I have been going for my license for 2 weeks now, 2 more weeks to go. I actually had talked to a broker before i went to school to get some advice and while i didn't sign anything i kind of had a verbal i plan on working for you when i get the license because i liked the manager. It's a C-21 office.

I have attended the office meeting the last two weeks. Here is what I have found out about the office. A lot of the realtors there have actually been there for many years. Not a huge office, about 30 people.

While I really don't know anything about the business yet here are my impressions. (Remember I have been reading the Keller book and listening to Ferry Tapes so I have an image in my head of what i want to be.) The office is really laid back. Maybe to much? On the listings board there were only like 9 last month and there are only like 8 for this month. Also there don't appear to be any high octane "i want to be the best" agents there. But on the positive the broker and manager seem to be very helpful and willing to help in any way they can.

Now if I want to be constant prospecting go-getter and want to in two years have as many listing in a month as this office has in a month should i consider staying here where if i did that i would be their star? Or should I go find a high octane office with lots of super star realtors and go learn from them?

It's probably best to be around producers -- as long as you can somehow benefit from their habits and know-how. In some offices, agents do not share any information or tips with each other. In other offices, you might be mentored by someone who will teach you the basics in exchange for a percentage of X number of transactions. In others, you might be able to join a team for awhile to learn the business.

At this stage, you want to make sure you learn how to generate leads for yourself and how to convert them.

I think it's best if you compete against yourself -- always striving to be better -- rather than compete with any agents in your office.

Most offices will have a wide range of types... from the high-octane mega-producers to those who stop in once a month to check their mailbox and make sure their free desk hasn't been given away to a new agent.

I'd say if you've got 'doubts' about the office before you've arrived that's probably a big red flag.

Interview with five or six others. Better too many than too few. Drop in cold on a few offices without scheduling an appointment and see what kind of welcome you get. It can be very illuminating.

Good luck!

Thats what i would think, usually a mix of both, but when i looked at the last two months of listing board and only see 17 listings with the best being one person has 3 its hard to really see a superstar isnt it? I dont know, maybe i am wrong, just curious

Let me add this, when i am looking for potential agencies in my area is there a website or anything that list the real estate brokers/sales people by volume for state?

Generally the top brokers will be happy to hand out all sorts of glossy charts showing 'office' market share.

In many offices monthly awards are handed out and the top producers are recognized... top closed volume, top listings, top listing sold, etc., etc.

You'll also find links that have been compiled by independent sources listing the volume of LINK top producing agents and teams.

But I'm not aware of any website that compiles detailed lists of individual agents and their production. You can normally get a good feel for which offices and agents are producing by looking for signs in the area you plan to work. The signs tell a very good story.

Dean,

You need to remember where you are right now.

Phoenix Metro has been one of the hardest hit in the entire country. I have a brother who is very successful in the business who lives in Gilbert. Based on what he has told me, the numbers you indicated are not out of sync with the current environment.

Currently, a significant portion of your market inventories are foreclosure properties, not regular listings.

My point is that base your judgment on what the office offers, not what you wish the market was right now.

Best of luck.

That's a great point, Staggart! We often get caught up in our own little tunnel vision that is our local market and that can influence our advice on these forums. I think that's something we all need to remember as we post.

I will say this... one of the brokers I interviewed with several months ago just shut his doors this weekend. In fact seven of that particular franchise's offices in our region shut their doors, from what I've been able to learn so far. That happened to me when I first got in the business. I affiliated with an office which closed down and relocated across town within a year of my joining. Fortunately in my case the move was a good one. But for some it was a disaster!

This is a business that is full of surprises. Agents come and go without warning. Brokers and office managers come and go without warning. Companies get bought out with little or no notice to the agents.

New agents... get prepared for the roller coaster ride!

You could be the catalyst that wakes that whole Office up. Certain personalities would get a lot of psychic reward out of becoming the Big Frog in the proverbial Little Pond.

Let me say that around here, a 30 Person Real Estate Office would be absolutely hugemongus. I would not be able to perform well in that kind of environment which promotes the growth of some interesting, but often unproductive, internal politics (aka group dynamics).

Other people thrive in that same setting.

I agree with Dale (I think). Being in an office of Top Producers might be a little intimidating for a new agent. They always look so busy busy busy which might make you feel more anxious than you should.

That said, my RE/MAX office has fantastic energy because most agents seem to be producing on a regular basis and they're upbeat and happy. Offices where people are scared and desperate would be a lousy place to hang out, IMO>

We each have our own 'positive' environment. And at different points in our careers we may need to shift our habits. As a new agent just getting started, I'd HIGHLY recommend surrounding yourself with top producers. You can watch and learn from them. Get to know them. If I see a new agent who shys away from even talking to a top producer, that's not a very good sign in my opinion.

Can you imagine a young aspiring golfer who passed on the chance to hang out and learn from Tiger Woods? Do you think a young Tiger Woods would have passed on the chance to associate with the top golfer in his day because he was 'intimidated?' I doubt it.

I enjoy working in an office with top producers, in particular the area of the office where the top producers are seated. I like hearing them negotiating loudly on the phone when their doors are open :-) I learned a lot this way when I worked as an assistant for one of them.

Question:
I know there are threads on this forum about what questions to ask a potential broker when choosing an office to work at, does someone have a link to a particular one that encompasses a lot of different poster's opinions? (have tried searching)

Another very important consideration is commission split versus all the fees some offices charge. Also is there a minimum production quota to meet? Plan on not being a top producer and being able to handle all those expenses, not being able to make your quotas-Always plan for the worse and hope for the best. Research what agents average making in their 1st year!

I have been a Realtor for nearly 20 years. Three different states, and market conditions. I am currently with a Remax company, wish I picked them at the start......maybe be a buyer's agent for a top producer, learn the ropes, try not to duplicate their mistakes, then go after it. The motivation is the Remax fee. Good luck!