Thread: when to start looking for brokers?

Hey Jessica. I am in Tampa too and about to take my exam in April. I am going to wait until I pass the state exam, but I already have a few I am interested in just from word of mouth.

You can start looking anytime. The best thing to do though is to know what you want and why. Look around these boards and start seeing whet people like and do not like in a broker, as you can imagine the sales pitch when you go into each office is exactly that, a pitch. When looking around years ago I found that the broker/owners that I spoke to really keyed in on my priorities and all of them looked great.

As you go though these boards you are going to find a lot of information about what people like and do not like and these are attitudes that have been hard won by all of the years in good or bad offices.

Good luck in your search

I found that if you are already in the area that you plan to be selling real estate in you can go into a broker's office (they love to have a lot of agents) tell them that you are thinking about taking the exam and then most of them will offer to pay for the classes / exam if you become an agent for their company. It really doesn't matter to be honest it's dependant on what you would like to accomplish.

Be leary of any offices that would just hire you on the spot. It probably means that they have low expectations.

Your interview process should be just as demanding as a regular job. When you find that, chances are you are in a great office. If you are in the right office, they will be prepared to teach you what it takes but also expect you to put the effort in as well. There is nothing worse than a bunch of agents in an office that aren't producing and providing a drag on the resources and staff.

Ditto gjtrafl's comments. Most office will be happy to have you join. I've rairly (if ever) seen an office turn down a potential agent. It's as much about you interviewing the office as them interviewing you. Be prepared with lots of questions. Try to get an idea how you will fit in with the office and what they can offer you. Ask them what you can expect as a beginning realtor. I've seen many claim unrealistic sales expectations the first year and ignore the expenses you'll have. (And remember you'll most likely be an independent contractor, not a real employee)

Some tips for choosing an office.
(some are specific to our market, but it should give you some ideas)

-Tim