I was wondering if there are any brokers currently working out of their home and if they would like to share how that is working out for them.

In NJ brokers are not allowed to work out of a personal residence.

as a agent I work from home most of the time and it is just fine.

Seriously? Is that a state zoning law or the NJ RE licensing board?

Been working alone from home for well over a year now; I won't be going back to an office at a separate location ever again. When I'm not working out of my home office it is because I'm no longer working.

i work out of my house and operate/manage over 50 agents, everyones happy

Working well here...but my other office is in the sedan where I spend 30% of my time on the streets in front of the assets, contractors and the buyers. I could not just have one office now after 9 years of having two.

I recently started my own firm and work out of my home office. My attorney allows me to use his conference room should I need such a space.

i use starbucks, there seems to be an office for me on every street corner

Congrats Paul on your new venture. That's my plan too - to continue to work out of my home office when I do set up my own shop when I get my broker's license. Hopefully soon (in a month or so).

Are any of you also Mortgage Brokers working out of your home? And if so, have you had any issues from any of the lenders?

The mortgage broker I like the most works out of his home. One reason I try to refer him is that he is almost always available.

I work out of my home also and in a lot of ways it's easier. All my files are in one place and I am always here. A lot of agents will say, after I fax over an offer, "I'll run into the office tomorrow and pick it up". (Why they don't go out and buy a $100 fax I don't know!) The only drawback is lack of a meeting place -but like others have said, it always seems to work out that I can meet somewhere.

Hello. I have worked from my home from the very beginning. In my first year as an agent the only time I spent in office was far too brief training, then to deliver checks.

I have never had floor time. Maybe I should have had floor time. I hate to be closed in.

MREC allows us to work from home. They want to know where they can find you and your records, for the main thing. Its kind of strange hanging your license at home where no one sees it.

I had to pay for a homeworker permit through the town of Long Beach. I have not recruited, I set my first year as broker aside to gain more experience and a focused sense of direction.

I am totally mobile, complete with Tablet, RED and anything else you need for a mobile office--I likely have it. My clients have not seemed to miss going to an office.

If I had an office I would keep doing a lot of work from home because I am obsessive. Then I would be looking for stuff all the time or leaving it at the "other" office.

I helped my longtime builder open his own realty co. last fall. Now because of his poor budgeting (and not listening to me), he wants to sell our beautiful, new office. I am going to propose that I work from home, as I have a great home office and live close to all of our subdivisions. I am very mobile already and rarely go in to sit at my desk. How are you all compensated or do you own your brokerage yourself?

I am opening my own brokerage as well and transistioning to buildng my own biz as my #1 priority -- for land and commercial properties.

Thanks!
Karen

Even though I have a physical office, there are many times our agents have to travel out of area to meet clients. We have mapped every public library in every city throughout the greater Los Angeles metro area as it is much easier to meet clients there than have them battle our horrendous freeways to meet us for their real estate transactions, especially to sign loan documents.

The public libraries have nice large tables, air conditioning, rest rooms and plenty of parking. If you arrive there before your clients do, you have of their public computers for free internet access.

Other places we have made uses of are the conference rooms or lobby of our friendly title companies, as they have several branches throughout the area and with many conveniences too.

That's a good idea Calif. So far I've just fall into harmony with my clients. I have constructed offers at church in the snack area (client was a Deacon in training and permission given by the Pastor), I did one in a nail salon between the owner's clients, Bell South employee break room. Sometimes if we are both "out and about" we'll choose any meeting point to get signatures and exchange papers. Its' fun! However, these meetings on the fly are always in a private area--never a Starbucks or other busy place. Starbucks or such if we are not speaking about the current real estate transaction.

I work out of my home in Glenview, IL. I have 1 agent and I have a regular full time job. I need more buyers so I can do this full time.

I am in Ohio and I have 16 agent office and the main office is at my house. I have two rooms I use for my office and partial other room. We have conference calls once a week via phone for 1 full hour so I can update them on the market. We have training once a month that everyone is welcome, (old and new). For brand new agents that the get one on one (personal) training with myself (Broker) and 1 other veteran agent. I love it. The best thing is I do not have to be a greedy broker and charge 50% commission. When you have an office someone has to pay for that and who do you think it will be (agents). We have a scale that starts at 75% and after a total under $5,000 you get 90%. That is awesome and allows that agent to pay off their debts, homes, cars and such. We work at a TEAM. I am looking at property management and REO's and I will get an offsite office for that about 500 square feet, but guess what. We already have 26 contracts ready and it will pay for itself. Any other specifics, please ask.

I work from my home office and I just opened my own firm.
My main business is commercial,land,pre-foreclosures and investments.I am usually constantly on the phone or meeting developers,and or the people I am assembling land on for breakfast,lunch,or dinner.

There is something about eating that helps break the ice and loosen people up.

I don't really plan on recruiting agents and don't care to.My goal is to build a massive investment company and my investments to a point where they are self-sustaining and all I do is grow them.

YES! I am a new broker. Since very few people in my area rarely come to an office, I just could not justify the expense, time, etc. to lease an office.
I work mainly rural properties.
First 40 days had 20 listings, no contracts yet. Rarely show other broker's properties.
With cell phones, laptops, etc., why does one need an office, other than exposure and maybe some clients expectations.
Anyone else have opinions?
Marvin

I have been a broker for 7 years and I have had both a home office and an outside office. I set up the outside office to encourage my agents to work harder and to give them structure, which they said they wanted. That didn't work. So now it is just me and my home office and I am doing fine (except for the REO business with its slow pay system. I am part of a loose alliance of other small brokers and we cover each other when needed. Most clients prefer to have me come to them and I do so whenever possible, or, as others have mentioned, rely on a third party (library, title company, lender) when I need a place to do that. So far this had worked well.

Finally, although I have had clients come to my home, I prefer to not do that, simply for security purposes.

I work for a mortgage broker and i work from home.I have done both and i prefer to work from home. I don't need much office space because most of my interaction with my clients is at the closing table or at their home to sign paper (old fashioned). I enjoy it better than being at the office. I have everything I need a my home office.

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