Does anyone know of a good real estate agency to work for in the Boston area?

Question

I really want to break into the industry (both rentals and sales, if possible) but with some many companies out there, I don't know where to begin! Any advice from anyone who's either worked for agencies or with agencies when purchasing/selling/renting would be greatly appreciated... I definitely don't want to fall into a scam or a place where you can't make any money because the commision split is ridiculously high. Also, I don't have my license yet, so any insight into getting that would be welcome, too!

Finally, I really want to get into real estate development (I just figure that becoming an agent would be a good first step), so if anyone has any advice about that, that would be great!

Thank you!!!

Answer 1

First, you need to get your license. My advice: study, study, study. That said, do not study the materials in the courses because most of the information is not on the exam. I used a book and CD to prep for the exam and I was one of the few people I know who passed on the first round. It is well worth the money. You can ask the teacher at your real estate school, or go to this link at Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Passing-Real-Estate-Exam/dp/0793138493/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197826531&sr=1-1

Remember, getting your license is only the beginning. You need to get a good year's practice under your belt before you've gained sufficient real world experience.

Check out Coldwell Banker. While you may give up a little commission to a bigger firm like this, what you get in return more than compensates. I worked for them in the beginning and loved their professional courses that are given free to their agents. In addition, they have the best training for new agents and a great system for sharing phone and web leads.

For commercial positions, check out http://monster.com as they often have jobs listed. The best thing to do here is find a business network you can join. Also, write letters to people you respect in the field telling them what you want to do and soliciting their advice.

Good luck.