hi,

i was planning on selling homes for a builder once i get my license, but i was wondering if i would also be allowed to sell homes/duplexes/etc and get paid a commision? if so, does it get split with the builder or would i be able to get 100%? i am not sure if thats regulated by the state or per employer, but that would be very nice if one was able to do that.

i would really appriciate some help with this

thanks

If you're talking about a large builder then No they will not let you sell homes "on the side" - only their homes.

so you're saying a small builder might?

I think Tanya is right. The large volume builder is the one who might have a problem with you selling homes "on the side". Think about it. You would be siphoning off his potential buyers and giving them to his competition. I wouldn't allow it if I were a builder with a sales person on the payroll. However there are other ways to accomplish the same object.

In my market there is a real estate company who has a separate division that markets it's services to new home builders. They are the "in house sales force" that sits at the model homes of new subdivisions. I have never worked for them so I don't know if you could also sell traditional real estate. Perhaps there is such an orginazation in your area.

You could also target smaller volume home builders as you prospect for business. Approach them to market their homes. These builders typically don't have the resources to hire a full time sales staff, pay a salary, provide benifits, training, advertising etc. The big tract builders have deeper pockets and can afford to. Of course if you get in with someone like that you might only get 3 or 4 of their spec homes and not a whole neighborhood with 200 home sites. But then you seek 3 or 4 builders.

This allows you to do your traditional real estate by hawking FSBOs, expireds, direct mail campaigns, farming etc.

i have sold homes for a builder last year, who didnt require a RE lic. due to the way the payroll was set up (it was a pretty shady company). we mainly did pre-construction and thats what i was hoping to do with my license.

as for selling on the side, i know someone now who told me when i get my license, she was planning on sending a bunch of people my way who are looking to buy rental properties, mostly duplexes and triplexes. selling these types of properties would'nt take business away from the builder at all, but rules are rules i supoose

from what it sounds like there aren't any laws against it, but the builders generally discourage it? so if you worked for a larger builder and had good relations with the owner/president/GM/etc, they might let it slide?

although not likely, this is possible, correct?

Possibly. You will need to check but the larger,national builders definately will not let you sell on the side. You are there to sell their houses & they will see a potential conflict. They are not in the business of retail sales & there's a whole bunch of problems that can arise & the builder's broker is not going to want to be involved in those headaches. I would imagine a small builder wouldn't want the headaches either. Now that broker would be in the business of putting out fires of your other customers.

Also, a lot of the builders/brokers do not have the kind of experience that you would need if a problem happens. So you may find a small, independent builder willing to allow you to do it but is that someone you want to rely on when you have a problem?

If you want to sell homes on the side (and still work for the builder) then I would refer them out to another agent for a referral fee.