Soon to be realtor seeks brokerage to work with...

[stevethrondson]

I will be getting my Alberta real estate license at the end of the month, and I`m looking for a brokerage to work for in Calgary. I plan on focusing on helping investors, particularily REIN members. If anybody is a broker or knows of a brokerage where a success minded investor / buyer`s agent would be a good fit, please let me know!

 

[mcgregok]

Try SANADRA SELANDERS (BROKER) GREATER CALGARY REAL ESTATE if you are n Clagary and surrounding area.

They offer a varity of packages for the seller. Invester friendly.


QUOTE (stevethrondson @ Oct 5 2007, 09:29 PM) I will be getting my Alberta real estate license at the end of the month, and I`m looking for a brokerage to work for in Calgary. I plan on focusing on helping investors, particularily REIN members. If anybody is a broker or knows of a brokerage where a success minded investor / buyer`s agent would be a good fit, please let me know!

 

[lanedry77]

Hi Steve,

My realtor works through one of the MaxWell Realty offices. He pays almost no fees to be associated with the brokerage, and pockets nearly 100% of his comissions.

I don`t know if that`s now normal, but it sure didn`t used to be. If that`s not what you find around town, I`d suggest checking it out.

I hope that helps.

David.

 

[stevethrondson]

Thanks David,

That`s very good to know. I`m pretty much just looking for two things. A group of people that I can learn from a little and a place to plant my license. Many brokerages seem to charge quite a bit for stuff I don`t need... I`ll check them out.

 

[tahani]

i am a broker with Re/max now and worked for C21 before. when i worked for C21 i paid less fees but i did less sales. i made the bold move and went to a high fee office. the best move i did. this office has the most top producers in the area after three year of being there i became one and has been since. i suggest you go interview few borkers in town. get the feeling of who wants to help you out and support you when you need the support. look at the whole picture and not fees only.
good luck to you and let me know if you need more help with this

 

[fvrdoljak]

Hi Steve,

Don`t focus too much about how much of a percentage you`ll be earning or monthly fee`s (as long as you can afford them). When interviewing brokers be sure to ask about their support and most importantly their training, sales courses, etc. Larger offices typically have great support and lots of training classes which will be beneficial when beginning your carreer.

 

[JefferyJohn]

Hi Steve,

Interviewing at least 3 brokerages will be worth every minute invested. Meeting them at their office and spending an hour with them (come armed with questions!) will reveal a ton. You`ll start to recognize common pitches to attract your talent, and should be able to spot a workplace that genuinely cares about your success. A good relationship with your broker and mentor is VITAL, do not underestimate the value of a "good fit" between your personalities. I agree with the poster above, try not to base your decision on the fees or commission splits- the money will come based on the solid foundation you set.

Enjoy the search!

 

[stevethrondson]

QUOTE (tahani @ Oct 7 2007, 11:31 AM) i am a broker with Re/max now and worked for C21 before. when i worked for C21 i paid less fees but i did less sales. i made the bold move and went to a high fee office. the best move i did. this office has the most top producers in the area after three year of being there i became one and has been since. i suggest you go interview few borkers in town. get the feeling of who wants to help you out and support you when you need the support. look at the whole picture and not fees only.
good luck to you and let me know if you need more help with this

Thanks for the advice, I think you make a valid point... I`m not too worried about costs if I get the help to match. I`ll crack the yellow pages and start making calls next week!

 

[mikecunning]

QUOTE (stevethrondson @ Oct 5 2007, 08:29 PM) I will be getting my Alberta real estate license at the end of the month, and I`m looking for a brokerage to work for in Calgary. I plan on focusing on helping investors, particularily REIN members. If anybody is a broker or knows of a brokerage where a success minded investor / buyer`s agent would be a good fit, please let me know!

HI Steve:

I see you are a REIN member so I am curious as to why you want to get your real estate license? You`ve already learned the REIN system on how to make money in real estate so why take up sales now?

I sold real estate successfully for 5 years in the Vancouver area and finally turned in my license this spring. I often hear from people looking to become a Realtor that they believe it will give them an inside scoop on deals etc., (seldom happens) or that they can represent themselves to earn commission on their own purchases etc. (best deals are off market not on MLS) In BC anyways, the disclosure requirements are onerous and I LOST deals BECAUSE I was a licensed Realtor.

Being a Realtor is one of the most challenging careers out there; the time and expense commitments are beyond most people`s expectations. Many people I know thought that they could juggle being a full time investor and selling real estate (myself included). Ultimately, they (and myself included) found that being a Realtor took away from making the real money by investing in property. If you`d like to chat more, please send me a note.

Regards,

Mike

 

[samsojo]

Hi Steve,

I wouldn`t be too concerned about being limited of you investment options if you get your licence. I`ve been a REALTOR/Investor for the past 2.5yrs. and it hasn`t affected me at all. As long as you practice the R.E.I.N. philosophy of win-win actions, you will do fine.
If you need any help with the initial start-ups or want to ask me questions about my office just give me a call or send me a message.
All the best,

Joe

 

[dellison]

Hey Steve,

I just joined the REIN forums, and yours was the first post I came across. I just had to reply.

I have been with my brokerage for 1 year now, and I can`t be happier! While I pay very low monthly fees and keep almost all of my commissions, I get huge amounts of support (overwhelming actually) from my office. There are several brokers and associate brokers to help answer questions anytime of the day (even when putting that deal together at 11pm!). I have taken full advantage of this and have had to call on almost every one of my deals so far. They never seem to tire of answering my questions!
The secretarial staff is awesome and knew my name long before I knew theirs. They are constantly sending other realtors my way for open house sittings. I can honestly say that any lack of deals is not a result of my brokerage, but my own fault!

I have taken a formal training "Jumpstart" program which was very inexpensive and was extremely informative and helpful to hit the ground running.
I interviewed with other brokerages and found:

A. Couldn`t get a hold of them easily to set up an appointment to interview - not a good sign.
B. Their fees were astronomical (4 times what I pay now per month)
C. I didn`t get a good vibe from my interviewers. Where they distracted? How did they answer my questions? Did they focus their presentation on SUPPORT? They might be trying to justify their higher fees.

I even asked the main broker/owner why their fees were so low compared to the others I interviewed with and his response was that their overhead was too big for their associate base. They need the higher fees to compensate.
How big is their office space/building? Where is it located? How many associates work out of that brokerage? Do the fees include personal office space? Do you need office space? Can you work from home instead? How much are the deal fees/conveyancing fees?
The better location, the larger square footage, the less sophisticated the office staff, the more overhead - get what I mean?
Also, what is included in the fees? Business cards? Lawn signs? Other marketing?
Ask yourself if you need someone else to pay for that when you might be able to do that yourself or pay for what you need when you need it instead of each month when you may not need it.

Also, working from the same office as a bunch of top producers will not make you a top producer (this is not osmosis). Although it may help to be able to chit chat with a top producer and get some ideas, I think you will find that most offices have someone who is a very experienced, and would be will be willing to do this over a coffee or lunch!

Hope that helps and gives you some ideas of some questions to ask.

 

[stevethrondson]

Hi Mike,

Sorry I didn`t reply earlier... I haven`t been to myreinspace for awhile and I didn`t see your reply in my e-mail...

In response to your question, the main reason that I want to do this is the fact that I like the tools available through the MLXchange and I wasn`t getting the performance out of my previous realtor`s that I needed. Now I can do my own homework with regards to searching and comps and I have the ability to help out other investors which I love to do... I suppose another deciding factor is the ability to collect comissions on my own purchases which amounts to a solid annual salary.

All in all, it`s not a lifetime career choice, but I think it`ll be a good fit for the meantime. I`m definitely realizing some challenges however... After working with some non-REIN members, I really appreciate working with qualified investors when I get the opportunity! Honestly if my old Realtor was working as hard for me as I do for my clients, I would have not got my license, but it`s been fun anyhow.

All for now,

Steve Throndson
403 837-7368



QUOTE (mikecunning @ Oct 15 2007, 01:45 PM) HI Steve:

I see you are a REIN member so I am curious as to why you want to get your real estate license? You`ve already learned the REIN system on how to make money in real estate so why take up sales now?

I sold real estate successfully for 5 years in the Vancouver area and finally turned in my license this spring. I often hear from people looking to become a Realtor that they believe it will give them an inside scoop on deals etc., (seldom happens) or that they can represent themselves to earn commission on their own purchases etc. (best deals are off market not on MLS) In BC anyways, the disclosure requirements are onerous and I LOST deals BECAUSE I was a licensed Realtor.

Being a Realtor is one of the most challenging careers out there; the time and expense commitments are beyond most people`s expectations. Many people I know thought that they could juggle being a full time investor and selling real estate (myself included). Ultimately, they (and myself included) found that being a Realtor took away from making the real money by investing in property. If you`d like to chat more, please send me a note.

Regards,

Mike

 

[stevethrondson]

Hello,

I`ve joined your office (prior to reading your post) and from what I see so far, you are 100% right! Very happy here, and looking forward to the future in this business...

Watch for me around the office, would be good to meet you!

Steve Throndson
403 837-7368
PS. If I can take you for coffee to see if I can learn a few tips and tricks, that would be great... Call me!

QUOTE (dellison @ Oct 16 2007, 10:28 PM) Hey Steve,

I just joined the REIN forums, and yours was the first post I came across. I just had to reply.

I have been with my brokerage for 1 year now, and I can`t be happier! While I pay very low monthly fees and keep almost all of my commissions, I get huge amounts of support (overwhelming actually) from my office. There are several brokers and associate brokers to help answer questions anytime of the day (even when putting that deal together at 11pm!). I have taken full advantage of this and have had to call on almost every one of my deals so far. They never seem to tire of answering my questions!
The secretarial staff is awesome and knew my name long before I knew theirs. They are constantly sending other realtors my way for open house sittings. I can honestly say that any lack of deals is not a result of my brokerage, but my own fault!

I have taken a formal training "Jumpstart" program which was very inexpensive and was extremely informative and helpful to hit the ground running.
I interviewed with other brokerages and found:

A. Couldn`t get a hold of them easily to set up an appointment to interview - not a good sign.
B. Their fees were astronomical (4 times what I pay now per month)
C. I didn`t get a good vibe from my interviewers. Where they distracted? How did they answer my questions? Did they focus their presentation on SUPPORT? They might be trying to justify their higher fees.

I even asked the main broker/owner why their fees were so low compared to the others I interviewed with and his response was that their overhead was too big for their associate base. They need the higher fees to compensate.
How big is their office space/building? Where is it located? How many associates work out of that brokerage? Do the fees include personal office space? Do you need office space? Can you work from home instead? How much are the deal fees/conveyancing fees?
The better location, the larger square footage, the less sophisticated the office staff, the more overhead - get what I mean?
Also, what is included in the fees? Business cards? Lawn signs? Other marketing?
Ask yourself if you need someone else to pay for that when you might be able to do that yourself or pay for what you need when you need it instead of each month when you may not need it.

Also, working from the same office as a bunch of top producers will not make you a top producer (this is not osmosis). Although it may help to be able to chit chat with a top producer and get some ideas, I think you will find that most offices have someone who is a very experienced, and would be will be willing to do this over a coffee or lunch!

Hope that helps and gives you some ideas of some questions to ask.

 

[stevethrondson]

Hi Joe,

I signed with MaxWell Canyon Creek too... I`m glad to hear that others are successful doing what I plan to do and recommend it! I`ll give you a call sometime and see if there`s any way that we can help each other.

Cheers,

Steve Throndson
403 837-7368


QUOTE (samsojo @ Oct 16 2007, 09:04 AM) Hi Steve,

I wouldn`t be too concerned about being limited of you investment options if you get your licence. I`ve been a REALTOR/Investor for the past 2.5yrs. and it hasn`t affected me at all. As long as you practice the R.E.I.N. philosophy of win-win actions, you will do fine.
If you need any help with the initial start-ups or want to ask me questions about my office just give me a call or send me a message.
All the best,

Joe