What are brokers looking for in new agents?

Toby Schifsky

Too many new agents think their new broker is their boss. They are not. They are your business partner. Nobody wants a person who is not prepared as a business partner. If you want to negotiate a good commission split, help with advertising services, and lowered or even waived tech/platforms fees, then you need to walk in on day one with the following:

1. A business plan that describes who you are and your areas of focus (niches).
2. A marketing plan that says how you are going to get that message to people.
3. An income plan that demonstrates your overall goal and how many transactions it will take to get there.
4. An activity plan that describes how many two-way conversations (phone or text) and one-way conversation (emails) you are going to make on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.
5. Work Schedule of the times you are going to be working and are fully dependable.

Armed with these, your broker will most likely be shocked, but more importantly, they will be willing to take you seriously as a business partner and not a time, energy, or resource suck for them.

There are a few "new agent" coaching programs out there. Kaplan has Real Estate Accelerator Coaching and it addresses all of these points.

Any other items you think would help when talking to your broker about your business arrangement with them?

jamielcash

I think another important aspect to look at is the internet presence the brokerage has. Establishing an online presence is crucial in today's digital age, as the internet is universally utilized. When you mention your affiliation with a brokerage, people often verify your credentials by visiting the brokerage's website. Therefore, it's essential that the brokerage maintains an appealing online presence, which includes an attractive website, active social media engagement, and well-crafted online reviews to thrive in the industry.

Creating a professional-looking website that showcases each agent effectively is a straightforward and cost-effective task that doesn't require extensive programming skills. Consequently, the inability of a brokerage to achieve this raises significant concerns.

Examine how agents are portrayed on the brokerage's website. Are they represented favorably? Can agents easily direct visitors to their individual websites from the brokerage's platform? (Is this how you want to be represented?)

On that note, it's highly advisable to construct your personal website that is not reliant on the brokerage's website.