Hello,

I've gone through the gauntlet of interviewing and it is currently between two brokers and I am having a terrible time deciding.

Neither broker has a contract to sign with them. Both brokers will let you have free reign in the office making all equipment available, internet, fax, copier, etc.

Both Brokers offer start up marketing materials, etc.

Broker 1) Prudential Arizona

Prudential Arizona has a great management team, they are payed salary and are non-competing brokers (they don't compete with their agents for business (i.e. keep the higher net worth clients or clients they have a long history with, all of those clients are referred down to the agents). Broker one has 50 agents in her office, and Prudential has 12 offices in AZ with over 200 active realtors (that number could be higher). The company itself is older than arizona, branding is in tact, exculsive relocation rights with some of the largest companies in AZ and exclusive rights with yahoo!.com. Broker will sit with you to do a business plan, marketing plan, set up a budget, etc. Commission pay out not the best, but at this point I'm more interested in establishing myself and doing as many transactions as possible. Prudential has some very long term success and earning potential if you can get past the three or four months of building your business and not really earning.

Broker 2 - Ahwatukee Reality

Ahwatukee Reality is a small company with a property mangement feature built into it. As such, you can list / sell houses and also earn a commission with renters (who can ulitmately pipeline into potential buyers down the road). This property management feature also allows me to begin earning money right away which makes transitioning from a Full Time salaried job, into a full time commission based job much easier and less stressful. The broker for Ahwatukee reality is very personable and has guarenteed leads to me as an agent. I can expect to rent one house a day and sell one every five days (based on the volume he is currently having). The commission is considerably better on sales splitting only 25% with this broker on leads he produces and charging a flat $375 on all other transactions from leads you've produced, the rest is yours. This $375 fee includes errors and ommissions. The feel of this place is similar to working with your friend, not just a collegue.

Bottom line: Prudential may have stronger earning capability in the long run and teach you better selling techniques, but Ahwatukee Realty will get you going with leads and you can begin earning right away as well as offer a personal touch that Prudential may not be able to offer.

I'd appreciate your thoughts on assisting me in making this decison.

Tom

I'm about to be in the same boat - a big company like Prudential vs. the smaller companies that offer more upfront - and feel like friends.

I'd say tough it out and go with Prudential. I think that it will make it much easier for you and you'll get the better training.

As they always say, though, it really comes down to who do you like more, and feel more comfortable with.

Why not talk to some of the agents working at each company? Make sure you are not going to be a number in the system. Make sure that the broker offers quality training. Often the larger picture is used to compare when each broker has his or her own method or the lack of a method to provide training, even in large franchise companies.

Ahwhatukee is saying they will give you 1 house rental a DAY, and you'll be selling a house every FIVE DAYS????? and they only are taking 25%? UM, how would you ever make more money elsewhere? are these properties 20K or something. With that kind of "guaranteed" volume I'd take that job ASAP.

I don't know how anyone could guarantee that you'll sell a house every 5 days.

I would go with Prudential. I did the small broker thing in the beginning and the leads and name recognition you'll get with Prudential will be worth it to go with them instead.

I agree with ONLINEREPA... talk to about 5 agents in each office. Take them out to coffee a and make sure you take notes and get answers to the positive and negative side of the company. What others are trying to tell you is that TRAINING is the KEY. I went through 3 mortgage company before finding one that has better training.

I currently work for a company that offers classroom and online training.

Hope all is well. You are more than welcome to email me or call me if you need more insight.

Hope all goes well.

As most have either said or eluded to, I would take some of the folks in these offices to lunch and find out if what has been promised to you has been delivered to any of these folks.

Now, I will say that offices with "guaranteed" business do exist out there. An example would be an office in Sequim, WA that was started by a top producer who would hand off her clients to agents in the office. I have no idea how much business that equated to for each agent at the office, but I know when I was looking at property up there and started chatting with the agent from that office, she was very happy with the referrals she got from this person.

I have never heard of this kind of thing happening in the big name offices. When I have encountered it or gotten word about it, it has always been with independents.

I know that for myself, when I get my brokerage up to at least a dozen or so agents, I will not be handling most of the clients I get myself anymore. I will be handing them off to agents in my brokerage.

Not sure why this is more common in independents rather than big name franchises, but that has been my observation. I am sure someone where might be able to share info on a franchise that does the same thing.

R

There is a nationwide brokerage I am aware of that referrals are handed thru the office manager who co lists them with another agent. I think that kind of STINKS.

Thomas, would you mind checking in with us and let us know which decision you made? I'm just curious.