All Forum Posts by: Bruce Marshall

My wife and I are relocating to Jacksonville FL in a couple of months and plan to invest in value-add small multi-family (range of 2-10 units). Also open to mixed-use with commercial on ground floor and apartments above. We already have a portfolio of commercial properties in New England, so this will provide some diversification. We are looking to build our team, and would like to solidify an agent relationship before we arrive this summer. Please reach out if we might be a fit.  Thanks, Bruce

Thanks, Julio!

My wife and I are relocating to Jacksonville FL in a couple of months and plan to invest in value-add small multi-family (range of 2-10 units). Also open to mixed-use with commercial on ground floor and apartments above. We already have a portfolio of commercial properties in New England, so this will provide some diversification. We are looking to build our team, so we are open to new connections.  

Thanks,

Bruce

Min, 

Thanks for the feedback. I do want to be loyal to the agent, because the relationship has to be beneficial to both of us. I think the key will be doing thorough interviews in order to find the agent that is the right fit. 

Bradley,

Thank you. Your point on the broker being an investor themselves is well-taken. I do think I'd want to be sure they are not actively competing with me. But if someone has actually invested themselves, I think it gives them more credibility, but if not, wouldn't be a disqualifier. 

I like your idea of interviewing agents and then selecting one to be part of my Core Four. I suppose if it doesn't work out, I can always move on. But I like the idea of them making a commitment to me, and me making a commitment to them. I would be using them for advice, not just to be a transaction manager. 

If I found a "commercial" property (5 units or above) that a commercial broker doesn't offer a split commission, could I have a separate agreement to compensate my agent?

Thanks for the feedback Ryan. I've started to put together a list of potential agents to interview, but it seems like working with someone who is an investor themselves is a high priority. 

I've read various BiggerPockets books on how to find an agent for your investment team (Core Four) when you are starting out.  However, it is not clear whether you should choose one agent and be loyal to them as you gain knowledge from them and referrals to other professionals (they only get paid if you buy something through them), or try to establish relationships with a few agents and just see how they interact with you and who ends up being the best fit over time.