So you want to join a brokerage?

Congratulations! You have studied night and day, lived real estate for the pass three to six months and have passed your real estate exam with flying colors, what can stop you now, nothing right?

As you begin to do your research, you jump onto Google and start diving into what each brokerage offers. Each brokerage looks more promising than the next. You proceed to visit Craigslist and read in detail the career night proposals, the promise of never ending leads and many more incredible advertisements of support, training, the answer to all your real estate career needs, easy decision right?

Many soon to be REALTORS, end up developing tunnel vision when it comes to joining a brokerage. They become obsessed with the idea of “how much”, not understanding or appreciating the difference training, mentoring and support can make in the early development of their careers.

So how do you choose a brokerage? How do you know which one is right for you?

Each person has individual needs, strengths and weaknesses, it is very important for each person entering the real estate industry to know these important factors. So when meeting recruiters, managing brokers or associate brokers, the first thing one should ask themselves is, does this feel right? What does your gut say? Do you feel comfortable talking to this person? Almost if not all of the successful brokerages out there today have a dedicated training plan for newly licensed REALTORS.

Why trust your gut?

You are going to be spending an awful lot of time in the brokerage you choose to join in the upcoming months. You are going to be living and breathing real estate within the brokerage, with endless amounts of floor duty, in-house training and office meetings. So you better be darn sure, that first and foremost you feel right in the decision you made and you feel comfortable enough to be at the brokerage and able to interact with the people within it.

Why is this so important in your initial real estate career?

The difference in desk fees of $399 or $299 is not going to make or break your career (with proper planning and budgeting), if you think that it is, you are sadly mistaken. If the training, support or mentoring you receive can provide you with one more closing per-year, at let’s say $8000 in commission, does that extra $100 really matter in the grand scheme of things?

Don’t get me wrong, if the $299 brokerage can offer you that one extra closing at $8000 then hallelujah! More expensive does not always mean better, its how you feel within the walls of the brokerage and the confidence you feel with your support, training and mentoring that truly matter in my opinion.

So to all you soon to be REALTORS out there please do not underestimate the importance of the brokerage you join. The name can help your business; the cost will not crush your business (with proper budgeting and planning) and the promises of training which you will not show up for are not going to assist your goals in anyway.

Confidence can be trained and sales will come with proper training, support and mentoring, don’t be focused solely on the cost.