How It All Started in 2011
When I founded Texas Agent Sponsor in 2011, I had a pretty simple idea. Why should Texas real estate agents have to pay substantial commission splits, desk fees, and other expenses just to conduct real estate business?
I believed there was a better way.
I created Texas Agent Sponsor to offer affordable Texas broker sponsorship for agents who wanted flexibility, independence, and the ability to keep more of their hard-earned commissions.
At the time, low-cost broker sponsorship and 100% commission brokerage models weren't nearly as common as they are today. But I believed there was a market for agents who didn't need all the overhead of a traditional brokerage.
Over the next several years, the company grew, and the business model proved itself.
Then, in 2018, something unexpected happened.
When Century 21 Came Calling
By 2018, Texas Agent Sponsor had grown into a successful independent brokerage built around a relatively simple concept: affordable sponsorship for Texas real estate agents.
That's when an opportunity came along that I hadn't anticipated.
Century 21, one of the most recognized names in real estate, was interested in bringing my company under its franchise umbrella.
In late 2018, they flew me to their corporate headquarters in Madison, New Jersey. I was wined and dined, introduced to their leadership team, and shown all the technology, marketing platforms, corporate resources, and brand recognition that came with being part of a major national franchise.
The experience didn't stop at their corporate headquarters. Century 21 also flew my wife and me out to ESPN Studios, where we got a behind-the-scenes look at the network through a collaboration Century 21 had with ESPN at the time.
Between the trips, the corporate hospitality, the technology presentations, and the financial offer, I'll admit they knew how to make an impression. It was exciting to see what being part of a major national franchise could offer.
But as I would eventually learn, none of those things were what made Texas Agent Sponsor successful in the first place.
Reed Coleman and his wife visiting ESPN Studios as guests of Century 21 during the company's franchise transition.
I even filmed an official announcement video at their headquarters, including an appearance with Mike Miedler, President and CEO of Century 21.
Reed Coleman with Mike Miedler, President and CEO of Century 21, during the filming of the franchise announcement at Century 21 headquarters in Madison, New Jersey, in late 2018.
I'll admit, the entire experience was impressive. They made a compelling case for what my company could become with the backing of an internationally recognized real estate brand.
And there was another factor.
I was offered a significant amount of money to allow my company to become a Century 21 franchise.
Between the financial offer, the corporate resources, and the opportunity to take my company in a new direction, it was difficult to turn down.
So I accepted.
In 2019, Texas Agent Sponsor entered a new chapter as Century 21 Realty Advisors.
Reed Coleman filming the Century 21 Realty Advisors franchise announcement at Century 21 corporate headquarters in Madison, New Jersey, in late 2018.
At the time, I genuinely believed I was taking the business I had built to the next level.
But about a year later, I began to realize something important.
Sometimes bigger isn't better.
Why I Bought Texas Agent Sponsor Back
I had gotten away from the very thing that made Texas Agent Sponsor successful in the first place.
Century 21 had impressive technology, extensive marketing resources, and worldwide name recognition. And while those things certainly have value, they weren't necessarily what my agents wanted.
My agents weren't looking for a fancy office, an expensive franchise, or the latest corporate technology. They wanted an affordable sponsoring broker, straightforward fees, and the ability to keep more of their hard-earned commissions.
That was why I started Texas Agent Sponsor in 2011.
Don't get me wrong. Century 21 is a respected company, and the traditional franchise model works well for plenty of agents. It just wasn't what I had built my business around.
So after approximately a year under the franchise model, I made the decision to buy my company back and return to being independent.
I went back to the same low-cost Texas broker sponsorship model that had made the company successful from the beginning.
And I haven't looked back since.
Fifteen Years Later, the Same Philosophy
Today, affordable virtual brokerages, flat-fee sponsorship, and 100% commission models are much more common than they were when I started Texas Agent Sponsor in 2011.
Since founding the company, we've sponsored more than 700 Texas real estate agents.
I've had the experience of building a brokerage from the ground up, affiliating it with one of the biggest names in real estate, and ultimately buying it back because I believed in the original concept.
If there's one thing that experience taught me, it's this:
Bigger isn't always better, and more expensive doesn't necessarily mean more valuable.
Sometimes the simplest business model is still the best one.
That's what I believed in 2011, and it's what I still believe today.
If you're a Texas real estate agent looking for affordable Texas broker sponsorship, I invite you to learn more about our sponsorship options at www.TexasAgentSponsor.com.
Reed Coleman
Founder & Broker/Owner
Texas Agent Sponsor
Affordable Texas Real Estate Broker Sponsorship Since 2011