Hi All,

I feel I would do best in a more "structured" training environment and in a mentorship program. In general, are corporate-owned offices more likely to offer this type of training than franchisees? And if so, which major companies besides Prudential have some offices that are corporate owned?

Thanks so much

Weichert has corporate owned offices but none in California.

I work at a Weichert franchise office and the training is second to none. That said, there could be another Weichert office in the neighborhood that doesn't - but to be a Weichert franchise you are strongly encouraged to do things the "Weichert Way" and stellar training is definitely a part of the Weichert Way.

LOL I sound like I drank the Kool Aid but that's because I am in the midst of week long Weichert training right now - I can see why Weichert has been growing into one of the largest privately owned real estate companies - the training of agents is excellent.

That said it is true, not all offices operate alike. You will need to ask around.

This Century 21 Office may not offer much, but the one ten minutes down the road may be phenomenal. The Coldwell Banker offices may all be powerhouses or they may be duds...you need to ask other agents what the training is like.

No two offices are truly alike - that's for sure.

Whitey: Franchises are often incorporated so I'm not sure what you are trying to distinguish.

You have to contact the various brokerages in your area and ask them what training they offer. Generally speaking, larger offices have more structured training. Check with Re/Max, Coldwell Banker, Century 21, Prudential, ERA, Keller Williams, Weichert, etc.

There are a lot of old posts you can search in these forums about who offers what training. But seriously, the local owner of a particular office may not offer what other offices of the same brand are doing in other cities. So for reliable info, you need to contact the local offices in your area. Talk to some agents who have actually gone through the training.

I think he was wondering if because franchises are typically "Independently Owned and Operated" they may only have the name and logo of the corporation and all other similarities stop at the door...

I don't know much about other franchises so I don't know if that's true or not.

[quote=Perky_REALTOR]I think he was wondering if because franchises are typically "Independently Owned and Operated" they may only have the name and logo of the corporation and all other similarities stop at the door...[/quote]

Perky,

You're right; that's my concern: that the quality of training offered at franchises varies much more than at corporate-owned offices. In my own area (SoCal), I know of a corporate office that is pretty selective in the agents that they hire. The prospective agent has to have a professional appearance/attitude and be committed to working at it full-time. The upside, though, is that the training they provide is a fairly intensive full-time, two-week track and when you finish it, you (allegedly) know your stuff.

Most franchised offices I'm aware of seem to offer training classes, but they tend to be kind of "willy-nilly" and you just fit them into your schedule as you see fit. The result is that you learn a smattering of this and that, but then you're faced with putting it all together which isn't easy. There's so much to learn in this business and without a well-structured plan to duplicate what's already proven to be successful, new agents are trying to "wing it" until they produce a revenue stream. I think that's why a lot of them fail.

Well to that I have to say - YOU need to have YOUR OWN structured plan. you are an independent contractor and nobody can "make" you do anything you don't want to do - and if you don't want to follow the plan at your own pace, then I think you have a problem..kwim?

For instance, there is another Weichert office nearby that I would never ever work for. That place is run like boot camp.

No thanks - not for me. I don't want to be TOLD when and what and where - I want to have the tools available to me to use as I need them and as I wish...

My office has some very simple rules; if you want floor time, you do two open houses a month, attend office meetings, and caravan office listings. That's fine with me...another office requires all agents to commit to doing open houses every weekend that they're not out with customers.

Sorry, no - I can't commit to something as rigid as that. I'm not an employee, I'm an independent contractor, and I may want to take a couple weekends off if I'm not taking out buyers - and that's my prerogative.

So when it comes to structure, be careful what you wish for - you may get much more than you want.

[quote=Perky_REALTOR]So when it comes to structure, be careful what you wish for - you may get much more than you want. [/quote]

Sounds like sage advice. Too much structure is for the corporate world. However, I didn't mean to imply that I need (or want) discipline imposed on me to do things a certain way. What I'm really after is to learn "the ropes" very well and quickly, in order to get off to a fast start. Once I get off and running, I'll want to feel free to adapt the plan to fit my personality and local market.

Thanks for the input, and I'll be sure to watch out for any offices run like boot camps LOL.

If there are any Weichert franchises in your area, do check into them - be sure to ask other agents how their training is. Even if the office is new, it may well be a rising star.

My Weichert office is less than two years old and right now is #5 in production of sales volume in the MLS out of nearly 100 offices (many of whom have been in the business a long time) and only one other office has more listings than we do.