I think in PA if you have your own real estate company you are required to have an office with at least two distinct areas, one for private meeting areas(a closing room per se)

I do not know if there is any allowance in the PA real estate commission rules for virtual offices.

PA has no provision for a virtual office. It must be as Perky described and it is actually inspected before a license to operate is issued.

Of course the OP is in Canada..but ultimately the decision of whether to have an office or not depends on your governing authorities...in PA, it is not allowed...obviously in other areas it is...

We get quite a few walk-in customers so it is to our advantage to have an office.

I'm an independant Broker / Owner working out of my home office in Utah and it's legal and my clients are fine with it.

I do not think it matters. Customers are looking for trustworthy agents.

I have been using my home office almost exclusively for two decades. In my experience, it is accepted now much better than it was when I started. In fact, many of my clients tele-commute, and understand that much more is often accomplished at home (as long as you are disciplined) over a traditional office.

People are most concerned about the quality of service. If a client sees you slacking off they will drop you. IMO you can work from a home office with no problem if you want to work with the average person. If you want to go higher end luxury you will need an office.

Wow! I wished VA would do that!

this isnt true,..i work the mid to high end 500k-1mill

they never once ask me to come to my office..
my office is a nice waterfront location..
but none of my clients ever want to meet me there..
and since there are no buyers and sellers in my office..
im never there...

I don't think it matters if you have an office or not. IMHO, it is a decision based on your personal preference, as well as how big your operation is. Most clients will want to view your properties, which (obviously) is done on site; therefore, it often doesn't matter if you have an office or work out of a little office under your stairs. :)

Hi everyone--this is my first time on this forum, but this question caught my eye.

I've always worked from home. It's probably not the BEST, but I think it's worth the saved cost.

Especially if you live in an area where office space is even moderately expensive, and you haven't yet worked up the deal volume such that your yearly office rent would be more than 15% of your annual revenue as agent. I would say target that 15% break-even before investing in formal space.

BUT, if possible, try to create a formal space in your home with a professional desk, framed paperwork on the walls, etc. Make it look as formal as possible, and try to make it close to your entryway so that clients do not have to walk through different rooms in your home to get to your office space.

Also, if your home is way "out there" in the middle of the woods or something, think twice before inviting clients to this "office". Then the virtual model is probably the way to go, or think more about making 20% your break-even target.

Hi,
I don't think that it matters a lot. People are generally looking for good services in their budget and a reliable person. It hardly matters, where they work from.

Even when I worked for C21 and had office space, I was out of the office except for meetings.
Meeting Buyers at properties that I show and Sellers at their home. No client wants to make a detour to visit an office. We are also almost paper less. No need to print listings. I show them on IPAD. Last 4 years I lost only one client who wanted to visit an office. Rest, appreciate that we are meeting at property.

you must have a office for that. Because it is really very essential for professionals.