Blank slate brokerage - what do you want?

[Zane O.]

We have a brokerage which we have intentionally kept small to this point in time.  We are now preparing to strategically grow our brokerage business, and we would like to approach the process with a "blank slate" in order to not bring in a "traditional brokerage" mentality.  There are certainly going to be some tried and true elements, but we believe as technology, culture, etc. change that so may business structures and practices.

With all of that said, as brokers and agents, what service, support, and features are most valuable and most attractive to you in where you choose to do business?

[Robert Smith]

I believe the cost approach is something that no one has fully grasped. I know that the "traditional" way of doing real estate is to charge a commission and go about business, but many people who are limited on funds when selling their home need a few options. I am not talking about a flat fee service, I am talking about a fee for services brokerage where you get what you pay for and agents get paid up front a portion for their services with the rest being paid at closing. This will give options to the agents in the firm as well as the sellers. The old way of using agents has been out dated for a long time however most agents and companies fail to see this. No longer do buyers need to come into an office and flip through a real estate book, they find the home online then make the decision to call an agent, same with sellers, they can post their house online almost better then most agents and get hits immediately for people who want to purchase their home. They need some help in marketing but really need our help in navigating the documents and making sure only qualified people come through their home. Look into the ACRE (accredited consultant of real estate) approach. I would love to see more firms doing this. This is the future of business structures and practices in my opinion. 

The one thing all agents want is training and leads in the end, if you can provide them with this as well as the opportunity to market their brand and bring in max commissions you have a game plan that will make both you and the agent money.