Continued…
As technology changed our business and buyers found inventory online, newspaper ads, which had been a way of brand advertising for those big box companies, became a thing of the past and the old traditional real estate companies lost more and more of their appeal to me. Any compliance training was available from our mls’s and effective marketing I found from national training coaches. What training was available was the traditional cold calling out of phone books or print marketing to neighborhoods.
When I changed real estate companies looking for more services and training, I was always told that I would lose my business if I left their firm. Nothing could have been further from the truth and my clients always moved with me as long as I stayed in touch with them. My clients were MY book of business. I was the first agent with John L Scott to start paying a desk fee, which at $1600/mo was better than my splits and I saved a few thousand dollars a year. At least with this savings, I could spend more on marketing.
After many years of practicing real estate and being a General Contractor and Investor, I decided to open my own RE/MAX firm in Seattle. I wanted to offer technology, a platform for agents to work but offer the lowest fees possible because that’s what I wanted to find as an agent. Although the lowest fees in the inventory at the time, RE/MAX still had a 5% franchise fee that didn’t equate to any benefit I could see. In 2013, I finally moved to a 100% commission business model. I found the right technology, offering websites, data bases, lead producing platform, the right training and the absolute best fee structure on the market. My agents often wonder how I can stay profitable. The answer is, low overhead, 1 layer of management, me, and the best technology and services available for the most effective costs. I am constantly searching out new training programs, new marketing tips and tools and offer hours of classes in referral based marketing.
Today, although there are other 100% firms that have popped up, more and more agents are realizing that their earned commissions should be theirs and theirs alone. AgencyOne NW stands alone in providing all the tools an agent needs to grow and expand their business while keeping 100% of their commission dollars. I charge a fee each month to manage all of their commission income and provide most of their technology and I subsidize the rest. I constantly train on compliance with the law and new technology. I offer an excellent 24/7 education portal that I pay for and offer free to all agents. I feel my job is to provide all the tools, education and marketing know to free up the agent so they can do what they do best, sell and list real estate. I am a Brian Buffini and By Referral Only Mentor, I work with my agents setting up the Million Dollar Real Estate business and offer coaching on these and on other skills and training.
AgencyOne NW is the agent’s company. Designed for agents, by an agent and dedicated to the success and growth of each and every agent.