Before you join a brokerage, ask the broker seven questions: who answers when you get stuck, how new agents are trained, what a normal week in the office looks like, how clients are treated when a deal gets hard, how leads and referrals are shared, what is expected of you, and what the brokerage believes in.
The answers tell you more than any recruiting pitch. The last question matters most, because values decide how people act when nobody is watching.
Most agents pick a brokerage the way buyers pick a house from one photo. They look at the sign, hear a number and sign. Six months later they find out the office is quiet, nobody returns calls and the culture is every agent for themselves. A short, straight conversation up front can save you that.
1. Who picks up when I get stuck?
Ask for a name, not a department. When an inspection report goes sideways at 7 PM or a contract date is about to slip, who do you call, and do they answer? A good broker can tell you exactly how that works.
2. How do you train agents, new and experienced?
New agents need the basics: contracts, scripts, showings and follow-up. Experienced agents need sharper tools and people to think with. Ask what training looks like week to week and whether it is live, recorded or both. At Realest.com, our agents can use the Fearless Agents training, which covers lead generation, listing appointments and daily habits.
3. What does a normal week in the office look like?
Ask to sit in on a meeting or stop by on a weekday. You will learn fast whether agents help each other or just share a printer.
4. How does the office treat clients when a deal gets hard?
Anyone can be kind when a deal is easy. Ask the broker to walk you through a tough deal and what the office did. Listen for whether the client’s interests came first.
5. How are leads and referrals handled?
Ask where leads come from, who gets them and what is expected in return. Get the answer in plain words, and ask for it in writing before you sign anything.
6. What do you expect from me?
Good brokerages have expectations: activity, follow-up, professionalism. Ask what they are. Clear expectations are a sign the broker is invested in your success.
7. What does this brokerage believe in?
This is the question most agents skip. At Realest.com, the answer is written down. Our mission statement says we conduct our business with humility and integrity, placing the needs and interests of our clients, partners and community above our own. It is inspired by Philippians 2:3-4: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
That verse is a high bar. It shapes how we want to treat clients, and how we want agents in our office to treat each other. If a brokerage cannot tell you what it believes, ask yourself what will guide it when things get tough.
Considering Realest.com in Crown Point?
Realest.com is based at 112 S. Main St. in Crown Point and serves buyers and sellers across Northwest Indiana. You can meet the agents already here and read more about joining Realest.com.
Then ask us these seven questions yourself. Call or text Sash at (219) 808-1520 to set up a 30-minute coffee chat with Sash and Andrew, and bring your questions.
Frequently asked questions
What should I ask a broker before joining a brokerage?
Ask who supports you when you get stuck, how training works, what a normal week looks like, how clients are treated in hard deals, how leads are shared, what is expected of you and what the brokerage believes in.
Why does brokerage culture matter for real estate agents?
Culture decides whether agents help each other, how fast questions get answered and how clients are treated when a deal gets hard. Those things shape your days more than the logo on your sign.
Should a new agent and an experienced agent ask different questions?
The core questions are the same. New agents should push harder on training and who answers the phone, and experienced agents should ask about tools, leads and how much room they have to run their business.
Where is Realest.com located?
Realest.com is at 112 S. Main St. in Crown Point, Indiana, and serves buyers and sellers across Northwest Indiana.
How do I talk to Realest.com about joining?
Call or text Sash at (219) 808-1520 to set up a 30-minute coffee chat with Sash and Andrew.
Be fearless. Sash, Realest.com
Come hang out in the Fearless Agents Facebook group.
Want more? Join Fearless Training.
