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The purpose of this thread is for me to rant, but feel free to give your two cents.
I am a licensed real estate agent and had worked strictly as a leasing agent for homes until I decided to go inactive due to my pregnancy --I was waaaay too sick to even walk. Needless to say I couldn't afford the board fee without any income coming in, so I put my license status on inactive.
Now that I feel somewhat better, I'd love to work again.
The way this economy is going, I feel that more people are looking to rent rather buy. So I thought what is the different between helping people finding apartments and helping someone leasing a home (besides the apartments pay more than homeowners).
I become interested in working as an apartment locator.
So I called to scheduled interviews with different apartment locating business. Before I go any further, let me tell you a little bit about why I became a real estate agent.
Every real estate agent has his/her own reason to enter this career. Mines was the ability to bring in some income and the time flexibility since I have a child. Based on my experiences, I prefer to not have him go to the after-school day care. Working as my own boss allows me to make some money and be there for him at the same time.
Anyway, back to my story:
After a meeting with one Apt. Lo. company, it seems that most of them if not all, work completely differently from the traditional real estate companies (i.e. Keller Williams, Century 21, Coldwell Bankers etc.) which allow agents to work form home. Granted, their agents are considered SELF-EMPLOYED, but the companies expect them to be in the office throughout the business hours which from 8:30-5:30 and on the weekend as well.
Now I understand that the more time you put into this business, the more $$$ you will get. But the philosophy of apt. lo. company kind of contradicts with the meaning of being self-employed.
Needless to say, once they found out about my schedule and my being pregnant, I am not a good fit for the company.
One company actually said that they would work around agents' hours until I told him that I was pregnant and I need to pick up my son from school.He then informed me that it would not work out for the company. They need me to be in the office more than just 8:30-1:00--- at this point, I feel that I was being discriminated against. Anyhow....
But I'm not giving up just yet. So I offer to work as a remote agent. But most of them have turned me down as well stating that remote agents would never make money. According to them, you have to be in the office to be able to get leads and get paid.
Now, I agree that remote agents might not get as many leads. But I do not see why it is much different than what I used to do as a stand-alone agent who has to work without any leads?!
Maybe I am just very frustrated and totally miss their point.......
I know that you'd have to be licensed. And like other real estate professions, there need to be a sponsoring broker unless one is a broker him/herself which I am not. Otherwise, TREC would not even change your status from inactive to active. >> but correct me if I'm wrong.
Above it all, I'd need an access to the apartment database just like the traditional real estate agents with the MLS.
I am not totally understanding you - I think what you are saying is that you want to work for a specific apartment complex that does rentals for itself? If so, that's an entirely different ballgame and different type of job from what I understand. Don't they have part time hours? Where you can work the morning shift - you really have no choice but to work weekends, if you want to make money. Most people go out looking at apartments on Saturday - hence the money in your pocket.
That's too bad that they will not allow remote agents though - some are just old school
where does one find these apartment locators? I'm in here in Florida with a active license and I'm interested considering how dreadfull the market is here now.
Same type of job, except for one is for homes and the other one is for apartment.
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so out of curiosity again, is this more in metro locations? Where I am, there are not as many rental opportunitites like this. More two family homes rather than larger apartment buildings....
Perhaps you could call on other brokers that normally do not offer that service to see if they would be interested in sponsoring you remotely? That way they have nothing to lose and everything to gain....just a thought.
Granted, their agents are considered SELF-EMPLOYED, but the companies expect them to be in the office throughout the business hours which from 8:30-5:30 and on the weekend as well.
Quote:
People such as lawyers, contractors, subcontractors and auctioneers who follow an independent trade, business, or profession in which they offer their services to the public, are generally not employees. However, whether such people are employees or independent contractors depends on the facts in each case.
The general rule is that an individual is an independent contractor if you, the person for whom the services are performed, have the right to control or direct only the result of the work and not the means and methods of accomplishing the result.
Example: Vera Elm, an electrician, submitted a job estimate to a housing complex for electrical work at $16 per hour for 400 hours. She is to receive $1,280 every 2 weeks for the next 10 weeks. This is not considered payment by the hour. Even if she works more or less than 400 hours to complete the work, Vera Elm will receive $6,400. She also performs additional electrical installations under contracts with other companies that she obtained through advertisements. Vera is an independent contractor.
I believe they are pretty much violating the IRS rules for self employed vs employee. I guess it is more complicated than that but on the surface, that's how I would look at it.
So back when you were a realtor you would sell a 500k house and collect a 10k commission check. How does apartment locating pay compared to that? Sally and Billy Bob just foreclosured on their McMansion and are downsizing from 4000 sq ft to 400 and don't have a pot to pixx in much less 50 bucks to give you for finding them an apartment.
So back when you were a realtor you would sell a 500k house and collect a 10k commission check. How does apartment locating pay compared to that? Sally and Billy Bob just foreclosured on their McMansion and are downsizing from 4000 sq ft to 400 and don't have a pot to pixx in much less 50 bucks to give you for finding them an apartment.
The answer is my in original post:
Quote:
Originally Posted by myself
I am a licensed real estate agent and had worked strictly as a leasing agent for homes
Sally and Bob would not have to give me anything. My service is free for them. The apartment people are the one who pay me my commission for bringing them tenants.
But if Sally and Bob cannot afford to even rent an apartment, I would hope they have family members they can stay with. Otherwise they'd be homeless, don't you think?
Last edited by KanniJay; 12-06-2008 at 08:29 PM..
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