Whether you’ve just passed your real estate exam and are looking for your first sponsoring brokerage to sign up with or you’re a veteran agent who’s moving on and looking to find greener pastures, the reality of being a real estate agent in Texas is that you must work with a brokerage in order to have an active license. It’s not always easy to find a brokerage that you’ll be happy with sponsoring you though. So what should you be looking for?

Size and Presence

The size of any given brokerage will have an impact on your experience with them. You’ll need to decide what sort of environment you’ll thrive in. Large brokerages tend to have big office feelings to them. There’s generally a fair amount of buzz and energy. You should find yourself in the presence of multiple successful agents too. That said, big brokerages also come with more competition for leads. Smaller brokerages tend to have fewer leads, and you won’t get big name recognition. Still, you have less competition for those leads and may benefit from a more personal relationship with the broker and other agents.

Then there’s the internet presence a brokerage has. You should definitely know what sort of reputation the brokerage has before signing up with them. How does the website look? Is it professional? What are the reviews like?

Culture and Support

The culture and support you get from a brokerage will likely be influenced by the size of the brokerage, but that’s not the only factor worth thinking about. See if you can talk to other agents with the brokerage to find out what sort of culture they have. Ask about the support they get from administration and management. Your personality and where you’re at in your real estate journey will impact what sort of culture and support is appropriate for you at any given brokerage.

Referrals and Leads

You’ll almost certainly be expected to bring in your own business, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t get any referrals or leads from the brokerage itself. Different brokerages handle that sort of thing differently though, so make sure you learn about how they do it before joining up with them. Ask about who gets referrals and leads, who gets floor time, and what the cost of using leads and referrals provided by the brokerage is.

Once you know what to look for in a sponsoring brokerage, it’s that much easier to find one that you’ll be happy with. Think carefully about the brokerages you’re considering and how they’ll impact your experience as an agent. Remember, you chose a career as a real estate agent because you believed it would support you in the life you want to live. Don’t forget to factor in what your income will be after you’ve paid any fees, dues, or the brokerage has taken its share of your commission.

Once you’ve chosen Texas Agent Sponsor as your sponsoring broker, you’ll need to choose your sponsorship plan. We’re not a one-size-fits-all brokerage. Learn more about our sponsorship plans here.