The best real estate brokerage for new agents is defined by four things:
- Strong mentorship from experienced agents or team leaders.
- Structured training programs designed for all levels of experience, including beginners.
- Transparent commission splits and fees with no hidden costs.
- A supportive culture that matches your preferred work style.
Introduction: Making a Career Decision
You’ve passed your exam and you’re ready for HGTV, Netflix, and Bravo!… Or, your own YouTube channel.
Now it’s time to choose a brokerage where you can ‘hang your license’. Choosing the best real estate brokerage for new agents in New York can be overwhelming since there are tens of thousands of real estate brokerages in the state.
This post will simplify the decision and help you evaluate options so you can start building a sustainable business.
As someone who has trained and mentored over 150 Real Estate Agents in New York, I have seen what sets thriving agents apart from those who struggle.
What a Real Estate Brokerage Really Does For You
Real Estate brokers do far more than just answer your questions and allow you to hang your license. The real value in a brokerage is in helping you build a business. To build a business and grow as a new agent you’ll need systems, brand credibility/recognition, community, and mentorship
While most brokerages seem to offer the same things to Real Estate agents, you’ll want to make sure the brokerage and its members align with your goals, work ethic, and learning style. A good brokerage should also look for alignment when considering you as a new agent.
Small & Independent Brokerages: The Ground-Up Experience
My first brokerage had fewer than 10 agents. I was introduced to the broker by a coworker who gave me the encouragement and confidence to make a career shift. He added the cherry on top: a small brokerage to join where I could learn and thrive, but had to take initiative.
The learning certainly took place, but not in the way most new real estate agents would wish for.
My experience with a small brokerage was one where I learned to take initiative. My broker was extremely knowledgeable, experienced, but busy! She did not have as much time to dedicate to me as I would have expected. However, this environment, where I learned to find answers (rather than simply ask questions), was the best environment for me.
Pros to Joining a small or independent brokerage:
- Less structure & more flexibility: Flexibility is why so many of us become entrepreneurs.
- Personal relationships: Some people thrive in smaller teams and group settings with tight-knit communities, compared to larger organizations.
- Hands-on experience & mentorship: Lower agent count could mean the broker has more time to devote to training, mentorship, and agent development.
Cons to Joining a small or independent brokerage:
- Less structure: This is both a pro and a con as you may have noticed. Many real estate agents come from the corporate world or other organizations where SOPs, regular meetings, quarterly evaluations, etc. are commonplace. Some small brokerages have an a’la carte model that could be challenging for people new to the business and sales.
- Slower feedback: With less staff, less management, and oftentimes only one person running the show, it can take longer to get answers and feedback. This could, however, prompt us to be more independent and take more initiative.
- Limited Resources: Smaller companies may have less software, less access to administrative staff, and other valuable resources.
Smaller brokerages are great for self-starters, independent learners, and hustlers who want hands-on learning. Other new agents may feel the need for structure, collaboration, and mentorship which is offered at some larger brokerages.
Franchise & Large Brokerages: Systems, Scale, and Structure
My second brokerage was Keller Williams (KW), a widely known Real Estate Brokerage. KW’s co-founder, Gary Keller, wrote one of the best books ever written for Real Estate Agents: “The Millionaire Real Estate Agent”.
KW’s access to weekly in-house training, company culture, and office community made me feel as though I was back on a baseball team. The energy was high, and agents mostly seemed genuinely eager to see one another succeed.
Pros to Joining a Franchise & Large Brokerage
- Proven training models: Larger brokerages have regularly scheduled office trainings to discuss market updates, best practices, and Q&A.
- Surround yourself with winners: Many top producers become successful by following their brokerage’s systems and leveraging their resources.
- Brand recognition: When countless agents work under a large brokerage, newer agents can rest assured that their prospective clients have seen their signs or logo somewhere online or in the neighborhood.
Cons to Joining a Franchise & Large Brokerage
- Lost in the crowd: With dozens, hundreds, or more agents in a company, one can easily go unnoticed.
- Support varies: Agents in large brokerages may have less support from the other agents unless they join a team or have a mentor.
Large brokerages are attractive to both experienced and new agents. Experienced agents can plug their existing business into a model that has worked for many. Newer agents can receive regular training and tools BUT they have to apply themselves in order to not fall between the cracks.
The Hybrid Evolution: Cloud & Collaboration Brokerages
For the last couple of decades, a new generation of brokerages have found ways to integrate technology, independence, and community. One of the more noticeable innovators has been eXp Realty and their cloud-based business model. Some other examples of these types of brokerages are REAL and Side.
Pros of Joining a Cloud Brokerage
- More training, less time: Driving to the office for a 1-hour meeting may be challenging or impossible for some who are juggling a lot in their lives. Cloud brokerages offer virtual meetings and training, which are typically recorded and saved.
- Multiple Income Streams: Cloud brokerages save a lot of money from not having to lease so many brick & mortar offices. As a good company should, profits and stock are shared with agents in the company. To do this, cloud brokerages use models commonly associated with network marketing.
- Independence: As with many entrepreneurs, we have the freedom and flexibility to work on our terms. Cloud brokerages provide the infrastructure to even allow agents to live in a state or country different from the market(s) they service.
Cons of Joining a Cloud Brokerage
- Less face time, less accountability: Requires self-motivation to take training and apply systems.
- Company culture varies: When deciding on the best real estate brokerage for new agents, you should look for community, not just perks.
If you are coachable and a true entrepreneur, there is massive growth potential in cloud brokerages. You don’t have to be the most tech-savvy person out there to get started, there are people of all ages and skill levels that thrive in these types of brokerages.
What to evaluate before you sign
Recruiters from all types of brokerages will ask you a few questions, then go on about what makes them the best place to hang your license.
Here are key considerations when choosing a brokerage in New York:
- Training and Mentorship: When and Where does training take place? Who is leading these training calls? Is there a specific structure or system for newer agents to follow?
- Leadership & Culture: Do the brokerage’s leaders prioritize numbers (i.e. KPIs), agent growth/development, or anything else?
- Tech & Marketing Support: Does the company provide or recommend a CRM? Which social media tools can the agents utilize? Are there lead generation platforms or tools?
- Commission Splits and Fees: How are commissions disbursed? Ask yourself, what’s the value exchange?
- Collaboration: Does the brokerage consist of givers or lone wolves or both? How are referrals typically handled?
- Long-term path: Will there be opportunity for future growth, leadership roles, ownership, etc.?
A brokerage should feel like a business partner, not just a paycheck.
The Real Estate Investor’s Dilemma: Should You Get Licensed?
Some real estate investors are already involved in the industry and naturally begin to question whether they should obtain a real estate salesperson’s license.
Licensure makes sense when an investor is looking to scale existing operations by bringing on team members OR expanding into a different side of the business.
For example, some investors encounter properties that do not fit their ‘buy-box’ but could fit someone else’s. For this reason, investors should consider obtaining a license to sell these properties and earn a commission.
Aside from the additional revenue stream, investors should consider getting licensed to have another service to offer their long-term contacts. Many relationships that are formed in and around real estate remain in place for decades because shelter is one of our most basic needs!
If you have little patience for customers, Real Estate sales may not be for you. The job can be demanding at times. Transaction volume fluctuates and typically lower for newer agents. It takes time to establish a business.
If you’re serious about investing and building relationships, joining the best real estate brokerage for new agents can turn your license into profits. Some brokerages even lower or eliminate certain fees for investors who are buying and selling their own properties.
Growth Mindset: Your First Brokerage Likely Won’t Be Your Last
Life is a series of transitions. We evolve through different seasons in our life and the Real Estate business is no different. You will evolve as an agent and the best brokerages will help you grow even if it means you’ll eventually outgrow them.
I’ve been fortunate to partner with some amazing recruiters and brokers in the past. They weren’t trying to trap me, they were aligning with me so that we can work towards a common goal – more transactions, brand building, etc.
For your first year, aim to find a good balance between mentorship, systems/processes, and community.
Closing Time: Choosing Partnerships Over Promises
Look beyond the office views, tailored suits, and repetitive promises. Instead, seek something more meaningful when choosing a real estate brokerage to join in New York. The best real estate brokerage for new agents will act as a business partner that helps you scale, not just a place to pay fees.
Alignment goes further than technology, commission package, or brand recognition. Sharing common values, ethics, and goals with your real estate broker is a sign that you may have found the right company to join.
If you’re exploring brokerages in New York and want honest guidance, book a free consultation with a mentor who has decades of experience training and growing partnerships with hundreds of NY real estate agents. I’m always happy to help agents find the environment where they’ll truly thrive.
FAQ
Mentorship and structured training. If you can’t find a place that commits to your development in the first 12 months, consider other options.
It depends on whether you want structure and scale (big brand) or flexibility and close mentorship (small brokerage). The type of brokerage you join, should match your learning style and values.
Look for monthly desk fees, franchise fees, transaction fees, E&O insurance, and whether the brokerage deducts lead-gen or marketing costs.
Yes, if you’re coachable and self-motivated. They offer recorded training and potential additional revenue streams, but require initiative.
