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We’ve all heard the news: over 60,000 real estate agents left the profession in the first half of 2023. This exodus left many brokerages scrambling to replace them and upping their recruiting game. Whether you’re newly licensed or an experienced agent who had a productive year — if you’re looking for a change, it’s likely you’ve started receiving emails, letters, and phone calls from all kinds of real estate firms.

From national brokerages to local boutique offices, every single one of these real estate companies will try to convince you they are the best option. They will try to woo you with promises of free marketing materials, high commission splits, and fancy tech tools. But how do you really decide which is the best real estate company to work for? Your choice can significantly impact your career and success in the industry.

We’ve done the homework and crunched the numbers. Let’s break it down brokerage by brokerage so you can find the one that’s right for you.

Our top 10 national brokerages

Here’s a summary of our top 10 brokerages, including their starting commission splits and what type of agent we think they are a good fit for. (Note: brokerages are listed in alphabetical, not priority order.)

*Commission splits listed here aren’t inclusive of various fees that many brokerages charge agents and brokers, including fees for transactions, desk use, marketing materials, etc.

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The method to our brokerage madness

Here are the five key metrics that we used to evaluate the real estate brokerages:

• Expenses and Commission Structure: The commission structure and fee schedule offered by the brokerage.

• Market Share and Track Record: Their track record, successful transactions, average sales prices, and market share in the area.

• Marketing and Technology: The marketing strategies and technology tools provided for agents.

• Support and Training: The level of training, mentoring, administrative, and marketing support provided to agents.

• Culture and Community: The brokerage’s culture and values, as well as their commitment to the local community.

Of course, there are numerous other things we could dissect, like whether or not you like the brokerage colors or how close the nearest office is to your home, but much of that is subjective, so we’ve stuck with stuff that can be compared equally.

The most important message for new agents or those looking to make a switch is that choosing a brokerage is a very personal decision. Just because someone else chose Century 21, doesn’t mean it’s the best fit for you. Perhaps you don’t want a physical office to go to (REAL or eXp), or you like the idea of a consistent base salary (RedFin). We all have things that are important to us, and you should keep those in mind when choosing the best real estate firm for you.

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Our deep dive on the brokerages

Thanks to the internet, we’ve got all kinds of information at our fingertips. The challenge is finding reputable information and comparing apples to apples. Not to worry; we’ve done the heavy lifting for you.

We’ve combed the data, read the reviews, and stalked their websites and social media, scoped out comments sections and Reddits, so you don’t have to. Check out our top five brokerages based on the who, what, and where we think are important considerations for agents choosing a firm.

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Best real estate company for new agents: Keller Williams

There is good reason that Gary Keller has written some of the best-selling real estate books. He knows what he is doing and has built an amazing brokerage as a result. KW is known industry-wide as having some of the most comprehensive training programs for new agents. This is reflected in the split and franchise fee. Let’s be real; they need to fund all this support somehow.

Even with an 85/15 split, I think Keller WIlliams is the absolute best choice for new agents. Throughout the transactions I’ve done, I can tell when I meet an agent who has gone through the training, mentoring, and support provided by Keller Williams. The brokers and lead agents do a great job of mentoring new agents to help them build a strong foundation and set them up for success.

Keller Williams has recently worked to step up their technology and tool game so that it can better compete with the more cutting-edge brokerages. The proprietary platform, KW Command, is called “the Amazon of real estate.” Additionally, they have budgeted nearly $1B in the next 10 years to continue improving tools and support for their agents.

Per their marketing materials, Keller Williams states that they put their agents first. I’ve heard colleagues in the industry talk about how KW truly feels like a family. There is continued value with KW for experienced agents as well. They provide a multitude of professional development experiences, leadership opportunities, and annual conferences.

If this is what you’re looking for, and you’re hoping to build a strong foundation in the real estate industry, Keller Williams is for you.

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Best real estate company for agents looking for strong market share

Have you driven down a main road in any city lately? Likely, you’ve seen the blue and white Coldwell Banker for sale sign stuck in the ground in front of a property. Founded in 1906, it’s safe to say the brokerage has been through some of the best and worst markets and is still around, so people have come to trust it.

Coldwell was named among the 2023 Women’s Choice Award® for “9 out of 10 Customer Recommended Real Estate Agency.” This may seem like an odd award to brag about, but considering that women are majority decision-makers and have tremendous purchasing power, this is nothing to sneeze at.

The brokerage is known for its longevity in the market, its professional agents, and its consistent branding. Notice I said consistent, not cutting-edge. One of the recent concerns agents have expressed about CB is the need to improve technology and marketing tools. Agents are competing against others from new companies with the latest and greatest, and it’s crucial that CB steps up their game.

It is curious why the tech tools and media presence aren’t better since they are actually part of a larger real estate company. Coldwell Banker is a brand within the Anywhere Real Estate company (formerly Realogy). Among the other brands are Century 21 Real Estate, the Corcoran Group, and Sotheby’s International Realty. 

Coldwell Banker does have a luxury marketing division, which is well supported through established networks and high-quality marketing tools. It includes a Global Luxury® certification course that carries some weight in the industry with individuals looking to sell multi-million dollar homes. If you are looking to break into the luxury market, this may be a smart move.

If you are an agent with strong systems (that are brokerage agnostic), a solid business plan, and don’t necessarily need training or mentoring, Coldwell Banker may be the right next move for you. Layering your existing expertise on their market share and name recognition could be just what your business needs to reach the next level.

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Best real estate company for luxury agents: Sotheby’s International Realty

Before we talk Sotheby’s International Real Estate, let’s talk Sotheby’s. They are one of the world’s largest brokers of fine art, jewelry, and collectibles. Keep that in mind as you try to imagine the type of branding and marketing of the real estate branch of their business. You nailed it, luxury.

Across the globe, Sotheby’s International Realty is renowned for its luxury listings, wealthy clients, and high-end agents. This doesn’t mean everyone there is strictly a luxury agent, but know that it is a significant portion of their agents. To give you some perspective, Sotheby’s is the #1 profiled luxury real estate brand with over 60,000 media placements in 2022.

With over 1,000 offices in 80+ countries around the globe, their presence is hefty. The luxury market is a well-connected one, and the benefit of being a Sotheby’s agent is that you have access to this network of agents across the world to share referrals.

As for branding and marketing, I would give them a solid B+. They are providing above-average tools for their agents, but at the higher end of luxury, most agents are likely investing in their own marketing and tools to support their clients and businesses.

Sotheby’s has acknowledged that it’s important to stay ahead of the curve with media and marketing and has invested a lot into the brokerage’s web presence. The main site, www.sothebysrealty.com, had more than 46 million visitors in 2022, clocking in as the most visits to the website in its history.

Also understanding the importance of social media, Sotheby’s recently launched their newest media campaign, “Nothing Compares to What’s Next,” which was designed predominantly for use on social media. Although the population is aging, the generations with purchasing power are more and more techie, and brokerages need to keep this at the forefront as they work to attract these younger buyers and sellers.

Are you an experienced luxury agent? Do you have an extensive network of high-net-worth individuals? Do you just want to sell luxury real estate? If the answer to any of these is yes, I encourage you to check out Sotheby’s.

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Best real estate company for tech-savvy agents: REAL

REAL is the newest kid on the block and is making quite a name for themselves. With a similar (but different) model to eXp in terms of stock options and agent attraction incentives, they have opened up more passive income opportunities for agents.

If you are new to being an agent, you’ll want to diversify your income. Sometimes, the market is hot, and other times, not so much. You want additional income streams to take the stress off during those down times. Some agents do this by owning rental properties or doing some property management, but REAL is providing another way to make extra income within the same company. I call it a win-win.

Currently operating in 49 states, the District of Columbia, and four Canadian provinces, REAL has quickly grown its footprint in markets traditionally dominated by the big dogs. But what is really setting them apart, particularly for newer and younger agents, is their technology.

Their innovative technology tools include mobile platforms for working on the go. I don’t know a single agent who doesn’t spend half their day working from the car. They also have leveraged automation and AI to streamline processes and remove administrative hassles that can be a major pain point for agents.

REAL was founded in 2018 and went public in 2020. They’ve had an amazing five years, but let’s be real (see what I did there); they’ve only been around for five years. That is 1/20th of the time Coldwell Banker has been in business. For some agents and clients, this doesn’t matter. For them, it’s the quality of the agent. However, there are some people who trust a brand, and name recognition and market share is a deciding factor in who they choose. For agents looking for a new brokerage, you may feel the same way.

I watch a lot of agents from different brokerages on social media, and I am continually impressed by the REAL agents and their ability to share knowledge, build community, and have fun. They are a small, but growing group and it could be exciting to get in on the ground level with them and grow alongside all the other agents.

If you are confident in your ability to be a strong agent and sell yourself and this “new” brokerage, and also love agent-first technology and support, then REAL is for you! Full disclosure: I made the switch to REAL in 2023.

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Best real estate company for agents who need consistent income: RedFin

Boston, Massachusetts (first-year agent): 19 transactions

• Salary + bonuses in first year at Redfin: $62,000
• Expenses covered by Redfin: $14,000
• Benefits paid by Redfin: $11,000
• Total compensation: $87,000

Fort Myers, Florida (first-year agent): 24 transactions

• Salary + bonuses in first year at Redfin: $61,000
• Expenses covered by Redfin: $14,000
• Benefits paid by Redfin: $11,000
• Total compensation: $86,000

Let’s be honest, money talks. Despite my dislike for the number of people involved with every transaction, for new agents who are making a career change or need to have consistent income, becoming an agent for RedFin is a great option.

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Best real estate company for agents who want marketing money: Compass

When Compass first showed up on the real estate brokerage scene, there was lots of buzz about all the amazing things they would offer and their heavy recruiting of powerhouse agents. There was a fair amount of substance behind all this talk. I personally know several agents who were lured to work for Compass because of the incredible sign-on bonuses, marketing package, and even billboard features. Yes, billboards, like the ones you see when driving down the street.

However, as the real estate landscape started to shift, Compass did have to dial back on their incentives and offerings, while remaining a strong leader in the marketing tools they offer to agents. According to the agent recruiting materials, they can help you to build brand awareness at scale while saving you up to $50,000 per year with the use of their marketing tools. You may have also noticed that Compass has tried to get their grips on the luxury market. For these high-end properties they offer additional hands-on marketing and PR.

Getting back to the billboards, not only has Compass marketed many agents on these giant signs along the highway, but they also have found success with something called transit marketing. These are the signs and advertising you see on the sides of buses and trains, on bus benches, and subway stops. It may seem a little old school for a high-tech company, but it’s been working.

Some additional tools that Compass has brought to agents with its suite of tech tools is an insider guide to off-market properties. When this first hit the grapevine, non-Compass agents were up in arms because they felt like they were getting shut out of properties in an already limited inventory market. The marketing powerhouse that Compass is, not only did they create this directory of properties, but they also call them “private exclusives” and use that language when marketing to potential sellers. If you are a seller of a luxury property and you don’t want photos of your children’s bedrooms or floor plans of your house splashed all over the internet, this would be a logical option for selling your home.

Some skeptics may wonder if Compass has the numbers to back up their flashy marketing, and in fact they do. Based on stats from Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED), in 2022, Compass Chicagoland agents had the highest volume per agent, the highest units per agent, the highest sales price per agent, and the lowest market time per agent. This is nothing to sneeze about.

Now, as the market has shifted, Compass has had to make some budget cuts, so do your own due diligence to determine what you’ll get as a signing package or annual budget, but if major marketing spend is what you’re after, Compass may be the right brokerage for you.

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Best real estate company for agents who like recruiting: eXp

Out of the five boutique brokerages we highlighted, we did a deep dive into our top two. We think these are great choices for newer agents and seasoned veterans alike.

If you are remotely linked to the real estate industry, there is a 99% chance that you have received a recruiting email, DM, or phone call from an eXp agent looking to build their team. Often this cold outreach is annoying, but you can’t blame them, they make money by bringing new agents to the company. It is a large part of the revenue model for eXp agents.

The way this recruitment and revenue share model works is that for every new agent that joins under a sponsor, that sponsor receives 3.5% of the new agent’s gross commission. For life. Ok, not quite, there is a cap each year, but it resets, so basically for life. Now, some recruiting agents have a training and mentorship program set up for the agents that they bring over to eXp and I think this is amazing. However, some just do the recruiting for the revenue stream, so do your homework before signing on the dotted line.

Now, eXp is cloud based. For those of you who aren’t sure what that means, let me explain. Everything takes place online (with the exception of their annual conferences). Obviously your transactions are all handled online, that’s the way most offices are moving these days, but even your training, your communication with your broker, and most meetings. They have even developed their own training “school” called eXp university, and host a multitude of trainings and classes there that can be accessed 24/7.

Now, if you are techie and always on the go, this may be a perfect fit. But if you are a little more old school, and like being able to sit in a room with folks, this will take some adjusting. The introvert in me thinks this is fabulous because quite frankly I don’t like being around people all the time. This is also ideal for people who are transitioning to real estate and maybe need to do their real estate work at night after their day job or after the kids are in bed. Having 24/7 access to the tools, resources, and training that you need is a major bonus.

As they say, one bad apple spoils the bunch, and such is the case with eXp, except it was more like several apples. Since eXp agents benefit financially from “agent attraction”, the nice word for recruiting, some make a real mission out of it. These are the ones that have spoiled it for the rest. There are many amazing eXp agents, but unfortunately due to the cold call, hard sell recruiting many of us have been subjected to, we kind of give some side eye when we hear that someone is with eXp. I am hopeful that this will change over time because I think the brokerage has a lot to offer and can be a great fit for many agents.

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Best real estate company for Latino/Latina agents: Century 21

More than any other company, Century 21 has some of the most successful, productive, and recognized Latino agents in the industry. For the better part of the past decade, Century 21 agents have dominated the rankings of the “Top 250 Latino Agents Report”. This report, released by NAHREP (National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals®), recognizes outstanding real estate agents and teams from around the country.

I have a couple theories as to why C21 has such a successful cadre of Latino/Latina Realtors® and brokers. The first is that they are a more established brand and have been around in diverse locations throughout the country for over 50 years. This has allowed them to establish a solid presence in cities with substantial Latino/Latina populations.

The second factor, I think, is that mentorship may support the growth of Latino agents within the Century 21 brand. Mentorship is a crucial part of any real estate agent’s success in the industry but is well established at Century 21. In an interview with three of the leading Century 21 Latina agents, they confirmed the importance of mentoring. NAHREP honoree Peggy Pratt Calle of CENTURY 21 North East said, “I make it a part of my mission to mentor the agents in my office and truly commit to their success.”

Additionally, the brokerage in black and gold has established a scholarship program for young Latinas, helping to grow the pipeline of women entering the profession. What started as a pilot program in Miami, Houston, and Los Angeles has grown to provide more than 120 education stipends. Most recently, Century 21 has partnered with the Hispanic Heritage Foundation to bring the Empowering Latinas Stipend program to Latina entrepreneurs across the United States.

Beyond covering the costs of prelicensing coursework to help Latinas get their real estate license, the C21 program also matches participants with an experienced Latina mentor. There is no hard data yet on the success of this program long-term, but the initial feedback is that it is doing great work in supporting an underrepresented population and helping them to forge successful careers in real estate.

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Best real estate company for agents who value community and connection: Berkshire Hathaway Home Services

Any brokerage materials or recruiting info that you see about Berkshire Hathaway Home Services is bound to mention words like community, culture, and connection. If you are someone who thrives on social time with others, then BHHS may be the right fit for you. When considering brokerages, give thought to the kind of environment you want to be in and the type of people you want to be around.

As a company that was born out of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway empire, it is not surprising that they maintain that midwestern welcoming attitude. As the brand section of their website states, “a name representing trust, integrity, stability and longevity.” Buffett is known to many as an uber successful businessman who has amassed billions by making smart decisions. It is unlikely that BHHS was created on a whim.

However, and this is a big however, most reports indicate that the typical split with Berkshire is 50/50. That is a lot of money to leave on the table in exchange for having coffee and cocktails with other agents in the office. But again, it is important to find the brokerage that is right for you and offers the things that you want and need in your professional life.

BHHS is also focused on giving back to the community. Most brokerages are, but they are sure to make it front and center. As a charitable benefactor of The Sunshine Kids Foundation, Berkshire Hathaway agents and staff focus their fundraising activities to support group activities and support for children with cancer. From ski trips to picnics, BHHS and The Sunshine Kids Foundation do all that they can to ensure children going through cancer treatments get to be kids.

One thing that differentiates BHHS from other brokerages is their REthink council. This is a group of industry leaders (all Berkshire Hathaway agents) who have been carefully selected to join a council dedicated to inspiring the next generation of top-producing leaders in the network.

If community and charity sounds like you, and it’s worth the 50/50 split (although all things in real estate are negotiable), then your new home may be with BHHS.

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Best real estate company for agents who want to work with seasoned veterans: RE/MAX

RE/MAX agents have, on average, more than 13 years of real estate experience. In an industry that sees its fair share of transience, this is a statistic to be proud of. With a strong presence in Canada as well as worldwide, the RE/MAX name is one that lends credibility and experience to your personal brand.

Based on some employee reviews, RE/MAX also provides adequate support and training. A tagline that can be found on their careers page states “Work For Yourself. Never By Yourself.” As I mentioned earlier, with a markedly more seasoned crop of agents than the average brokerage, you have plenty of mentors to learn from.

Now here are some staggering statistics. According to their recruiting page, RE/MAX agents earn an average of $250,000. That is more than most agents I know and according to NAR, more than five times the national average. Let’s be clear, it’s unlikely you will make $250K out of the gate, but based on the coaching and training plans RE/MAX has in place, it seems to be an attainable goal to (at least) regularly break six figures.

If you are someone who likes to be supported on your journey then RE/MAX may also have the secret sauce. Their agent to staff ratio is 9:1, higher than most other brokerages. You may wonder what kind of staff support you would need as an independent contractor but believe me when I tell you that the paperwork and system tracking is endless. Some agents hire their own transaction coordinator to handle this, but if not, it helps to have brokerage staff trained to assist you.

Like many brokerages, RE/MAX has their own University that provides training and content to all agents. Focused not just on training agent skills, but also on business development, they support agents in a way that will serve them long-term. Based on RE/MAX university data, agents who engaged with the platform closed 29 to 38% more transactions. Closing a third more deals than your competitor makes a serious difference in your paycheck.

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More than reality TV, these boutique brokers are all-stars

We wanted to highlight some boutique brokerages that operate in multiple states that have captured our attention — for one reason or another. Whether it’s their strong branding, luxury market presence or simply their ability to capture media attention and coverage for their agents and listings, here are a few notable brokerages we’d recommend, if they operate where you live.

SERHANT.

Are you comfortable in front of the camera and ready to bring your YouTube channel to a bigger audience? Enjoy fast-paced New York City attitudes, brownstones, and luxury high-rises? Then SERHANT. may be the right fit for you.

Licensed or not, if you have been interested in real estate at any time during the past 10 years, you’ve likely watched an episode of Million Dollar Listing New York and seen one of the stars, Ryan Serhant. You guessed it, he is the namesake behind one of the newest NYC brokerages, SERHANT. Known as a small-town guy from Massachusetts, he built his business in New York through consistency and hard work, and founded his namesake brokerage there in 2020 — an opportune time to launch as interest rates hit their lowest point in decades.

His presence on TV and prevalence on social media are some of the things that have helped to propel his career in real estate, and he has leveraged this in his new brokerage. SERHANT. has a full-service, in-house production studio that will help agents create content strategically designed and specific to their target audience. It’s 2024, friends; if we aren’t seriously considering our online presence and media in general, we are missing out. SERHANT has nailed it.

One of the newest tools I’ve seen, which frankly kind of blew my mind, is the SERHANT Lifestyle Index. The brokerage will use geo data to provide real-time info about a listing by looking at the neighborhoods around it and the lifestyle enabled by living there. There are four main categories: Culture. Pets. Culinary. Wellness. Each listing will have icons relevant to these four categories to give the buyer a sense of what they can expect beyond bedroom and bathroom count. Check it out, it’s pretty impressive.

Aside from all the flash and hashtags, SERHANT. has a strong command of the market in most of New York City, due in part to their dedicated neighborhood knowledge. Their agents are well-versed in all things specific to the areas of the city they work in. If you are a city dweller or city lover, there’s a good chance SERHANT is the right fit for you.

Hilton & Hyland

If you aren’t familiar with the southern California luxury market, it’s possible you’ve never even heard of Hilton & Hyland. With its flagship office in Beverly Hills, Hilton & Hyland agents service some of the country’s wealthiest clients. The brokerage has a significant market share in Beverly Hills and many of the surrounding wealthy enclaves. Think of places like Calabasas, Malibu, and Hollywood. 

Founded in 1993 by agents Jeff Hyland and Rick Hilton, they believe in relationships and service to their clients. Jeff Hyland is quoted as saying, “All said and done, it’s your reputation that counts.” This reputation is what has led them to a position of leading the luxury market in and around Los Angeles.

Data from their website indicates the following market shares in Greater Los Angeles (2021): 31% of all sales priced $20 million and above, 23% of sales priced $10 million and above, and 19% of sales priced $5 million and above. These are impressive numbers and likely the success that continues to drive their achievements.

Please don’t think that Hilton & Hyland is only about luxury and wealth. A prominent focus of their business is also giving back to the communities in and around where they sell real estate. Their community and philanthropic work focuses on four main areas: housing, hunger, mentoring youth, and providing opportunities for the next generation.

Although anyone can walk in the door and inquire about how to become an agent with Hilton & Hyland, not everyone will make the cut. All brokerages want to attract quality professionals who will be successful agents, but Hilton & Hyland takes this to another level. They only select agents who fit the culture and provide specific expertise to the firm. 

According to the About Us section of their site, “Agents are hand-selected for their skills, accomplishments, and discerning ethics in luxury real estate marketing, purchase, and sale.” If you do make the cut and are invited to join Hilton & Hyland, you can consider yourself a leader in the luxury market and the global real estate community.

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Ready to be hired by a real estate brokerage?

To choose the right brokerage for you, here are some important considerations

1. Brokerage culture and size

Some real estate agents prefer bigger brokerages with a national reach while others do better at a local, boutique brokerage. Brokerages that focus on ultra-luxury real estate sales may be ideal for one person, while another real estate agent may prefer a brokerage dedicated to helping first-time homebuyers. Ultimately, it depends on your personal preferences and professional goals.

2. The commission split

For a new real estate agent, a fair commission split is between 50/50, where the real estate agent and broker get equal sums of money from a commission split, and 70/30, where the real estate agent receives a larger portion than the broker. The split is often determined by a firm’s size and the number of real estate salespeople that are overseen by the broker.

A good rule of thumb is this: If a firm offers you a commission split lower than 50/50 because you are a new agent, keep looking for a brokerage. 

3. The mentorship opportunities

When picking a brokerage, look for a firm that will set you up for success down the road by providing mentorship opportunities and training programs. Having that kind of professional support is especially important if you’re new to to the industry.

4. The tech and marketing capabilities

Cutting-edge tools, technology, and market insights are more important than ever. Look for a brokerage that offers innovative agent services and the marketing prowess you need to maximize exposure for you and your clients’ listings.

Here are some questions to consider when searching for the right Broker:

• What is their reputation, both locally and nationally?
• What kind of real estate agents are they looking for?
• Are they technologically advanced and up-to-date with the latest systems?
• How do they support their agents with education and training?
• What kind of commission structure do they offer?
• Do they offer benefits?
• Do they provide their agents with leads and marketing material?
• Is there room to grow with the brokerage?

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