My wife and I just passed our state exams and we are trying to decide which brokerage to go with. We have meet with C21 & Coldwell Banker so far, leaning toward CW at this point. We have one last meeting this week before we make our final decision and it's with Keller Williams. I did a search on here and not a lot of info really came back. It did say KW is starting at 70/30 while everyone else is 50/50. One thing I've learned in my time in this world is that no gives up something for nothing, so why is KW offering so much more to start? Are there other areas were they aren't up to the standards of the other companies?

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Will Rose

The best advise I would offer to any new agent is find out what their training program consist of and whether or not they charge you for the training. The more knowledge you have the more powerful you will be. Ask what is offered for the fee they receive from you,(ads,lockboxes,signs,flyer boxes,office support) you get the picture. Check out Weichert Realtors if you have one in your area they have a fantastic training program. Good Luck to you.

You should also check out Prudential in your area. I have found that Prudential has some great training. C21 also has great training too. If you have questions about Keller Williams, I am sure that "Keller Williams Agent" forum member will be glad to answer and refer you to them. Could be a little bias though.

Shop around, i checked out quite a few brokers and Tarbell fit my needs with a 65/35 starting split and awesome training. Not sure if it will fit your needs, but shop around before making a decision.

Also make sure you talk to multiple brokers even if they represent the same names. Each broker can/will set their own rules and compensations. i am with C21 and get to keep about 90% of my commission. I know another agent with another c21 office and his split is 50/50.

Agent007,
We're all biased towards our own companies, otherwise we wouldn't have chosen to work where we do.

FL Will,
I work at Keller Williams and I will try to shed some light on KW's commission structure. KW's starting split wasn't always 70/30 - it used to be 50/50. Back when KW was a small agency in Texas, Remax came to town and many of the KW agents jumped ship for Remax's 100% commission structure.

To keep the remaining agents, one of the changes the founder of KW made was to the the pay structure - from 50/50 to 70/30 to start & then 100% after a certain production goal. It wasn't done as a gimmick, but rather out of survival. The trade off is there's a $100/mo "desk fee."

Regarding your question of wondering if KW isn't up to standard in other areas, I believe we hold our own against anyone. However, I'm sure some of the other agents from other companies will be happy to chime in though...

I encourage you to interview at as many companies as you can. And even then, if you decide on one place and then aren't happy, you can always go to work for another agency. That's part of the beauty of real estate, the job interviewing process is easier than any other industry! :0) As a new agent, training should be your #1 priority (KW has great training by the way). Best of luck in your decision, and much success!

Thanks for the info. I haven't spoke to anyone at Remax, do they really start you at 100%? How does that deal work?

From what I have heard, Remax is a company for experienced agents, not new agents. There are a few franchises here that have no training whatsoever, so it would be hard to start there as a new agent.

Agent007 is right, Remax is probably not the place for a new agent. Remax in my area also offers little if no training, and with the 100% commission comes a hefty monthly desk fee...upwards of $1000/mo (from what I've heard). You have to be ready to produce - and as a new agent, it could take 6 months before you close your first deal...

Remember, a 100% commission at Re/Max may not be as good as it sounds. A Remax broker was recruiting me not to long ago, and after all the office fees and royalty fees, it worked out to be closer to 75/25.

Does Keller Williams offer any type of group health insurance (I know we would have to pay for it but I was just wondering if they offer anything like that)?

Very Unhappy when I was with Keller Williams. I think if you figure it out, you get 64% until you cap out. I don't know what the cap is in your area. That is before you even spend a dollar on marketing, advertising, etc..

When I hear Keller Williams I Run the other way. Here's why..

1. I have been in real estate for over 20 years. So I am experienced. I am also what you'd call a high profile agent. I was with Keller Williams for the past 2 years until I got fed up and left. I got tired of changing rules on a monthly basis, lousy sub-standard training (I did some training myself too, LOL, and generally getting nickeled and dimed to death. The 70% thing is crap, after you factor in cost of signs, advertising, desk fees, photocopy paper, shared expenses, NO NATIONAL ADVERTISING!, etc, etc, well, you get the picture.. Then you may also need an assistant because they don't even give you any admin support. After two years of this crap, I ran outta there and went back to Coldwell Banker. All this aggravation? I'd rather open up my own.
The Profit share was a joke. I was the second best recruiter in the office and I made on average about $900 the second year. I could've made more selling one more house. A good amount of my "downline" left anyway, so I didn't lose anything. I am just So sore on KW. I went to the "Family Reunion" last year and I was very unimpressed with everything, I think I made my final decision after I went there. (Family Reunion is the KW annual Convention)..

I'm with an independant Broker, two locations in the DFW, with about 600 agents. The Michael Group offers 100% to it's agents, they give FREE training twice a week, include MCE classes. However, you need to understand that the big name brokers have advertising and franchise fees that are extended to the agent and they generally have a broker split on commissions. If you're new to the business and lack knowledge and confidence, it maybe more advantageous to go with a big name brokers. Good Luck!

Hey FL Will, I don't think that Keller Williams or any other Broker, including my Broker offers any type of health coverage, except to it's office staff. As a Realtor, we're independent contractors and are responsible for our own Healthcare. However if you're interested in some Healthcare for you or your family, send me a private email.