Choosing a Brokerage

Most people know who their agent is, but some people only shop by Brokerage name, and reputation. Here in Seattle, the saying goes, Windermere is dominant on the West Side of Lake Washington and John L. Scott is more of an Eastside Brokerage. These are the two local big Brokerages.

In terms of national Brands we have ReMax and Coldwell Banker. An odd part of this big, national brand, is that ReMax is a desk fee business model. Though most brokerages today offer a desk fee option, only ReMax is through, and through a true desk fee office. ReMax is high end, and runs, I think, about $1000 a month to have a license there. Windermere has offices with that competing price structure. Having a desk, or office, are available for an additional fee.

Then we have the boutique local offices like Lake and Company, Metcalf Beatty, and Knapp, or Ewing and Clark. Now add in the local companies of special interest, such as Wu Properties, or Real Property Associates, Ballard Realty, Wilson Realty Exchange, or Russel Jones, and Associates, and the choices get tough to make.

We have left out a couple of local desk fee offices of Skyline Properties, and Preview Properties, along with National brands like Prudential, and Century 21. The choices keep growing if we also add in small companies that get local markets, like Home Realty.  

As a consumer you may think that all companies are pretty much alike, but there are very big differences from office to office even in the big brands. The first, and foremost, difference is the manager of the office. Some managers can turn an office around. There are agents to deal with, and we will get to them in another post. I already wrote a post about Loretta Larson in the Ballard Windermere office http://buyingseattle.com/?p=89 she is the best example of an office manager that I know of. Please leave a commnet of other great managers you may know in a Real Estate office.

A Real Estate office can take on a personality that may work well for you, or your property. Some offices have a reputation for being more aggressive. Others have a consistent set of mentoring that helps to make transactions run smoothly. What happens, no matter what, is elements come, and go, that can turn an office upside down.

You’re probably expecting me to recommend which office is right for you, but there is no correct answer. There are many companies for a reason. Each one is working on taking in a market share of agents. They all have a different set of attributes that some agents will be attracted to. You should be aware, and at least take a look at, the Brokerage your agent is affiliated with.

More importantly you should know that the agent you chose has a business plan that the Brokerage they chose fits with.