RealTown's RealTalk

Every article I read about using a team is written to the agent.  I'm not talking about equal partnerships where each person  shares equally in the deal with each carrying 100% of their 50%.  What is the advantage to the client of an agent who has an assistant, a Buyers Agent, etc.? 

It seems to me that  if an agent has too much business to reasonably handle himself, he would be better served by handing it off to someone else and taking a referral fee of 30% or so.  Someone experienced and knowledgeable in his own office.  Why is it a benefit to have a staff?

When an agent gets so successful it is because he is attentive, knowledgeable, on top of everything, accessible, and solves problems before anyone knows there is one!  He gets referrals, great comments, etc...

Then, when he gets bigger, he hires a "team" which consists of people who are less experienced and less knowledgeable than he is, at the very least, or not knowledgeable at all and brand new to the business.  They do the less important things like transaction coordinator (which, in my office only costs $250.00 per transaction) and maybe, prospect caller? 

Just would love to have feedback.

Lisa Henderson said:

Every article I read about using a team is written to the agent.  I'm not talking about equal partnerships where each person  shares equally in the deal with each carrying 100% of their 50%.  What is the advantage to the client of an agent who has an assistant, a Buyers Agent, etc.?  It seems to me that  if an agent has too much business to reasonably handle himself, he would be better served by handing it off to someone else and taking a referral fee of 30% or so.  Someone experienced and knowledgeable in his own office.  Why is it a benefit to  have20a staff?When an agent gets so successful it is because he is attentive, knowledgeable, on top of everything, accessible, and solves problems before anyone knows there is one!  He gets referrals, great comments, etc...Then, when he gets bigger, he hires a "team" which consists of people who are less experienced and less knowledgeable than he is, at the very least, or not knowledgeable at all and brand new to the bu...

I'm very new to community participation, so please forgive me if I err in any way.

I feel that teams are the future of the full-service Real Estate industry. In modern times, clients are somewhat used to being shuffled about. They don't care about us and (in their interpretation) we don't care about them. But that's not what full-service is about. Sure there are people out there that feel as long as they look out for #1, they'll be OK. There are still many more that feel if they get the proper care and guidance, they will be far better off in the long run.

This is where a team or partnership comes in. It is devoting a common philosophy among team members to a common purpose - the proper handling of a customer. I've been in a partnership fro 2 years now. My partner and I are very different people, but our customers know that they will get the same service, the same devotion to detail, and the same satisfying end result - no matter which of us they happen to be dealing with.It's not a "passing the buck" but rather an expansion (and enhancement) of the service you would give as a solitary agent.

Jeff Madden

Long & Foster

Shrewsbury  PA

Mark Ryan said:

The advantage of a team is that most of what needs to be done in a real estate transaction is NOT what a real estate agent is really needed for or good at... paperwork and misc. tasks.  With a team and the systems and policy guidelines in place a team leader can more effectively serve more clients and help to ensure that "nothing falls thru the cracks".  That way when they are really needed they are available and not bogged down in the minutia of t he daly tasks.  I think a great comparison is to a dentist office... the dentist does not schedule you apt, take your payment, do the books, send out reminder post cards, take care of insurance paperwork, clean you teeth, etc, etc... many other people do that and then he/she comes in checks you out and does what they are really needed for and/or give direction to someone else and then are off to someone else...  now I guess th...