Real Estate Careers

1. Great Central Troy Office Location.

   On Rochester Rd. & Wattles Rd., just a mile north of the I-75 exit & Big Beaver Rd., with a big sign on one of the busiest roads in Oakland County.

   Troy is well known as one of Michigan’s most desirable cities to live in, with a great downtown, excellent schools and very strong property values. Troy also borders some of Michigan’s wealthiest communities, such as Birmingham and Bloomfield. But that’s not all, folks! Troy is also close to many solid middle-class communities, such as Rochester Hills, Royal Oak, Clawson, Sterling Heights, Shelby Twp. & more!

   In short, by joining Market Max America Realty in Troy, you have the opportunity to credibly market yourself to any of the dynamic communities nearby!

2. Access Your Office Anytime.

   You’ll have access to our bright & cheerful office any time you need it, with work areas, meeting rooms and all the tools you need to work & grow your business.

3. Get All Your Calls.

   Unlike some brokers, our staff sends your calls to you. You know your listings better than anyone, and you worked hard for them, so it’s only fair that you get the first opportunity to respond to calls on your listings.

4. Friendly & Knowledgeable Staff.

   Our Broker & Staff go out of the way to be available for you, even after hours. This is very important, as even experienced agents may have questions and may need assistance at times.

5. Custom-Tailored Training & Mentoring for Newer REALTORS.

   Just tell us what areas of the real estate business you need help with, and our staff will try to assist, or direct you to a good source.

   For NEWER Agents, we will explain all documents used when working with Buyers and Sellers in detail, and we can even arrange for you to accompany some of our agents on their appointments.

6. Very Generous Menu of Commission Plans.

   We appreciate the outstanding work of our good agents and the enormous value they bring to our company. But we know that words alone don’t pay their bills, so we offer very generous commission plans.

   Also, unlike many brokers who only offer a single, “one-size-fits-all” plan, we understand that agents have different needs and production levels, so we offer a menu of plans to choose from, which puts the agent in the driver’s seat.

   This is another innovation made possible because we are independent, and we don’t have to take orders from a big national corporation or franchise chain.

Too many REALTORS buy into the MYTH that if they join some big national Broker or Franchise, that will boost their success. This MYTH is pushed by many large national brands because it makes them millions of dollars …. of course!

But reliance on this MYTH instead of following a real business plan may help explain the high failure rates of new REALTORS.

The real key to your success is you. You are either right for this business, or not. You are either willing & able to follow a good business plan, or not.

As many experienced agents have learned first-hand, your success in real estate is not due to some big national corporation or franchise, it’s because of you!

Don’t believe the myths. There’s no reason to join a large national corporation or franchise that makes promises, takes your money, then treats you like a number.

Real estate is local by definition, so it’s crazy to believe that some entity from thousands of miles away knows your local market better than you and your local Broker, or that they care about your success more than your local Broker.

We are local. We support the local economy & local causes. We help our agents focus on building their own business, right here in Michigan, not on building the business of some large multi-national corporation or franchise.

We have a variety of agents with different production levels. Whether you are a “Top-Producer” looking for a great new home, or a “Dual-Career” agent looking to add a few thousand dollars of extra income, we can be a great fit for both…. and for everyone in between!

Of course, high-producing agents are welcome to join us, and you’ll be glad you did when you realize how much more you can do in the right environment.

But please know that we value more than just numbers. In our business culture, we prefer agents who focus first and foremost on high-quality customer service. If you do that consistently, your customers and clients will refer business to you, and you will be way ahead of those who focus on commissions.

To us, the real “Superstars” are those agents who receive great ratings & reviews from their Customers and Clients.

Remember, we are in this business for the long term. Production levels will surely go up & down for all REALTORS, but an enduring reputation for outstanding personal service is what really sets us apart from the crowd.

Many statistics say that more than half of new REALTORS quit in the first two years, but that doesn’t have to be you.

It’s far better to be honest with yourself from the start than to wake up years later after spending a lot of your valuable time, effort and money.

Below are a few suggestions if you’re considering a real estate sales career:

1. DO RESEARCH. The real estate sales business is not a good fit for everyone, just as other professions are not for everyone.

   Real estate agents are usually not Employees. They are Independent Contractors who are in business for themselves.

   A good broker, like Market Max America Realty, can offer you training & coaching, but no one can guarantee your success.

   As with all self-employed business-owners, REALTORS are responsible for following a realistic Business Plan and for having enough start-up capital to last until their business is profitable.

   While every situation is different, we recommend having at least six months of capital reserves and more if possible. Even if you make a sale in your first week, which is unlikely, it could easily take 30 or 60 days to close.

   And since you’re in a commission-based business, with no regular paychecks, it’s wise to manage your money carefully, so you don’t run out in between closings.

   Being in business for yourself is a major decision that should not be taken lightly. There are many responsibilities and risks. If you are more comfortable working in a structured environment, having a boss and a regular paycheck, you should think very hard before you give all that up. Especially if others depend on you financially. One alternative to consider is having dual careers for a while.

   On the PLUS side,

   A real estate career that’s well-planned and well-managed can be very rewarding in many ways. If you enjoy learning, you’ll learn new things about the law, about contracts, and the many amazing technologies REALTORS use. If you like people, you could meet people from every walk of life, help them with their real estate needs, and even help them to achieve their dreams! And of course you could also benefit financially, since there’s no limit to what you can earn.

   Before you jump in, we suggest you do as much research as possible, so you know what’s involved, and if this is for you. You must be honest with yourself, because:

   Nobody knows you better than you.
   Nobody knows your goals and expectations better than you.
   Nobody knows your level of motivation, skills & talents better than you.
   Nobody knows your schedule & the time you can invest better than you.
   Nobody knows how hard you’re willing to work & prospect better than you.
   Nobody knows how much money & resources you can invest better than you.

   Since this is a major decision that could change your life, and since you know your situation best, it’s wise to put your plans & ideas in writing, and do your research.

   Part of your research may include interviewing some active REALTORS in your area to get a feel for what they do, and the challenges they face.

   It may be best not to ask real estate Brokers if you should pursue a real estate career. Brokers don’t face the same challenges that you would as a Salesperson. Also, Brokers may be biased, since their motive may be to recruit you.

   While it’s true that some REALTORS make a very good living, it often takes many years of hard work & perseverance to get there. Keep that in mind when you make assumptions and projections about your future income.

2. INTERVIEW REAL ESTATE BROKERS. After you did your research, if you still decide to pursue a real estate sales career, it may be a good idea to interview a few real estate Brokers. You may want to prepare a list of questions for Brokers, but please be careful about promises that sound too good to be true.

   Too many new REALTORS still believe the myth that “bigger is better” when they select a Broker, and that myth is pushed by a lot of advertising from big, national corporations & franchise chains, because it makes them a lot of money.

   But ask yourself this… if joining a big national Broker or franchise worked so well, WHY have FAILURE RATES for REALTORS been so HIGH for so many years?

   Here’s the truth:

   Once you tell people that you’re a REALTOR, the particular company you’re from doesn’t really matter to most folks. Sure, some brand names are better-known than others, but that can be both good and bad. People choose you as their REALTOR based on how well you present yourself and what you will do for them.

   Of course, big name corporations want you to believe they are key to your success, because that’s how they make their millions. But it’s worth repeating:

   People choose YOU as their REALTOR based on how well YOU present yourself and what YOU will do for them.

   Notice that I emphasized the word YOU? The secret to YOUR success lies in YOU.

   What YOU PUT INTO the business has a lot to do with what YOU GET OUT of it.

   Now that you know why “brand names are not necessary” for your success, we’ll show you some factors that we think are important, in the next section.

3. FACTORS THAT DO CONTRIBUTE TO SUCCESS IN REAL ESTATE SALES. Of course, we won’t share all of what we know about achieving success on a public website. We’ll save the best parts for our own Agents, but for now, here’s a brief summary of some suggestions:
   1. KNOW YOUR GOALS & EXPECTATIONS. First, know what you want to achieve from your real estate business. Be honest and realistic. If your goals & expectations are high, you should be prepared to invest a large amount of time, effort & money into your business. On the other hand, if your goals are “only a few thousand dollars per year”, your investments in the business can usually be more modest. Thus, since REALTOR’s goals differ, their success is measured differently, and their Business Plan is also different.
   2. WRITE A REALISTIC BUSINESS PLAN, & FOLLOW IT. There’s an old saying, “If you don’t plan to succeed, you plan to fail.” While it’s possible to succeed without a Business Plan, we think your odds of success are better with a written, detailed plan that you refer to regularly, to check on your progress & hold yourself accountable for following through with your tasks. Your Business Plan should be simple & short enough that you won’t dread looking at it, and should be realistic based on your Goals & Expectations (above).
   3. STAY MOTIVATED & DISCIPLINED. Most REALTORS are self-employed, which is great because we can control our own schedule. But this flexibility can work against us, because, without a boss to keep us organized and focused on our tasks, it’s easy to get distracted and find other things we’d rather do. One way to stay more motivated & disciplined may be to join a team in your office or find an energetic partner or mentor. If you do that, make sure your Broker agrees, and be sure to have a written agreement that spells out the responsibilities of each member, and how commissions will be split, both with the Broker and between the members.