Being my own agent

[John Warren]

I am close to completing the broker courses for Illinois, and so now I face the task of finding a place to hang my license. I was wondering if I could get the BP community's feedback on whether I should go with a traditional brokerage once I get my real estate license, or whether I should go for a discount brokerage that doesn't give me much overhead.

As back ground,  I am hoping to use my license primarily for access to the MLS and for access to properties. I have a good full-time job, and my primary focus will be on using my license for access and information to help me invest.

I see the traditional agency's as being advantageous in that you get "mentoring" and training. Obviously, they would probably at least try to offer more support for a new agent than the discount places. Does anyone have any feedback on whether the support from these agency's is worthwhile?

I see the discount places as being advantageous due to the low cost of maintaining a license. I found a brokerage that costs $35 per month and charges transaction fees of $200 per deal. This means I could keep all other commission on my own deals. Would I be able to figure out the rest on my own without mentoring? Thanks in advance for the feedback!