Brand New Real Estate Agent Advise

[Jesus Santoyo]

Hey All,

I just got my real estate license for the state of IL in the Chicagoland area. I am currently still working a W2 FT Salary Job as a District Manager in the Food Industry.- Seeking advice on how to pick and choose how to initially pick your first mentor/team/workplace as a RE newbie. I do have a bit of experience as I PM two of my investments(1 out if state) and am currently house-hacking a third-

Do you guys have any good advice on asking the right questions when interviewing RE Brokers when applying for your first job?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated - 

Thank you, All!

[Nathan K.]

Interviewing Brokerages comes down to your preferences. I would recommend speaking to friends in the industry to get an inside look at how things operate. Different commission splits, training opportunities, and environment are all pretty big factors, personally. Every Brokerage is different, even within the same company.  

As far as mentors go, I have found this to work best if organic relationships with seasoned agents occur. You'll find different people have very different approaches or understanding to the industry, knowledge base, integrity, etc. Finding people with similar mindset/ business belief is a good way to figure out who you want to learn from. 

Some of the best advice I heard years ago, by an agent at the time, was "don't become an agent, unless you already have a job". There is a reason for an 80%+ attrition rate in the first 3 years for agents. Also, investing and being a licensed agent are very different businesses. I'm just speaking real talk, as I see it, not trying to discourage!

 Good Luck in your new endeavor!