A Real Estate Broker’s Branding Dilemma

Seeking out broker tips on what makes for a successful brokerage/agent relationship? The formula may not be quite so simple.

On a recent road trip including stops in Chicago, D.C., and NYC, Brad Inman, journalist and entrepreneur, uncovered that formulas for brokerage success don't always include the same ingredients. In fact, company philosophies surrounding management styles, though successful, are quite diverse.

The opposing, but successful, management styles:

• Management branding - Branding philosophies systemically delivered to every agent. The main take-away: company culture is king – interwoven into each agent's daily life. The boon? Unwavering support for those under the brokerage, shown to consistently deliver results in both personal and business endeavors.

• Full agent autonomy - Though the brokerage is home base, it does not tell agents what they can and cannot do, instead fostering agent autonomy and individuality. Advantages? This strongly empowers the agent and cultivates the individual agent brand.

Brand or independence? The answer depends...

• The autonomy-pushers - This group believes agent branding is all that matters – and that this will be the future of the business. Agents will become companies themselves, and the pro-branding genre calling agents to sell against themselves is misguided.

• The pro-branding genre - The pro-branding camp believes joining a team offers the support you need to weather the bumps in your realty career, from slow starts to slow markets and slow months. That to survive the roller coaster ride which is your career, you need to be part of a group that will keep you motivated.

• The fence straddlers - See both as applicable, depending on where you are in your career. Taking advantage of resources at your disposal, whatever they are, offers opportunities in each specific career phase.

To view the original article, visit the Properties Online blog.