The Top Items Agents Want in a Company

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) conducted a survey of highly successful agents in 1996. A survey was sent to top producing real estate agents throughout the United States. A Top-Agent is defined as an agent who met one of these three annual requirements:

• Minimum of $3 million in sales, or
• Closed 30 transactions or more, or
• Ranked in their company as one of the top 10 producers.

While less than half returned the survey, here is what the highly successful Top-Agents are looking for in a company?

• Technology: Real estate is on the cutting edge of technology. With the advance of the internet, emails blogs and more, agents need to keep their technology skills sharp and feel that their company should done that as well.
  
• Advanced Education: Pursuing advanced degrees, certifications and continuing education is a continual process for the Top-Agent, a company that can provide these to their agents has a far better chance of recruiting and retaining Top-Agents.
  
• Personal Assistants: With the speed on real estate today, many Top-Agents are required to multi-task and as a result need a strong assistant to maintain a fast-paced, even flow to work and success.
  
• A Team Concept That You Support: Having the company support the team concept was critical according to the Top-Agent. Excessive desk fees, splits and otherwise punishing a Top-Agent and his team was a large concern.
  
• Marketing: Having the company spend well-placed marketing dollars to promote the company while promoting the Top-Agent was another huge concern. Most Top-Agents want to be associated with a well known, respected and profitable company. Marketing the company and therefore the agents continuously was the suggestion made by most all Top-agents.
  
• Calls Off Their Own Signs: Being able to maximize a Top-Agents commission is obviously a main directive to the respondents. Allowing the Top-Agent to do this WHILE minimizing their efforts can best be done by allowing the Top-Agent to work their own properties and receive the sign calls for the properties they have listed.
  
• Professional Working Environment: The Top-Agent is a true salesman. Generating a great income results from treating their clients in a professional manner and feel that an office should portray the same feelings. Dress, style and demeanor are but a fee factors that can make or break an office. 
  
• Quality Support Staff and Support Systems: While a Top-Agent is busing closing deals and earning top-dollar, they expect a support staff that not only can keep up, but exceed the agent in their work. Continually stopping the sale process to help the support staff “keep up” was a common theme throughout the responses received.