sell homes, grab market share. They aren't too concerned with the type of transaction (traditional homebuyer/seller or investment). The individual agents/teams within the brokerage are the ones that set out to establish a niche to work with investors.

If you're looking for a broker primarily focused on working with investors, you may want to speak with commercial brokers and agents.

[Kyle Curtin]

Quote from @Luca Perinuzzi:

I'm studying for my real estate license, and plan to primarily work with investors once I'm licensed. How would you recommend finding a brokerage with similar interests/goals that could possibly be a sponsor. Also things like culture fit, company goals, etc. Just looking for a way to go about finding these brokerages. 

Hi Luca! Congrats on pursuing agency and seeking working with the investor crowd! My biggest recommendation is to look on social media and see who the “big” players are for investor focused teams in your area. In my area I am on a team of 40ish agents that are ALL investor focused and either currently have an investment property, OR are looking to buy one in the next 12 months. There likely won’t be many teams, it might be a little hard to find but with a little bit of digging you will find them :). Maybe throwing out a specific post for seeking investment focused brokerages in the Long Island area on BP and see who reaches out as well :). The culture component is ESSENTIAL! The investor sector of the real estate agency side is different than the residential (more single family heavy) side for many reasons. But one big one, you never know who you are going to do a deal with and most of the investor focused agents are very apt to helping each other. The other fellow agents in our office are ALWAYS down to help each other and intro to other investors, contractors, property managers etc. I would start there and see how it goes :) Good luck on your test!

[Trevor Richardson]

You could create one… we did.

[Kiara Colon]

Quote from @Luca Perinuzzi:

I'm studying for my real estate license, and plan to primarily work with investors once I'm licensed. How would you recommend finding a brokerage with similar interests/goals that could possibly be a sponsor. Also things like culture fit, company goals, etc. Just looking for a way to go about finding these brokerages. 

 One brokerage i've ran into is New Western. Their strategy is very different from most, as they almost exclusively work with investors. They are pretty much wholesalers, cash or hard money almost exclusively, and a lot of buyers have an. offer accepted sight unseen. Very different business model from the KW's and EXPs of the world, but a strategy that works for some. 

I would honestly recommend getting on mailing lists for properties. That's how I see how these different businesses operate, by what type of properties they're advertising.

Good luck on the exam, and good luck in your search!

[Alex Hileman]

Hi @Luca Perinuzzi, I work with New Western and we only sell investment properties, so all of our clients are naturally investors. New Western is one of the best workplaces according to Glassdoor. The culture in our office is very supportive and promotes work/life balance, while still being competitive. I encourage you to meet with a few different brokerages in your area and see which one is the best fit for you. I would ask what their commission percentage is, how much training they provide, if they require you to be in the office, and how much their agents make on average. Good luck!

[Jaren Licalzi]

New Western is the way to go absolutely love it!

[Mohammed Rahman]

Hi @Luca Perinuzzi - I can talk about this extensively. 

I started investing in 2019, got my license in 2021 and was initially with a residential broker that was primarily focused on retail transactions (aka sales, purchases, leases, for regular end user folks). 

After I learnt what I had to by making mistakes, hosting open houses, and closing a few deals - I switched to another brokerage that dealt mainly with offmarket properties and investors (both residential and commercial). 

After getting your license and joining a brokerage, you should do your best to network and talk to as many people as possible - that's how you'll hear about who the movers and shakers are in your local area. 

Most investor deals are traded off-market, and the brokers/investors/agents that gatekeep them typically will trade with only their circle as it's a form of doing repeat business with the folks they already know and trust. 

[Bruce Lynn]

@Luca Perinuzzi   Did you end up getting your license?  What brokerage did you join?  How's it going so far?  Have you been able to list or sell any investment properties yet?

[Bryan Stengel]

Hi Luca, it is great to hear that you are on your way to pursue your Real Estate License.  My advice is to keep your options open.  We have worked with Investors and they are never really married to their Realtors unless you happen to connect with somebody looking to do a long-term hold and actively trying to find a good realistic deal.  You want to put your effort in for somebody that is going to be reciprocal.  In my experience, we've had investors that aren't necessarily interested in looking with just one person.  Now, a family looking to buy their first home that is a completely different story.  It's not to say you should't work with investors, but keep your options open.