All Forum Posts by: Donald Fetzer

Suggest you read "The Millionaire Real Estate Investor" written by Gary Keller of Keller Williams.  Become a student, learn as much as you can, decide on your target market and develop a strategy before blindly jumping in.

Michael

Welcome.  I am a Keller Williams realtor in San Antonio with a large office. Although we have a formal mentoring program here, wherein a mentor is assigned and you both agree to a service/compensation arrangement,  I never used it.  Instead I simply attended as many trainings and team meetings as possible and used the bull pen to work on my transactions and ask help from other agents.  In other words I stayed around the campfire absorbing as much as possible and met as many agents as possible.  In turn I have received help and assistance as needed.   We also have transaction coordinators we can employ to take care of all the paperwork.  I am currently in group coaching.  I don't know how big the office is that you are considering but KW has an awesome learning based program and is indeed a family.

Although the "how to's" can be overwhelming and complex, to make sure you have properly addressed all issues, the real challenge and the heart of the business is all about "lead generation".  If you work on a team, say as a buyers agent, in most cases you will be provided most leads, but your compensation will be less.  As an independent agent you will be responsible for finding and developing your own leads which will take time.  So it is important to understand your financial needs and timeline.

There is a high fallout rate for new agents.  Most underestimate how much work it is and are not used to owning and successfully operating their own business, which is what you have.   They have an employee mentality and used to steady income.   They also underestimate how long it will take to generate consistent income and how much it will cost to get their.   I hope this helps.

Donald Fetzer

Welcome Marcus.   I know this business can sound exciting and a lot of folks want to jump in.  But knowing your target and your finances are key to success.  Do your homework.  I recommend reading "The Millionaire Real Estate Investor" by Gary Keller of Keller Williams which will really set you on the right path.  I am a full-time realtor here in San Antonio and can help locating and purchasing properties.  Feel free to contact me.

Do you have a realtor that you are working with.  I am a Keller Williams agent and would love an opportunity to help. I can certainly provide searches, comps and rental data.

San Antonio didn't set the world on fire during the boom and consequently wasn't hurt as much as other markets.  Rather we have experienced steady growth and thus remained a good market.  Home prices continue to rise creating a challenge for first time home buyers.  Lots of investors have come into the market for flips and rentals.  It has become harder to find deals so it takes diligence and patience.  Gentrification of older neighborhoods near and around downtown has pushed property values up very quickly.  No secrets any more.