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Breaking open brokerages

By Inman News, Tuesday, October 20, 2009.

A new Inman News survey (click here to take the survey) explores the day-to-day challenges facing real estate brokers. Inman News is seeking participation from real estate brokers across the country in this survey. We define brokers, for the purposes of this survey, as those who manage/supervise agents/sales associates in some capacity, or who are sole proprietors who own the brokerage company but do not supervise agents/sales associates. If you are not a broker, please share this survey link with a broker you know: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=ww6nM2Vf6Qj1YLwuo_2fpUiw_3d_3d.

Inman News will share the results of this survey in a series of upcoming articles.

Survey participants can enter a drawing for a pair of two tickets to the upcoming Real Estate Connect conference in New York City, which runs from Jan. 13-15, 2010 (new registrants only are eligible for the drawing).

A sampling of survey questions:

--What do you believe is the most important service that your brokerage provides for its agents/sales associates?

--Which of the following currently represent the most rapidly shrinking segment of home sales in your market area? a) Short sales; b) Bank-owned (REO) sales; c) Move-up homes; d) Homes sold to first-time buyers; e) Second-home purchases; f) Other (please specify).

--What is the most beneficial industry rule or policy that impacts your business, and why?

The survey is a companion to the "To Be a Broker" editorial project, which features guest essays and profiles of real estate brokers that highlight the challenges that brokers are facing and their coping strategies for these turbulent times.

Guest essays should not be promotional in nature and are intended to offer brokers' strategies and insight about successfully navigating this economic downturn. These guest pieces should be no less than 300 words in length and can be submitted via e-mail to: future@inman.com.

We are also accepting multimedia contributions, including online video and audio clips, photographs and other media that you feel illustrate and illuminate the daily working life of real estate brokers. These guest works are subject to review and edits by the Inman News editorial department, and Inman News will retain copyright of all published work.

Click here to take the To Be a Broker Survey.

 

All rights reserved. This content may not be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, in part or in whole, without written permission of Inman News. Use of this content without permission is a violation of federal copyright law.

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Submitted by Mariah F on October 24, 2009 - 2:38am.

Because of unemployment, may people are seeking for financial help, until such time, they are engaged with unwise loan. Cash advance lenders and the cash advance lending practice gets pilloried all the time. It's kind of unfair, and not the brightest move in the world – how many bankruptcy filings mention outstanding cash advance loans, and then how many mention credit cards? (Credit cards lead, far and away – but that would be rational thought, which isn't allowed.) A cash advance isn't a new practice – similar loans have been made for centuries. Whether you call it a cash advance, an installment loan, or a short term loan, it's simply a form of short term credit that's intended to be used sparingly, only for emergencies, and when used properly is more convenient than banks and less hassle than credit cards.

 
Submitted by seo services on November 10, 2009 - 10:00pm.

It's really a great idea and surely you will be succeed in this business, but the mutual understanding between the broker and you should be maintain then only can continue this business as long as possible.

 
Submitted by Dave Monheit on November 17, 2009 - 5:56pm.

As a broker in the Boston area who deals mainly in rental properties and views sales as a second source of income, I can tell you that the biggest issue facing brokers of my nature are the terrible way equal housing laws are handled in Massachusetts. We are constantly put in a gray area where landlords are demanding illegal discrimination while we have a responsibility to our client to show them these properties regardless of the landlords desires. This in turn makes the landlords angry with us and we risk getting the listings pulled. If we don't show it, we risk facing serious legal issues (and rightly so). If we report the landlord, the word gets around and we get blackballed. The state has been cracking down on brokerages when they need to be eyeing the landlords. Our company, http://www.allaccessboston.com tries to avoid dealing with landlords who try to bend these laws in the first place, but we are just one in a city packed with brokerages looking for a quick buck.

 
Submitted by Baba Shandra on November 21, 2009 - 12:28pm.

Real estate business is a business without end. As long as people still need housing, this business will never die. However, I found it pretty difficult to do such business, if you don't have marketing soul. - Shandra from Bankruptcy Discharge