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Information Is A Powerful Decision Making Tool
Thank you for visiting www.KellerWilliamsHickory.com. The fact you are visiting this page, I am going to assume that you are a real estate professional searching for ideas and guidance, that you have recently decided to become a real estate professional, or that you are still thinking about the possibility of real estate as a career choice. There are links throughout to provide you more information about the company that I've chosen to affiliate with. I hope that regardless of your situation you will find the information contained here to be useful.
Active Or Not, A Real Estate License Can Be Most Valuable
I have been assisting people with their real estate needs for more than 9 years. For those that have gotten a license and find that they do not have the time, finances, or desire to provide active services, referrals are a great alternative.
Unlimited Earning Potential Requires A Commitment
First it is important to realize that although your earning potential is unlimited in the real estate profession, a significantly large percentage of people who have a real estate license make a very limited amount of money. It is not because the opportunity is not there; it is more because they decide not to do what is required to be successful.
As a real estate professional you are able to have your own business, with only a limited financial commitment to get it started as compared to other businesses. But just like any business, you do need to make a some time and financial commitment. You are going to need to be prepared to spend money of what I call the basics, on marketing materials and on additional training as well.
As a real estate professional you are able to have your own business, with only a limited financial commitment to get it started as compared to other businesses. But just like any business, you do need to make a some time and financial commitment. You are going to need to be prepared to spend money of what I call the basics, on marketing materials and on additional training as well. A Financial Review Is Most Critical
The basics include things such as: joining the local Board of Realtors, lock-box costs, personalized yardsigns, start up and monthly fees charged by the real estate company that you join, and the cost for things like Errors and Omissions (E & O) Insurance.
Most importantly you need to be prepared to pay your “life” expenses while you begin to develop your business. Under the best conditions, it could take several months before you actually have any money coming into you business from your efforts.
Starting off part time certainly helps to reduce the financial stress; however, you will soon learn that it is difficult to be a real estate professional working part time. Again, if you are going to become a real estate professional you should take a serious look at your financial situation before you make the move.
Some companies will also require you to carry a certain level of insurance on your car and my also ask that you make them what is known as "additionally insured”. These changes on your insurance policy can increase your premium.
A Commitment To Prospecting & Marketing Is Necessary
The marketing materials that you will initially need include things such as: business cards, a name badge, for sale signs, open house signs, introduction and contact post cards, a personalized web site and dollars to advertise and promote the houses that you list for sale. Although you may not plan on spending dollars in the last mentioned area, the sellers of the houses you list may have different ideas regarding this matter.
Like any business, you need to be prepared to invest money into your business. The greater the dollars you have available when you start, the easier it will be to get your business up and running. For those who find that they have limited financial resources to devote to marketing efforts, you will need to be prepared to do more prospecting until you have revenue coming in from sales. The most important thing you need to remember when starting out in any new business is to "lead with revenue, not expenses".
Knowledge Is Power, But All Training Is Not Equal
Like in any profession, knowledge is power. To develop the needed confidence to “sell yourself” to clients you are going to need to first develop the basic skills of the real estate profession. These skills are often claimed to be taught by many real estate companies, however, the quality of the education certainly varies.
Some of the basics include: understanding laws & regulations, handling the required contracts, communicating and dealing with sellers and buyers, handling objections, integrating technology into your business, prospecting, marketing and follow-up techniques.
The quality of the training you initially receive can not only result in either the gain or loss of thousands of dollars in income, but it can very well determine if you even stay in the real estate profession at all.
I have seen many agents come and go because they were not able to meet their financial demands as they attempted to get their real estate business up and running. A delay in requiring the needed knowledge and skills is costly, for as a self employed person, your time is truly your greatest asset and possibly the most wasted resource.
Since the real estate profession is constantly changing: laws change, the supply and demand of the housing market changes and the skills needed to handle your growing business change, it is important to be prepared to constantly upgrade your skills.
Companies that provide ongoing training will reduce the out of the pocket costs you must be prepared to cover to expand your knowledge and skills. If ongoing training is not provided by the company that you join, you need to be prepared to make a greater personal financial commitment in this area.
Many local Board of Realtors offer courses to both help you get started and to regularly increase your knowledge and skills. Many courses are free and others may have a fee attached.
As you expand your knowledge and experience, you will surely see an increase in your self confidence and if you stay committed to the profession you should also see a more consistent growing income.
Be In Business For Yourself, But Not By Yourself
You will find that running a successful real estate business is demanding of your time. However, you will also find that the right balance of knowledge and experience combined with the proper leverage of your time truly makes a difference. The key to a balance of independence and team effort will depend on the philosophy and culture of the company that you join. Personally, from my past career I've learned to be able to work independently, however, I've also learned to be part of a team. I enjoy being part of a group that works together for a common goal. Since the real estate business is a individual business it does not often allow those involved to experience a team concept. In traditional real estate coPerceived and real competition often prevents the sharing of ideas and further limits a sharing and caring philosophy. Keller Williams Realty offers agents the ability to earn an unlimited income with an equal ability to learn and share from others who are committed to a common goal.
The Wrong Company Can Cost You Time And Money
If you are new to the business or are an experienced agent who is not satisfied with the company where you hang your license, you need to examine your alternatives. Just as the recruiting person interviews you when deciding to let you join a company, you need to be interviewing them to make sure that you make the right selection as well. Remember, your time is very valuable and combined with your knowledge and experience; these are your greatest assets.
When selecting a company to affiliate with, consider some of the following: the company’s reputation and success, the commission, the philosophy towards training and support, the existing structure to handle the day to day activities of the company, the availability of additional sources of income, the expertise to help you to develop your business in the changing trends and demands of the profession, whether the company provides the means to enable you to share and grow yourself both professionally and personally, and the culture of company.
When selecting a company to affiliate with, consider some of the following: the company’s reputation and success, the commission, the philosophy towards training and support, the existing structure to handle the day to day activities of the company, the availability of additional sources of income, the expertise to help you to develop your business in the changing trends and demands of the profession, whether the company provides the means to enable you to share and grow yourself both professionally and personally, and the culture of company.Since the relationship between you and the real estate company you join in often key to your success, you need to determine whose best interest the company has at heart. Policies and decisions that impact you and your business are typically totally out of your hands. Corporate decisions of major companies do affect your bottom line. For example: who determines the commission you charge your clients? Who sets the policy regarding the office demands that impact on your time? Who determines the monthly or regular fees that you are charged? Who sets the advertising guidelines and expectations? Who determines the internal support that is available to insure that the needs that must handled are handled effectively? Who determines the type of relationship that you will have with your clients? Who determines the type of ongoing training you are going to have available? Even the most experienced agents benefit from the right ongoing training and support. Personal development and education never end for those who desire true success.
When working for traditional real estate companies, you are typically promoting the overall company through your efforts. You are typically just a small piece of a big picture. You are often seen as just an agent of a company, rather than the owner of your own business.
Consider finding a company that enables and encourages you to develop your own identity while benefiting from the recognition of the company, as well. Remember, the real estate profession is really your own business, but all to often with many “unneeded chains and guidelines” placed on you with little or no input allowed.
A Personal Choice That Meets Many Needs
We each need to do our own search when deciding which company to join. Remember, the right company can greatly help our efforts while the wrong company can surely help facilitate our failure. In spite of what many people might say or think, the company that promises to pay the highest commission is not always the best choice for you. Remember, a 100% of no business is still nothing. A company that does not help to meet your needs and provide you with the needed support and training that you desire, is not the best choice for you. Since we are each different, we will each be attracted by different things. Besides making money, try to decide what is really important to you and your new business. For me, I found a company that is designed to meet what is important to me. It may or may not be for you; however, I encourage you to at least seriously consider it as part of your search. The company that I joined is Keller Williams Realty. I can insure you that Keller Williams offers a competitive structure that is fair to start and actually improves with performance. The training continues to impress me and it is ongoing for agents of all levels of experience. There are both live and web based classes. Keller Williams University has a very impressive array of performance based programs available 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.
The courses offered "in office" are taught by a wide array of people and are relevant to the current situations and market conditions. What makes the courses really unique is the fact that they are taught by some of the most successful active agents in the various offices who have a proven track record and are willing to share their time and talent.
At Keller Williams Realty, we operate under a policy of abundance, meaning that we are not afraid to share what we are doing with the fear that doing so will hurt our business. It is recognized that there is plenty of business to go around and that we have a vested interest to help each other.
The vested interest is a profit sharing program that rewards team work and success. As agents, we are rewarded for introducing other productive agents to the company. It is a great way of creating a passive income for life, that can even be willed to your family, for those who are working to develop their business while also helping Keller Williams to continue it's national growth. The company is very technology rich and is constantly expanding our ability to have the best tools possible at our disposal. These tools include learning, marketing and resource tools that are second to none.
With a proven track record that has already attracted over 70,000 quality agents, Keller Williams Realty has become the 4th largest real estate company in the country and was voted by JD Power and Associates in 2008 to be the number one real estate company in the country in buyer satisfaction!
One unique factor that demonstrates that Keller Williams Realty is a company developed by agents for agents is the fact that listings stay with the agent. If you joined Keller Williams and decided to leave, you can take your active listings with you.
Keller Williams recognizes that real estate is a local business. Therefore, company dollars are not spent on national advertising campaigns to attract buyers, sellers and agents. Keller Williams and agent's personal businesses continue to grow because with the training and support that is provided we are able to consistently offer our clients quality services that meet and typically exceed their expectations.
Since Keller Williams offers a profit sharing program, the financial records of each Market Center is an open book. The financial performance is clearly visible and serves as a motivator to further agent's efforts to help each other. To assist each agent to have a voice in how a Market Center operates, the top 20% producers are given the opportunity to sit on an Associate Leadership Council (ALC). The ALC is, in actuality, the Board of Directors of the comapany and sets policies regarding training, spending, and general operations, we are the "keepers of the culture", so to speak. All agents have the chance to share their ideas and concerns with members of the ALC.
I could continue to say more, but let me ask you at this time to decide if it is worth taking additional time to learn more about Keller Williams Realty first hand. Rather then just reading about, I ask that you give me a call so we can personally talk to each other, 828-455-0922 or email me at reginajenkins@kw.com. I am the Team Leader in the Keller Williams Realty Hickory office.
As I mentioned before, I have a vested interest in helping you to change your life by joining Keller Williams Realty. I am rewarded by both the satisfaction of knowing that I helped you to further your real estate career while also helping myself develop my future earnings by benefiting financially through the profit sharing of those that I bring to the company. Regardless of where you reside, I would like to have the opportunity to help you further explore your career possibilities with Keller Williams Realty. Our system is set up so that we each can help recruit people from anywhere in the country, including Canada.
If after our conversation together you want to get even more information, I would be happy to set up a meeting for you with the Team Leader of the Keller Williams Realty office closest to you.
I wish you much success in your real estate career. I hope the information that I've provided here has been of some help as you consider a company to affiliate with. I truly believe that I have found a unique opportunity with Keller Williams Realty; I hope you are equally successful in your search.
Sincerely,
Keller Williams Realty, Team Leader
Office: 828-345-1100 ext. 213
Cell: 828-455-0922
Fax: 828-345-1102
Email: reginajenkins@kw.com
P.S. At Keller Williams we encourage agents to develop and market your own identity, rather than just promote the company. With us, you are able to expand your own personal business identity and still benefit by being associated with Keller Williams Realty. Your name and your direct phone number are on your yardsigns. You are given a fully customizable website where you can personalize your own unique marketing plan to reach potential buyers and sellers. Blogging is available to you with your own customizable blog page, along with email, 1000 free business cards that you design, full color, front and back, plus the amazing training thats available to you, providing you with the tools to acheive at least 4 listings and 4 sales in 3 months as a newly licensed agent! Simply contact me today for more details and information.
