All Forum Posts by: Patricia Joseph

@Daniel Ortiz having a W2 definitely helped with the startup costs. To get started, I probably spent about $1,000, which covered initial desk fees, MLS fees, board of realtor fees, course & exam. KW offers agents a pretty robust website & CRM (enough to get started). However, you find yourself spending most of your money on marketing to get leads (Facebook ads, open house flyers, landing page tools). It seems that every company wants to offer you a better tool, but essentially they're just trying to get your money. I had to learn to keep my costs as low as possible by choosing services that gave me the best bang for my buck. One tool that is a real asset to my marketing is listingstoleads.com. It offers a whole range of tools to market listings (landing pages, flyers, single property websites, videos). I was using a service to manage my social media but I cut back on that. Now, I'm probably spending about $260 a month for desk fees, listingstoleads, and coaching fees.

@Daniel Ortiz I have no regrets about joining KW; their training program is awesome. I do think that it would be beneficial to provide alternative strategies for agents, who have dual-careers. Yes, most of the training is done during the day, which I'm not able to attend. However, KW offers an extensive video library, where I can still get training. My Market Center recently offered the IGNITE program during the evening, which I was able to attend. However, this is a course that I should've taken at the beginning, so I feel a little behind. But, I just have to do the best with what I have now, and make it work.

@Steve Bracero yes, my initial plan for getting my license was for the purpose of getting access to the MLS and earning extra money to buy my own investment properties.

It's very encouraging to hear others give their advice on being a part-time agent. I chose to get my RE license because I wanted to have access to the MLS and earn extra money to buy investment properties. I will say that being at KW, I don't feel that being a part-time agent is well supported. Most of the advice is geared towards being a full-time agent, like lead generating and cold calling for 3 hours each day. I'm not sure if I want to go that route just yet. I presently work in the federal government and have a very flexible position, good pay, and benefits. Not willing to give that up just yet to pursue RE full-time. Still trying to find my niche. @Abel Curiel thank you so much for giving a snapshot of what your day looks like. It helps me to see how I can implement strategies to make it work for me.

I'm currently with KW in Snellville, GA. I chose them because of their extensive training opportunities. Training magazine voted KW as the #1 training organization in the world. As a newer agent, getting the best training was most important.

@JR 

@JR Hinds with Chicago not being a landlord-friendly state, how did this factor into your decision to invest there?

Thanks @Alex Franks for sharing your thought process! As a new investor, it helps to read how a more seasoned investor does things. No better education than learning from those who've traveled the road before you -- why reinvent the wheel!

@Aaron Fox This is such a timely post, since I just passed the GA state exam. Initially, I didn't think I had the time to get my license, while working a full-time job. But, I devoted my every weekend to studying for the exam. Although, it may have taken me a little longer to get through the course, I managed to finish -- now, it's behind me. I'm hoping that my license will help me in earning some commissions to buy rental properties -- which is why I wanted my license in the first place.

@Dawn Brenengen as a tech professional, I've always been intrigued by the "Research Triangle Park", since this area is known as one of the best places for tech jobs. It's interesting to read of so many major tech companies moving to this area, which sounds perfect for folks looking for good, paying jobs and affordable housing.

@Alex Franks if I went from paying 16k to 1200-1400 in property taxes, like your dad, I would be chuckling too!

@Aaron Vergason you make some good points on investing local. My husband and I are still struggling with the decision to invest local, or buy turnkey in other markets. Hopefully, we'll decide by the time we've saved enough money. In the meantime, we're just taking our time to become more educated.

Our list of top 3 markets include: Atlanta (where we live -- didn't see Atlanta on the list of winning or losing cities), Hammond, IN (close to Chicago, but landlord-friendly), and Jacksonville, Fl.