RECA has a questionnaire that they suggest new members review to assess a brokerage before they join, Here’s the link: RECA Document
In my opinion, its very long winded and with all due respect to our regulator, I think it perhaps takes new members down ‘unnecessary rabbit holes.
However, I have prepared an ‘Ambergate’ response and you can it below.
1. Brokerage Preference of Professionals to Recruit
Only the best professionals need apply. We look for smart, articulate well rounded individuals with the heart of a servant. No old school used car type salespeople on our team thank you.
We also like to recruit those with less than 2 years experience in the industry as we have found these individuals are open to being coached and to improve. Our culture of mutual support and mentoring also seems to appeal to these types of individuals.
2. Brokerage Training and Support for New Professionals
We like smart people who can figure things out for themselves. However, most of us need a sounding board from to time. The broker and or other mentors are available in person and over the telephone at certain times on most days of the week. At other times we support you by email, text and via our brokerage Facebook group.
At all times we expect our advisors to think through situations and challenges for themselves in order to formulate several solutions to whatever their challenge might be. The support program is there as a final layer of support to add guidance when necessary.
All team members will complete our 10 Step Fast Track Career Training program. Once they have completed the program, they will be comfortable using our tools and practising as a valuable home buyer and home seller advisor. The program is delivered in person by the managing broker and or other team members when appropriate.
All transactions are managed through our ‘Transaction Desk’ management system. We also have an online document bank for the use and benefit of all team members. Advisors are expected to be tech savvy and able to use these tools with little supervision.
All training, mentoring, support and our technology tools are covered by our reasonable brokerage fees and deal splits.
3. Brokerage Continuous Learning Opportunities
Advisors are required to attend our weekly Team meetings during which there is a rolling training segment. Ongoing training clinics can be set up as required and there is a regular Boot Camp program open to everyone inside and outside our brokerage.
4. Brokerage Compensation Packages
Advisors are compensated quickly and directly for introducing new clients to the brokerage and in particular home sellers. Advisors might also be compensated directly for introducing new Advisor team members who might wish to work us as REALTORS.
For home buying and home selling transactions the brokerage will levy a transaction fee and in most cases a client introduction fee, (Advisors at Vital Home Realty can be expected to be introduced to steady stream of home buyer candidates very month).
Traditional brokerages do usually not offer this service. In traditional brokerages REALTORS® are expected to generate all of their own clients.
5. Brokerage Services to Its Real Estate Professionals
All advisors will be familiar with and use in their daily business the following technologies: Brokerage email, CRM, Dropbox, Facebook group and any other tool that the brokerage shall introduce for the benefit of brokerage professional. These tools are included as part of general brokerage fees.
All advisors will benefit the from the brokerage advertising and Inside Support Advisor program and will be introduced to buyer clients on a regular basis.
Advisors will use brokerage approved forms and contracts at no charge.
Commissions are paid out after a reasonable period of time to allow for clearance and on Mondays as a general rule.
New advisors are provided with a ‘start up kit’ to include business cards, Open House sign, directional signs and brokerage branded ‘document folders.
6. Brokerage Preferred Areas of Practice
All advisors will focus on residential real estate. We service the metro Edmonton area which includes St Albert, Sherwood Park, Beaumont, Spruce Grove, Stony Plain and Ft. Saskatchewan.
The brokerage is open to developing a property and condo management division in the future.
The brokerage does not offer commercial real estate services at this time.
7. Brokerage Business Model
Vital Home Realty is differentiated from the crowd of franchises and operates along team lines.
The 2 most interesting and growing segments in our market are independent brokerages and teams.
Vital Home Realty is a designated brokerage. Management chose this platform as it’s the model that most accurately reflects how the real estate industry operates. Common law does not easily accommodate this.
8. Brokerage Culture & Health
Vital Home Realty is a stable organisation that has been trading in Edmonton since October 2012 and our broker Stuart Neal has been practising in real estate in Edmonton since 2001, having formerly worked in the industry in the United Kingdom.
The broker is the team lead, primary coach and mentor. At this time, the broker trades in real estate, the major benefit being that he is current in real estate trading, rather than simply being a bureaucrat, (in many large brokerages you will only rarely meet the broker).
The objective is to grow the brokerage to around 30 high quality practising professionals. Brokerages above that size may lack a cohesive and collaborative culture.
About the author:
You can read more about the author of this blog by clicking this link - Stuart Neal, Broker, Career Coach, REALTOR® & Team Lead.
You can watch and hear Stuart share other ideas on his You Tube Channel: Stuart Neal, Edmonton Real Estate Career Coach.
Follow Stuart on his Facebook coaching page: Stuart Neal, Edmonton Real Estate Career Coach Facebook.
Want more information about becoming a team member or Associate REALTOR® with Ambergate? Call Stuart our broker owner at: 780-760-2014 ext. 3 or go to our Careers page - Vital Home Realty Careers.
Leave A Comment