What's the difference between all the new real estate brokerage models ???
- Ronny Santana
- Dec 21, 2021
- 2 min read
Updated: Dec 4, 2024
In just the last several years there has been an influx of new real estate brokerage models.
What's with all the fancy schmancy new style brokerages and why ? First I'll address the why;
In the past real estate companies had monopolies on proprietary technology that enabled agents to conduct business, which made realtors dependent on their brokerage to function. Now in the age of free apps, free YouTube tutorials, and free this-and-that, there is no longer anything that the old school brokerages can offer agents to justify taking a large piece of their commissions, and the tech savvy agents are the first to jump the sinking ship. Older indoctrinated agents are still sticking around the feeding the monster in order not to leave their co-worker friends and the safety of their cubicles with dust covered Salesperson of the month plaques.
So where are the new breed of realtors flocking to ? They are going to the more modern streamlined independent online brokerages that allow them to truly be independent, without all the constraints of a large corporate bureaucracy, as well as (here's the best part) the ability to keep all their commission !
That's right, keep all their commission. This is where the disconnect happens with the old school realtors. "It's too good to be true", "It's just a fad", etc.. This paradigm shift in how real estate is being transacted is just too much for the old guard to wrap their heads around, and because of that those agents continue to throw a sizable chunk of their commission at their broker for renting a gray desk and some business cards. Good for the broker, bad for the agent.
So now we've determined the old brick & mortar brokerages are starting to go the way of the dodo bird, so then what's the difference between all the new real estate brokerages ?
After you get past the high tech logos and slick websites, what are the new brokers really offering the agents in the way of the bottom line, ..the commission split. Typically if the commission split isn't in bold somewhere on the first page of the website you can bet you bottom dollar it's not a 100% commission brokerage. If a company has to bury the fine print then it ain't going to be their selling point ! At first glance they have the appearance of a full commission company, but looking deeper usually proves different. Some have complicated fee structures, add on fees, stipulations, and a sundry of other upsells to make up for the smaller commission to the company. What the big print gives the small print takes away.
There are really only a handful of brokerages now that are actually 100% commission brokerages, where the agent merely pays a small transaction fee to the broker after a transaction. Just make sure to look close before being lured by the bright lights.
Ronny Santana - Broker / Owner
CURB®
California's Premier 100% Commission Brokerage
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