Looking for the Best Real Estate Company to Join in Dutchess County New York?
Are you a newly licensed real estate agent searching for the best real estate company / brokerage to work for in Dutchess County that will provide you with top-notch training and teach you how to be a solid real estate agent in your first year? Before you sign up with a real estate brokerage in Dutchess County, you should interview every real estate company in the area and ask them a list of basic questions that every real estate brokerage should be able to easily answer. The best brokerage to work for in the area as a new agent is the one that will provide the tools you need to get your real estate career started on solid footing.
As a new real estate agent you get armed with a license and can start working with clients immediately, however, the best real estate brokerage will have a process in place to mentor and train you. You should take the time to meet the brokers of each office in the area and ask them a list of questions that are meaningful to you as well has come with a set of interview questions for them. In the rest of the article below I have 15 questions I believe every new agent should ask a potential broker before joining their team.
As agents, we are the bread and butter of the brokerage. We are the money-makers. When we make a sale we give them a percentage of our commission. We are the people doing the work to keep the brokerage afloat. The shoe is on our foot, not the other way around.
Never forget that the entire real estate market in our area depends upon our performance as agents. Our performance as new real estate agents is also intertwined with what the brokerage provides for the fees we pay them.
My Story as a New Real Estate Agent in Dutchess County
My career in real estate in Dutchess County started in December 2018. I took a two week class that went really well. By January 2019 I had my real estate license and had signed up with Keller Williams.
I was pretty excited. I scheduled an appointment with their recruiting team and met with their top recruiting broker. The meeting went so fast and by the time it was over, I had signed up with KW. I remember just asking the basic questions about the split, training & fees, but I didn’t really know what I was even asking. And, because the broker didn’t have any numbers that they showed me, it was all talk and very little comprehension on my part.
Why I First Joined KW
As a native Texan, I was hyped to be with KW because it is a Texas based company, and I had thought it was best real estate broker to work for in the area. KW also had the best technology that I knew of at the time. The other option I was considering was going with a local boutique firm in my small town in NY, but KW has a big brand presence in the US and that was enough for me.
What I failed to do as a new real estate agent was to create a list of questions to ask the KW recruiter. I was very green – very naive – even as a woman in my 50’s who had a great career and was into the numbers.
I was just plain dumb about how I joined a brokerage. But to be fair to myself, I had no clue how brokerages work. Let’s face it, there wasn’t a lot of info at the time on what to ask a brokerage available online. Most brokerages have different numbers for different agents, and to be fair to them, they are not very transparent either.
I spent three months at my local KW before I was completely unimpressed with the training, the CRM and how to get my first clients. I had met some nice people at the office and when one of them left for Remax…. I left for Remax, too.
My spouse and I decided to move back to NJ in October of 2019 so I got my NJ license at the end of 2019 and started with a new company in New Jersey.
Two licenses in 12 months – no problem. We had such a great experience with the brokerage we bought our house from in NJ that I decided to join that brokerage. Again, I signed a contract with a company based on ignorance. They did have amazing marketing and the agents and brokers seemed impressive, but I couldn’t explain the split, cap or fees after having left the brokers office. In August 2020 I’ve moved back to NY from NJ having had my marriage fall apart during Covid, and I restarted my real estate career in Beacon. Life does throw some curve balls. But it has all worked out for the best!
Failing to Ask Questions
What I failed to do each and every time I joined a new brokerage was to ask probing questions. I failed to understand the split and compensation model. I failed to understand anything other than my own excitement at changing brokerages and getting started with something new that I thought would work out for me over time.
Fast forward a few years and what I found out after putting all my closed sales numbers into a spread sheet was that I was being screwed over by the brokerage I had now spent 3 years with. I did meet a great group of agents and was exposed to a wonderful CRM and some pretty good training, but when I saw my numbers I realized that I had sold the cow to buy magic beans. What a colossal financial mistake.
In August of 2023 the managing broker where I was working moved out of state which caused me to rethink my choice of brokerages. However, there are not a lot of options in Dutchess County that could provide me with what I was looking for. Transparency, technology, training, unlimited potential and a great environment.
Between August & November 2023, an agent I knew left our brokerage for eXp Realty. The few things I heard from her piqued my curiosity. I met with her mentor and was HOOKED on the better split and opportunity to make 100% after hitting a 16K cap. With my older brokerage my split was so bad, the fees were soul-sucking, the cap was over 40K and there was no opportunity to make residual income or grow my own brand.
Joining eXp Realty in Dutchess County
In November 2023, I joined eXp Realty along with some of the other women at my brokerage. What has now opened up for me is a world of unlimited potential.
As a new agent YOU have to take the time to ask questions, consider more than what their office looks like or who your friends are working for. Your goal as a new agent should be to understand how the brokerages you are interviewing work and how they will benefit you in the short term and in the long run.
Most realtors only consider how much they can make from each transaction. With eXp Realty, you can make money when your transactions close or your colleagues transactions close, also via residual income, stock awards/rewards and stock appreciation. 100% brokerages are a great thing, but eXp Realty is 100% PLUS unlimited potential brokerage.
What I want for you is for you is to be able to answer the 15 questions I think real estate agents should ask a brokerage easily after interviewing a managing broker. If you can’t answer these questions after leaving the brokers office, then you don’t know what you don’t know, and what you don’t know will 100% come back to haunt you! Trust me.
If they offer you something as exceptional as eXp Realty does, then by all means, go with them! If not, I’d love to talk and answer all your questions.
How to Join eXp Realty in Dutchess County
The way to interview eXp Realty is by talking to the agents in our area. For real estate agents in Dutchess County if you want to know more about eXp Realty you won’t find a main office with a recruiting broker. The eXp Realty model is agent owned & agent grown and not broker recruitment.
The eXp Realty business model starts and ends with the agent.
If you want to interview with eXp Realty in Dutchess County, call me. I can walk you through how eXp Realty will support you as an agent, provide you with training & give you the tools you need to start a solid real estate career as a new real estate agent.
We can meet in person or on Zoom. I’ll connect you with my eXp Realty mentor & business partners, give you a free pass to eXp World where you can talk to the NY state managing brokers who are the brokers of record when it comes to everything legal with the NYDOS – you can attend a weekly eXp Realty NY agent meeting – go to tech support – go to some online training and more.
If you were to look for an eXp Realty office in Dutchess County you wouldn’t find a brick and mortar location where a managing broker is sitting at a desk every day. What you will find is dozens of agents in the area who are growing teams and networks. In Dutchess County you will find agents who share the common goal of being independent contractors who connect at a self-run weekly meeting, work to accomplish community involvement goals and network with other agents throughout the Hudson Valley.
We are a network of agents who are growing our real estate businesses powered by eXp Realty.
When I had heard of eXp Realty in the past, it all confused me. How can a real estate company not have an office? My thought was that I needed an office to be successful and for people to find me. Since I’ve let go of that paradigm and shifted my thinking to how real estate really works – in the field – online marketing & lead generation – online training, I’ve been able to focus on my career more and chat less around the water cooler 5 days a week.
Heard of eXp Realty in the Hudson Valley?
Give me a call to find out how
eXp Realty can help you grow your real estate career in Dutchess County
Learn about eXp Realty’s business model here:
https://www.agentbuilderpro.com/agent/carlin-felder
Join eXp Realty and Start Working With Me Today!
(Learn about my real estate journey in the Hudson Valley New York here)
How to Choose a Broker as a New Agent – Questions Should You Ask A Brokerage as a New Agent Before Joining
You’ll begin the process by looking up all the brokerages in the area and scheduling appointments with them. Brokerages spend so much time recruiting, it’s completely normal for them to have people come in to interview.
When you are ready to start interviewing brokerages, you’ll want to put together a solid list of questions. (See my list of 15 questions to ask when choosing a real estate broker below.)
Never sign a real estate contract until you can easily understand how much money you will pay the brokerage when you close a transaction.
New agents always ask how much will I keep… but the most important thing is HOW MUCH WILL I PAY the broker when I close a transaction?
Concurrently, ask what are my monthly fees – and WHAT DO I GET FOR PAYING YOU A FEE?
You want to know what they offer you to support your growth as a real estate agent in New York.
Never sign a contract without reading the independent contractor agreement.
Never sign a contract the same day you are in their office. Take the contract with you and read it overnight.
There is no reason for you to have to sign on the dotted line at that minute in the office sitting in front of the broker.
Give yourself a little time to read the contract to make sure it is not “punitive” if you leave the brokerage after closing any deals. Make sure you will not owe them any money if you leave before your contract expires.
As a real estate agent, you are an independent contractor – yet some brokerages have contracts that punish you for leaving. Make sure you do not sign anything you do not understand. And do not let the brokerage have control over you.
Never ever ever ever get so excited about a brokerage that you sign anything until you have had a day or two to consider what they offer you.
In the world of real estate, we, the agents, are the ones who support the brokerage. Don’t let any brokerage act as if they are so amazing and you are lucky to work there.
Getting Started in Real Estate?
Check out my article: What To Do in Your First 30 Days as a New Real Estate Agent
Here are 15 Questions to Ask a Real Estate Broker When Interviewing & Before Joining a Real Estate Brokerage in Dutchess County
When you are ready to start interviewing real estate brokers in Dutchess County or the Hudson Valley, I’ve put together some of the questions that make sense.
1. What is the commission split for all the real estate agents in your office? Are there different splits for different agents? (eXp Realty has an 80/20 split for all its agents until you cap – then you get 100% of your commission for the rest of the year until you hit your anniversary date. All single agents get the same commission split. Teams are structured a little differently. Call me for more information.)
2. What is your real estate commission cap? (eXp Realty has a $16,000 cap for all its agents.)
3. What is your commission after the cap? (eXp Realty has 100% commission after the cap less a $250 transaction fee for the next 20 transactions – and $75 thereafter.)
4. What are your brokerages transaction fees per sale? (eXp Realty has a $25 broker review fee / $40 E&O fee. $65 total per transaction. After you hit your cap, there is a $250 transaction fee until you hit 28 closed transactions. At that point I believe it is $75 for each sale thereafter.)
5. What are your “franchise”, company or transaction fees per deal? (eXp Realty has no “franchise”, company or transaction fees other than what is listed above.)
6. Do you offer company stock to real estate agents? (eXp Realty is traded on the NASDAQ – ticker EXPI. You receive $200 in stock on your first transaction. You can purchase up to 5% in company stock with your net commission and save it into an e-trade or Morgan Stanley account. You become an agent/owner of eXp Realty and have a vested interest in the success of the company. As of May 2023, I have earned via closing transactions, being award stock when an agent I brought on board closed their first transaction or purchased with a portion of my net commissions almost $1850 in stock. The price of the stock has increased from $11.26 when I bought in or was awarded shares so my overall balance has increased netting me a few hundred dollars of free money.)
7. Do you have a health insurance option for real estate agents? (eXp Realty offers the opportunity to purchase health insurance to all its agents.)
8. What is your CRM? (eXp Realty uses KVCore and offers it to all its agents.)
9. What are you desk fees? (eXp Realty has an $85 per month (plus tax in some states) technology & training fee – eXp Realty does not have desk fees.)
10. Do you offer mentorship for new agents? (eXp Realty has mentorship available to all new agents who have not closed a certain number of transactions.)
11. How do agents stay in contact with each other? (eXp Realty has eXp World & Workplace so that agents around the globe can connect, trade referrals, co-educate, co-train, connect to their state brokers daily.)
12. What kind of tech support do you have? (eXp Realty has tech support available almost 24/7 via email, phone or eXp World. You can speak to a tech support person in minutes if you have a problem.)
13. Do you provide a personal website so I can get leads and grow my business? (eXp via KVCore provides you with a personal, customizable website. See my eXp website here)
14. How many personal deals can I do each year? (eXp Realty allows you to do 3 personal deals each year for a nominal fee.)
15. Does your real estate company provide leads? (eXp Realty has so many opportunities and to get leads. KVCore is a lead generating machine. Workplace is where eXp agents go to find referral partners in other areas of the country or world. ExpressOffers, Revenos and other lead generating training is available to eXp agents.)
BONUS QUESTIONS:
16. Do you have transaction managers? (eXp Realty has transaction managers who make sure that all the right paperwork is completed and on file with the brokerage.)
17. How long does it take for me to get paid once I close a deal? (eXp Realty makes it easy to get paid within 24 hours of closing a transaction Monday-Friday. You can upload a photo of the closing check to Skyslope and as long as you have completed all the required paperwork for the transaction you can be paid in 24 hours.)
18. How do I manage transactions at your brokerage? (eXp Realty uses Skyslope to manage all of its real estate transactions and broker communications. It is cloud based so you can access it from anywhere.)
Best Brokerage to Work for As A New Real Estate Agent
These are 15 questions you should ask a real estate broker in Dutchess County New York if you are getting your real estate license and interviewing companies soon. If you can’t get a straight answer from a local real estate broker, is that brokerage the best choice for you? Transparency from the start is essential.
I have been a part of a few Dutchess County real estate brokerages – and in my opinion and experience with Dutchess County real estate companies, the best real estate company to join in Dutchess County New York is eXp Realty. It has everything a new real estate agent in New York needs to succeed and grow their business – mentorship, CRM, 80+ hours of training, on demand marketing materials, and more. Yes, you got into real estate to help people, but you also need to keep the money you make and give yourself an opportunity to succeed. I recommend calling me to set up an appointment to look at the eXp Realty business model and see how it can help you become an amazing realtor quickly!
Real estate is a very fluid career… join eXp and go with the flow!
Click Here >>To Join eXp Realty today<<
& let me help you grow your career in real estate.
Let’s Talk About Joining eXp Realty in the Hudson Valley
Who you join eXp under is essential to your success as a new agent! Don’t join eXp Realty in New York without a Sponsor like me who you can trust to help you succeed.
When you contact me I’ll set up a time to share everything there is to know about eXp Realty. As you can see above, I have the answers to what eXp Realty offers to their agents.
eXp Realty is a transparent company. The split, cap, stock awards, residual income, team structure, technology & training are the same for everyone. There isn’t a different set of numbers for more successful realtors. It’s the same for everyone from the start. A level playing field for all agents.
By clicking on the join link you will be taken to a join application, and when you name me as your sponsor I will help you learn how to get started with your real estate career in Dutchess County.
My #1 goal is clarity, transparency and answering all your questions. As a real estate agent with eXp Realty we all have the role and responsibility to help each other grow and succeed. We all benefit from each others success.
Agent owned, agent grown, agent success obsessed is more than a motto – it’s a way of life at eXp Realty.
Feel free to contact me today to get the ball rolling!
Learn all about eXp Realty, and Why It is the Best Real Estate Brokerage to Join for New and Experienced Real Estate Agents in New York
https://www.agentbuilderpro.com/agent/carlin-felder
I would love to help you grow and succeed in real estate in Dutchess County! As a new real estate, the best brokerage near you will provide you with the tools you need to be successful. After having worked for a few brokerages in Dutchess County, I believe that I have found the best real estate brokerage for new agents and established agents in the area.
😊 Contact me – Carlin Felder – for a look at what eXp Realty can do for you!
🚨 Hudson Valley Realtor, Licensed Real Estate Salesperson with the Hudson Upstate Team at eXp Realty
📲 Call/Text Direct at (845) 554-7345
📲 Email: carlinfelder@gmail.com
