Congratulations! If you are looking for a great environment to learn and grow check out Keller Williams! We are at the Keller Williams Cinco Ranch/Katy and we love our office! The whole atmosphere here is win-win for everyone. There are tons of free marketing tools and our office has classes practically everyday for new and not-so-new agents, taught by the more seasoned agents in the office. If you have any questions feel free to call our Team - The Rick Dittemore Team. We are consistantly one of the top producing teams in the office and would be happy to give you our insight into the real estate business. 281-220-2199 x 110 We'd love to hear from you!

Fri Jul 11 2008, 12:56

Hi Mc - did you ever find a firm? I have been the top producing agent in my office for five of the last six years - out of 200 agents. I would be happy to visit with you any time - call me at my office at 713-470-2161
Take care and good luck - Mark Fuller

Fri Jul 11 2008, 07:50

Try calling us at Prudential Gary Greene Realtors 713-823-3108 and ask for Anna Lee Trinidad or J. J. Molaison. She is our manager. I am an agent here and the training at Prudential is the best. Even though I am a seasoned agent, the training is very valuable for new and seasoned agents. Also, check out our website athttp:// www.garygreene.com and you will see why I am working here!

Good luck in your real estate career!

Thu Jul 10 2008, 20:17

Well sir I will use my own situation as an example. Like you i was questioning what direction, and which compay i wanted to align myself with. With so many options, i decided after many interviews to go with a smaller brokerage Icon Realty (The Woodlands). Many of the big brokerages kind of just blended together after talking with them, and i couldn't lose sight of the fact that they were going to take 40% or more of my commissions just because i was a new agent. I believe many new agents take this route due to the name recognition, and use it as a crutch early in their careers. If you are like me you will not like the fact that your company is going to take nearly half of your commission checks. I also like the idea of growing with an up and rising company, because chances are that will lead to quicker advancement within the company.

I received direct training from my broker during real life situations. Granted the odds of you getting many leads from any brokerage big or small are slim to none, but do you really only want to work for 30 to 50% or even less on those transactions? I think not. I would rather spend that time working up my own leads as opposed to wasting time working for 30%. You really have to be honest with yourself and ask, "Do I have the potential to be a strong agent, and want to give away half of my commissions to the company i work for, and for what, training?" Also ask yourself, " What is my time really worth?" If you are a strong agent you truly do not need the crutch of a big brokerage. At the end of the day you are selling yourself, not your company. Every compnay is different, but if you would like to talk about this with me feel free to do so.

Wed Apr 23 2008, 11:54

Hi - I'm Mark Fuller and I'm with The Fuller Team at Keller Williams Reatly Memorial Office. Our top agents provide free training every week to our new agents - we share all of our marketing materials and scripts and techniques - its a great office with great training and culture - give me a call and stop by and I would be glad to introduce you to our team leader or get an interview- good luck!

Wed Apr 23 2008, 10:44

The most important thing to focus on his are you planning to build a strong real estate business or just work part-time helping family and friends. I am one of those working toward building a business, so I can only answer as to that goal.
First and foremost, you need training. No, the real estate classes you took for licensing do not prepare you to be a Realtor. Their main purpose is to help you pass the course. Now your real training begins. And who is going to provide that training? Only the largest and strongest brokerage firms provide this much needed support and yes, you do have to pay for it in your commission split. Which, frankly is a pretty good deal as you will be spending more time learning rather than earning your first several years in the business. Anyone that tells you otherwise is misleading you. If you decide to go it alone with one of the 100% No fee outfits (and believe me, you are going it alone), then you will need to spend many additonal hours in the classroom learning all you need to be an effective Realtor.

I suggest interviewing several (I interviewed 4) of your local brokerage firms to see where you fit best: office atmosphere, broker/manager personality fit, ongoing education and training opportunities, position as market leader in area and ability to obtain much needed leads to follow as you begin our career.

Good Luck to you!

Sun Apr 20 2008, 13:35

Every agent has been in your position and it can be overwhelming. I started out at Keller Williams in another city. When I relocated here I tried a different "brand" and have recently returned to Keller Williams. They offer excellent training working with buyers & sellers, from your listing presentation, to marketing "yourself", not their particular brand as well as writing contracts and negotiation just to name a few of their classes. At Keller Williams, you run your own business! Additionally, they profit share with their agents. They are probably one of the only brokers I believe that share "their" profits with the agents. You end up with residual income for years to come. They have offices all over the Houston area!

Wed Apr 16 2008, 07:36

Congratulations! When I received my license over 4 years ago, I did not know what to look for in a sponsoring broker. Now that I know what I have, I am glad I found it, I just wish I had it right from the start! There are a lot of companies you can choose from, but it is where to you fit in? What do you expect from your Broker? You need Leads right out of Real Estate School! Many companies promise this, but fail to follow through! By working leads right away, you get in the action of being a Realtor! And that is the most rewarding thing of all! All those classes, all the time spent, all the stress over the test, and now.....You are Making Money working Leads that are provided to you from a solid Company! Feel free to call me anytime if you have questions. I was in your shoes once, I have learned a lot over the years and I am always happy to help!

Your Friend in the Real Estate Business

Trish Bender
Ready Real Estate Houston
832-766-4663

Fri Apr 11 2008, 19:26

Good question! There are many things to consider when looking for a sponsoring broker. I agree with the agent that said you should interview more than one broker. More than one franchise is even better. Training is important. I started with RE/MAX and the training available is outstanding. You can do it on line, in a class room, and we also have our own channel on DishNetwork. I am very happy with the decision I made over seven years ago and wouldn't change a thing!

Congratulations and I will be looking for your posts!

Tue Apr 8 2008, 16:13

If you are going to be working in the southwest area (Sugar Land), check out Realty Executives. That was the company I started with over 10 years ago and they had an outstanding training program for new agents. Polly Farrar is the broker.

Mon Apr 7 2008, 18:23