Cutting right to it eh CA Renter? My answer is going to be slippery but is akin to the walking in another mans shoes metaphor. The general perception on this site is that brokers and agents don’t work nearly enough to justify the money that they make. I am not so sure that I believe that statement. I think most brokers do justify the cut they get but I am not prepared to argue or back that up. Look at someone like Jim K. He is an excellent example of an honest independent who has a large clientele. How much he gets as a cut from his agents is up to him but I would surmise he has earned it. Also keep in mind that all the advertising you see for large brokerages comes from… where? Well yes you guessed that right. Anyways going independent is not easy. Like ANY small business you have work many times harder, you have no corporate backing, and most of all, the perception of the general public is not to work with small independents because of substandard service. Now I would not accuse large traditional brokerages of perpetuating this perception but then again I am sure they do nothing to discourage it.
