It takes a lot of hard work to be a successful real estate agent and once you’ve reached a certain level it’s inevitable that you’ll want to grow your career.
This can mean changing to an agency that is more aligned with your personal goals.
But how risky is it to change agencies and, if you make the change, will you have to build your business from scratch?
The following insights should give you some ideas on how to make the process a smooth one with minimal impact to your reputation.
What are you looking for in an agency?
It’s important to be with an agency that you feel is fully invested in you and your business, whether you sell one home or a hundred.
If you aren’t happy in your current situation, you need to switch to an agency that shares your vision, so be sure to weigh up the pros and cons carefully.
Often it’s not an easy decision, so take your time and make sure that it’s the best move for you.
Handle the critical details
Choose your moment. Timing is important for agents who want to change brokers because there are a lot of details that need to be managed as soon as you leave, including:
- Informing your coworkers
- Informing your past clients
- Updating your social profile
- Getting new business cards printed
Although you might tell your coworkers in a personal email, don’t feel the need to personally contact every past client.
It’s perfectly acceptable to use social media to spread the word and let them know you’re now with “X” agency. It’s also a quick way of letting your market know where you are.
How strong is your personal brand?
A big worry for agents who want to change firms is that they will lose clients who want to stick with the agency’s brand, but don’t forget you also have personal brand and that’s transportable.
If you’ve worked hard to build a good reputation and have a loyal base of clients who like and trust you, then they should move with you.
If you don’t feel your brand is rock solid then you may want to work on building customer relationships and plan your move for later down the track.
Be prepared to answer questions
Naturally people will ask why you switched agencies. If you’ve thought long and hard about it and understand your own reasons for wanting to move, you’ll have a few, clear cut ready answers for them.
If you can answer any queries confidently it shouldn’t have too much of an impact. People want you to sell their homes, not the agency brand.
Get out and about in your new territory
It’s natural to have some hesitations about changing agencies. There’s always the risk that your business could slow down or you might have to rebuild your brand, but once you’ve made the decision to move, it’s important not to linger in the past and to focus on the job at hand.
Fast track your immersion in your new territory by attending others’ auctions run by other agencies and meet with local property owners.
Be an active participant in your community to help make the transition to the new agency a smooth one.
