Which brokerages are the best for investor-agents in Portland OR?

[Account Closed]

I'm getting my license soon and ultimately want to represent other people selling and buying residential and/or commercial multifamily properties (yep, those are different animals), as well as represent myself on my own deals.  

My significant other is a principal broker with Keller-Williams representing mostly buyers of SFRs; he would like me to partner with him as a team, but I also want to find the best fit for my goals and personality.  KW is investor-agent friendly, but its desk fees + commission splits are "expensive" and I wonder whether the high-profile brand is overrated in terms of the actual value it delivers to its agents? (???)

I'm sure this question has been posed before, but I don't always have much luck with search results on BP.  What are your thoughts about the different brokerages in and around Portland for investor-agents (who are starting out)?  

For example, someone told me yesterday that Windermere isn't great for investor-agents, though he didn't say why.  As a designer, I really like M Realty's marketing, but I know nothing about how receptive they are to investor-agents.  I've learned some good things about Summa from @Randy Johnston and have noticed many investor-agents are with Premier.  But there are a ton of brokerages out there that I know nothing about.  What's your experience with them?  

[Jay Hinrichs]

@Kari Corbin  Kari congrats on starting your RE career.

@Account Closed good move as well I really think having unfettered access to the MLS is critical in the PDX market.

AS for brokers as you stated you have commercial and you have Resi based... Commercial is a much harder nut to crack in the beginning and you do a lot of leasing etc.. but once you have made it in that game your future commission income potential and reality is HUGE.. 500 to over 1 million a year in commission income is very doable and you get in on many deals you would never get in on otherwise.. 

ON the Resi side of course you can do a little of both.. but you will see that the larger commercial deals are not put on MLS and they are not put on Loopnet or Coaststar unless the house could not move them internally. Commercial is the land of double ended sales.

For Resi brokers its really YOU that will be the difference most brokerages these days offer the same amenities to be competitive.. the flat rate brokers are great for the self starter or the investor. 

The big name companies are great for training and in KW case team building... 

Just really depends on what your focus is going to be and what area of town your working in.

the day of the RE agent needing going to the office to work is really winding down .. most work 90% of the time from their home... We only go to our office to pick up our commission checks  :) and thats my wife's income not mine.

I like for starting agents who maybe do not have deal flow to get with a company that provides you REAL leads.. Like Knipe and now were we hang our license Soldera they are coming out with a lead gen plat form that will be quite competitive.. And I know it works well..  When my wife got back into selling about 5 years ago after being off for 4 years.. she went with Knipe and she converted many leads to sales. it really helped jump start her.. Far more than any other brokerages I have seen.

Soldera is pretty cool not just because we hang our licenses there and before this lead gen system they are implementing came out, I would say they were better for top producers who had their own game already... they are great for us.. WE do any thing we want.. from new construction etc etc .. And we ONLY sell our own houses .. .and we are the top producers in the offices  LOL... So investor friendly absolutely .  We pay a flat fee in Jan. and then its a minor processing fee per deal.. its 1/3rd of what you would pay at KW or Hasson or Re Max... Company is owned by RE developers and investors. So that is nice.

We looked at M realty they have great marketing materials for the resi agent.. did not do much for us since we control our own inventory  IE we own it all personally.  But they are in between a KW and  Soldera or knipe and nice people.

I don't know Premier that well.. I know Summa those are nice guys as well they have a KW over ride program  Note sure if its still going.

Wiechert is new in town and they are ALL about investing.. they do foreclosures .. I have funded a deal for one of their agents recently.. I would check them out as well.. You will learn the foreclosure end of the game working there and they have in house HML .

So since you asked those are my observations for whatever they are worth.. ( probably not much)  :)

But congrats on getting in the game..  wholesaling for the average person in PDX is a road leading to no where if you want to be in the game you need to be in the game I believe.