Sure, the idea of branching out on your own and being the one in charge is glamorous, but are you really ready for everything that managing your own brokerage entails? Find out by taking our

By Shannon O’Brien In the best of times, striking out on one’s own to open a brokerage is challenging. Doing so in 2007, on the edge of the housing market collapse, would seem like a recipe for disaster, both

When news broke on a rainy, overcast Wednesday in March that Koenig & Strey would be requiring its buyer clients to sign an exclusive buyer-broker agreement – and that a $250 fee would be attached to the document, upon

The Traditional Broker/Agent Commission Split The vast majority of agents are compensated by a broker via sharing the gross commission amount that the broker collects. The client isn’t charged to pay the agent in this model; the broker and

1847 Brokers begin hosting informal meetings (the first one was in New York) to exchange information about properties for sale and establish standards of practice, typically held once a week. Throughout the 19th century, lawyers and businessmen served as

By Peter Ricci According to data from REAL Trends, @properties was the only large brokerage in Chicago to increase its sale volume in 2011, and it was one of only two to increase its number of transactions as well.

By Stephanie Sims How do real estate models and mortgage processes can differ from country to country? Canada Some brokerages in Canada charge a buyer agreement fee and some do not; according to Ross Kay with RE/MAX Garden City

Who is making headway in the real estate industry in 2012? Who are the people whose names you should know, because they are making names for themselves this year? We’ve got the names of movers, shakers and powerful industry

By Megan Oster For savvy agents, negotiations begin long before an offer is made. Possessing sharp negotiating skills is not merely one important aspect of developing a successful real estate business –this skill set can literally make or break an

Do you really have top-notch negotiating skills, or just think you do? Take our quiz to find

The one who is willing to walk away has the power. It’s true, whether haggling at markets for an overpriced item or negotiating real estate deals – if the other side will just not meet your demand, don’t give

By: Christian J. Barron and Stephanie Sims More often than not, managing brokers do not stay with a company after a merger. Every company has its own culture of business and day-to-day operation, and, typically, there’s only one managing

Real estate was something I always wanted to work in. Growing up, my grandfather owned apartment buildings, and when I was in the army, I realized I wanted to own properties and work in real estate. I graduated with

I was a mother of five who had been at home for 10 years going bonkers, and my husband suggested I take a real estate class because he loved houses. Since then, I’ve been in the industry for 20

Find out how five top managing brokers got to where they are today: RUTH DRUSSY HERNANDEZ, MANAGING BROKER, CONLON: A REAL ESTATE COMPANY, CHICAGO When I came back from New York 28 years ago, I became a receptionist for a real

I started in 1988 with no idea what real estate really meant. Just five years before that, I came to this country from Poland and therefore, I did not even know anybody who owned a home or understood the