Need help deciding what office to choose!

[Eduardo J. Rodriguez]

I'm About to finish my real estate course and am really curious as to which office to choose. Right now I have a an independent broker looking for me to join his outfit. But I also have a broker at Keller Williams trying to get me to join his office. The independent broker would offer me 80-20 split where as Keller would offer 70-30 split. The independent broker has never had any agents in his firm. I met him at the car lot where I sell cars at and told me that if I applied the same discipline and professionalism that I do in car sales in real estate that I would make a lot more money. What should I look for when choosing an office?

[Eric H.]

@Eduardo J. Rodriguez You have to figure out what your goals as an agent are. Are you looking to use your license to invest, work the retail side of the business, or both? Commission splits are not the only measuring stick. Keller Williams is great for agents that have no prior experience in real estate. They offer great training courses for new agents. The benefits of working with the new broker is that you can learn directly from him. He could essentially mentor you. Of course you need to outline what that mentoring will entail before signing on with him. Other things to look for with any brokerage is E&O insurance, involvement in real estate community/legislation, promotion scale, mentoring opportunities, mandatory meetings/floor time, 'hidden fees' (desk fees, copier fees, transaction fees, franchise fees) and marketing/lead generation tactics. Interview with a few more and remember it's not like a traditional interview. Although they want you on their team, I think you are the one that really has the ball in your court.

I wish you the best!

Sincerely,

E. Harris