Interviewing Questions That Every Agent Should Ask
When Interviewing Real Estate Companies!

Below is a list of key questions we believe are important to ask of any real estate company with whom you are considering affiliating yourself.

Business Model and Working Environment …

1. What is your company’s philosophy & culture?
   
   

   RE/MAX is home of The Real Estate Leaders® and has a truly agent-centric business philosophy and culture. The RE/MAX Concept combines maximum commissions and the best support services to attract the top agents. RE/MAX founded the maximum commission concept and we foster an environment where the earning potential is limitless. At RE/MAX you are in business for yourself but not by yourself.
   

2. What makes you different from other real estate companies?

The revolutionary RE/MAX Concept of enabling real estate professionals to maximize their business potential has evolved into an organization of more than 121,000 Sales Associates in 6,960 offices spread across more than 65 countries worldwide. RE/MAX is one of the fastest growing real estate franchise networks on the planet. Your next buyer could come from across the street or from across the ocean.
RE/MAX attracts the highest caliber of agents in the real estate industry. The RE/MAX logo is known throughout the world for top quality and full time real estate professionals.

RE/MAX agents spend the highest dollar amount on average in marketing. The RE/MAX organization dominates real estate marketing with local, national and international advertising campaigns and web presence.

RE/MAX Associates, as a group, have more exclusive listings and more customers than agents with any other competing real estate network.

3. What is the average production of agents that work for your company?

On average, RE/MAX Sales Associates out produce agents of competing real estate networks. Top-producing agents increase income not only from the maximum commission concept, but also from increased productivity.

That production translates into an Associate average of 22 transactions per year, leading to more than $123,000 in annual earned commissions.
As the production statistics show, RE/MAX is the home of quality professionals, a network of winners. Joining RE/MAX means that you will be keeping very good company!

 

Sales & Marketing

4. Does your company have a dominant advertising presence?

RE/MAX is the largest real estate advertiser in the world - period. In 2006 RE/MAX had 47% share of voice in the real estate sector. That means that almost 1 out of every 2 real estate ads heard by the consumer were RE/MAX. In 2007, RE/MAX will spend more than $50M in national advertising yielding 15 billion total consumer impressions (people 18 years old +) in the US. Collectively, RE/MAX International and its local associates will spend over 1 billion dollars on advertising in 2007. While other National Brands cut back on advertising, RE/MAX continues to lead the way in growth. When you join RE/MAX the world knows your name!

5. Can I be creative with my advertising and sales techniques?

   RE/MAX encourages its agents to be creative and autonomous when deciding where and how to invest in their advertising and personal promotion dollars. At RE/MAX, it’s the Associate – not the Broker/Owner – who decides how much he or she spends on advertising and which media to use to best serve customers. The independence and creativity of RE/MAX Sales Associates are nowhere more visible than in personal promotion activities. You are encouraged to develop your own brand in partnership with the RE/MAX brand. You can even put your picture on your for sale signs. At RE/MAX the agent comes first!

6. Do you have a luxury homes program?

The RE/MAX Collection program has been specifically designed with high-end real estate specialists in mind. RE/MAX Associates who use The RE/MAX Collection have a wealth of exclusive marketing and training tools to help them serve their select clientele.

The RE/MAX Collection, formerly RE/MAX Renowned Properties, has evolved, incorporating new guidelines and a new logo to distinguish luxury properties from other RE/MAX listings - and the competition. Exclusive advertising partnerships with national and international publications ensure that property listings effectively reach a qualified market of affluent buyers and sellers.

7. What marketing tools will you provide for me – for free?

The independence and creativity of RE/MAX Sales Associates are nowhere more visible than in personal promotion activities. RE/MAX supports personal promotion and advertising by providing all of its members with a personal design center. The Design Center has over 1,300 customizable brochures, web commercials, flyers, postcards, slideshows and more! It is easy to use, quick, and professional and, best of all, it’s free!

8. Will I get all of the leads on my own listings?

RE/MAX is committed to ensuring that its agents receive all of the leads on their own listings. All sign calls, ad calls and internet leads are sent directly to the listing agent. This means that only the expert answers all consumer questions about a listing – you! This provides for superior customer service for both buyers and sellers as well as ensuring that you receive the leads that you have earned.

 

Technology…

9. Do you have a national internet leads program?

In the spring of 2006 RE/MAX deployed its national internet leads initiative called LeadStreet. RE/MAX developed Leadstreet in response to the interlopers on the internet that were trying to get in between agents and their customers (such as homegain.com) to earn a referral fee. As a part of this program RE/MAX has aggregated over 90% of all of the homes for sale in the US so that they are searchable from Remax.com. This means that the consumer can search over 4 million homes from Remax.com (over 92% of all homes for sale) and not just RE/MAX listings. No other national real estate company has taken on such an initiative. The best part is that the leads from Remax.com go directly to our agents without a referral fee!

10. How much do you charge for referral fees on internet leads?

Unlike traditional companies, all of the leads generated from Remax.com as part of the LeadStreet initiative go directly out to our agents without a referral fee!

11. How many internet leads has your program sent out in the last year?

Since the deployment of the LeadStreet program in March of 2006, over 1.5 million leads have been sent out directly to RE/MAX agents across North America.

12. Where does your company website rank on the internet and how many consumer searches are performed every minute?

To date remax.com is the third most popular real estate site on the internet. Only Realtor.com and Homegain.com have more real estate visitors. This means that Remax.com provides maximum exposure for sellers and maximum internet leads for its agents. Over 1,100 searches are performed every minute on Remax.com

13. What sort of functionality does your intranet site have?

The RE/MAX members’ only intranet site is called MainStreet. You can find it on the web at www.remax.net. Although it is password protected you are welcome to take it for a test drive to get a glimpse of its rich functionality. MainStreet is a powerful site for lead generation & management. It also provides an unparalleled platform for information exchange through such functionality as ATOD – agent training on demand, and our message boards. No other real estate company in the world provides such a robust and meaningful site whose sole purpose is to enrich the lives and business of its members.  

14. Is your company's website linked to a national property database so that my listings will be advertised to relocating buyers across the country?

Over 4 million listings (over 92% of all homes for sale) from across the U.S are searchable through Remax.com due to our LeadStreet initiative. This means that your Sellers’ listings will have tremendous listing exposure throughout North America and, in fact, the world! However, only RE/MAX agents can enhance their Sellers’ listings on Remax.com with web commercials, enhanced detail, and as a showcase home.  RE/MAX listings are also advertised on the most popular national real estate portal sites including Realtor.com, MSN.com, AOL.com and WorldProperties.com!

15. Will I be able to receive internet leads or are they only given to Internet Specialists?

At RE/MAX, leads originating from Remax.com are sent out directly to RE/MAX agents without a referral fee. The leads are sent out to all RE/MAX agents based upon fair algorithms rather than being a member of an “Internet Specialists Program.”

16. Do you have an international relocation / referral network?

The RE/MAX Referral Program has proven to be more successful than any other referral system in North America. This program allows our full-time quality associates to refer out their customers directly to a worldwide network of over 121,000 other full-time quality Associates. This gives our agents complete control over the referral process and ensures better customer service. This also means that there is no middleman or relocation company fee. With the RE/MAX referral program – you are clicks away from finding an ideal referral agent for your customer and from automatically generating and sending the referral forms.

17. Do you offer training for new agents?

RE/MAX offers the very best and most successful new agent training through RE/MAX University at the International level and through our Excel Career Development program at the regional level. Our new agent training programs such as Succeed and 100 Days to Greatness coupled with ongoing coaching opportunities will ensure that you build a successful business and earn a higher income right from the start.  Much of the initial training will be held right in your office, where you’ll learn from an experienced RE/MAX professional dealing with real situations and real client contact. New agents are given an orientation to the company and services it provides and most importantly are given a road map for productivity. We pride ourselves on making sure our associates are the best educated and most qualified REALTORS® in the world. The fact that RE/MAX agents lead in designations is a testament to this commitment.

18. What training do you have for seasoned agents?

A top producer’s core need is to find ways to increase business without increasing work time. The education provided by RE/MAX University focuses on this goal, whether delivered via the RE/MAX Satellite Network (RSN®), ATOD (Agent Training on Demand), the Global Education Center, regional conventions, or at the office-level via mentoring programs. RE/MAX University allows you to learn from the best real estate minds in the business right in the comfort of your office or living room at any time of day or night through the virtual campus. Through RE/MAX University you can obtain REALTOR® designations and CE credits in the comfort of your office based on your own schedule.

This is probably one of the reasons why RE/MAX agents lead the way in holding more designations than agents from all other real estate companies. A typical RE/MAX Convention includes more than 130 educational sessions, and Regional Sales Rallies include top speakers from across the country such as Richard Robbins, Howard Brinton and Brian Buffini. RE/MAX University also makes available to its members an extensive library of DVD training. DVD topics span from technology training at all levels to advanced sales and marketing sessions. These types of training opportunities are essential for new and seasoned agents to take their business to the next level.  

19. Do you have a mentorship program?

RE/MAX offices throughout New England offer mentoring for both new and seasoned agents. The two most powerful mentoring programs that are held in the local offices are the Succeed Program and Brian Buffini’s 100 Days to Greatness.

Succeed is a program that will arm you with the essentials of real estate and will help you earn a higher income right from the start. It is a proven coaching and mentoring program which spans over eight sessions (3 hours each). Topics include: holding a productive open house, advanced marketing techniques, and creating a dynamic listing presentation. Assignments (group as well as individual) focus on setting up your personal business and successfully interacting with prospects and clients.

100 Days to Greatness is an exclusive program offered by Brian Buffini International. It is a program mentored in your own office by a certified “Brian Buffini” mentor. This mentoring program is highly successful. RE/MAX agents do an average of an additional 5.4 transactions during the 100 days of mentoring. The program is focused around lead generation based upon established relationships. This exciting program demonstrates practical selling skills such as personal differentiation and targeted closing dialogues.  

20. Do you provide access to true group health insurance, dental coverage, disability and 401K?

Through strategic exclusive partnerships with companies such as MyBizOffice, RE/MAX is able to offer its members access to true group health coverage. This means that when you have to use your health insurance your rates won’t go up. This program also gives you access to dental coverage, disability, workman’s compensation, 401K and much more.

21. What other types of benefits do you have available for your agents? 

RE/MAX Realtors® have a number of additional benefits made available to them through the RE/MAX approved supplier program which provides significant savings such as discounted homeowner’s and auto insurance, and Dell computer discounts.

 

*With RE/MAX you get “big company” services with the personal touch of a hometown agency. Our business model, combined with the extensive tools and training that we offer, makes RE/MAX home of The Real Estate Leaders®.