Starting your own real estate brokerage.. with a twist!

[Levi T.]

I know others have posted threads like this before, but I promise there's a twist.

I don't have a real estate licenses, and will never have one. I'm what I would call a business owner, I don't operate my businesses, I just own them. I'm a business architect. I design the operating models, plans, then hire people, refine, and keep going.

I'm thinking about spinning off our operation to include a brokerage. The main goal is to be able to pickup agents to help us gobble up off market deals, then sell them on the market after my other business does the rehab.

Why I'm thinking about doing this, is because we move a lot of product, and I think I can offer the agents a better deal, and cut my cost at the same time. However, for that to happen they need to hang their licenses somewhere (I assume), because their brokerage does not want them working for someone else type thing without taking a cut.. so it starts to make since to launch my own brokerage.

1. This is for the state of Virginia. 
2. What is the bear minimum that a real estate agent needs be able to work for someone else, this include posting to MLS, etc.. do they really need to hang their licenses at a brokerage?
3. If we needed to launch a brokerage, who or what do I need to get to make that happen?

Thanks,

[Nick C.]

It definitely makes sense for you to have a brokerage. The hardest part about retail real estate is generating leads. If you're moving a lot of product, you should have plenty of leads for them to follow up on. Also when they list your product, they can have open houses to try to get retail buyer leads as well. 

Yes every real estate agent needs to hang their license at a brokerage. Here in Florida you need to have a sales associate license for 2 years, then you can apply for the brokers license and take a test. To start a brokerage either you or maybe someone you know will need to have had an active real estate license for some period of time. Maybe you can recruit a sales agent from another brokerage that's ready to get a broker license?