Choosing a broker

You have finished pre-licensing, taken you state exam and passed, now what?  Choosing a broker may be one of the most important decisions you make in your real estate career. Of course if you do make the wrong choice you can always change, but that can be time consuming and costly, both financially and to your new career. It is best to go into the process with an idea of what you are looking for, a good list of questions, and a great attitude.

As a new agent the first question everyone asks is which broker are you with and why did you go there. For me the answer is simple, it is where I thought I would fit in best. Many of the brokers I interviewed with had similar benefits to offer. Going into the process, I made a list of what I was looking for and what was important to me in a broker. I made a list of my questions, and information about each broker I was going to interview with. During my interviews I asked the questions and noted the answers and also wrote down my thoughts and impressions so that I would not forget. Since I had an idea of what I was looking for it made the decision process easier.

Remember you are interviewing the broker just as much as they are interviewing you. Take all things into consideration, there is more to consider than just the commission split, a better split does not always mean the best opportunity. Other things you should consider are what kind training is offered, is it a good  location, the technology used, how the office is ran, how many agents are there, how you feel and fit in, the buzz in the office, was it busy, was the phone ringing? Did other agents greet you? Did you feel welcome? If you were looking for an agent, why would you pick this office?  What kind of fees will you have to pay? What types of resources are offered? And don’t forget to ask about errors and omissions insurance.

Make a list of questions (and not in your head, write them down or you will forget). Ask yourself what is important to you. Remember that you will be an asset to the company you go with. Make a list of potential brokers, my list was about 6 or 7, then I did some research online and made a few calls, and narrowed my list to 4. When you go on your interviews do make sure to let the interviewer know that you have your own list of questions.  Before you leave the interview, make sure all of your questions are answered and that you feel you have enough information to make a good choice. Choosing a broker is an important decision, but one that will be easier to make when properly prepared.

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Tagged as: agent, broker, find, new, REALTOR