I would recommend talking to at least 5 different brokers and focusing on the culture/atmosphere, CE and support options as well as community involvement.   

I used to flip homes in Arlington Heights and North Hi Mount near the cultural district and new Dickie’s Arena.  

It's easy to get into, hard to make a living.Most agents sit at their desk and realize they know basic real estate law and contracts but they know nothing about how to market themselves, develop leads, culture leads, and close deals.You've got to treat it like a job and work every single day.

However there is a culture that exists within our industry that is predicated on the path of least resistance in order to get a commission from a new investor trying to get into their first property. 

i am also a realtor with Keller Williams, also just PT - but i love KW and the culture.

Training, money (split), Atmosphere /culture,  micromanagement?

Because the highest ROI is about 1000 miles away from me where I own a number of properties that make a ton of moneyI tend to buy in the Southern half of the US for 3 reasons:1) you get much higher year-round occupancy rates in the South & it’s simply tough to earn a good ROI in the North if your place sits vacant for a big chunk of the year2) Culturally, the Southern half of the US seems to be a lot more accepting of STRs regulation-wise.

A culture of house-flipping, "liar loans," and easy money ran deep through the post-2000 culture.MYTH #2: Glass-Steagall Would Have Prevented the MeltdownMYTH #3: The Transactions Were Too Complicated For People to UnderstandThe bottom line is this:We ALL created the housing mess as a society - you, me, Wall Street, and the pandering financial dilettantes we voted into office.

It's an interesting place, known for its hippie culture and eclectic residents.

Enjoy your celebrations and extensions!