Phillip's Blog

Questions? We Have Answers!

Below are some answers to a few frequently asked questions. If you don’t see your question here, give us a call at (615) 371-1544. We’ll be happy to answer every question you have!

How can you offer such an aggressive compensation plan? Simple. By all the agents being on the same page and the office providing the necessary items that agents actually use (conference rooms, computer access, faxes, copiers, scanners, printers, high speed internet, support and training) without wasting space or money on the other “stuff” (useless square footage, needless salaries, antiquated systems, monuments to the broker, etc), then everyone makes more money. More importantly we can all then reinvest more money back into our businesses to be better able to meet our consumer’s demands. It’s like investing in your business with PRETAX money; you get farther ahead a lot faster.

Where’s the catch? What hidden fees are you not disclosing? Absolutely nothing. You will not pay anything to the broker above your monthly fee, your transaction fee (if on Plan C) and your MLS. That’s it…nothing else…nada. And if you are on Plan B you don’t even pay the MLS, we pay it for you. You will not see additional charges for using the conference room, sending a fax, using our technology or making a phone call. If we wanted to make money on those items we would open a Kinko’s franchise instead of putting that monkey on your back.

With so many agents now and your current growth rate, how can I expect to get timely broker support? We know that when you need a broker question answered, you need it answered now, not three days from now. In most cases you can get a broker on the line when you call, but we guarantee a half day response period to your broker question. As we grow, our model allows for the addition of supervising brokers to be available to help answer questions in a timely manner. You will always have access to the answers you need. Promptly!

What if I want desk space at the office? All of our offices (meaning there are more offices in the works) have permanent desk space available for lease on a first come first serve basis. We also have private offices available for lease, whether for just you or your team.

How are REALTOR® teams treated at Benchmark? Teams that operate 100% of the time as a true team are treated as a single entity by Benchmark. The team pays a flat $895 per month for up to 5 team members and up to 5 transactions per month. Additional transactions per month carry a $50 administrative charge (per transaction).

Do you have a referral incentive if I send other agents to Benchmark? You bet! For each agent you refer to us, you will receive a free month off your agent fee. To earn that free month though you have to do more than just hand them a business card, you need to really have referred them. In return you will be credited for one free month after the recruit has been with the company for 2 months. Obviously this is worth more to you if you are on Plan B than if you are on Plan C, but it still amounts to more coin in your pocket. For those agents on Plan A, the incentive takes the form of a $200 credit on your next annual renewal. Do the math, refer 12 agents and you will never pay the broker a dime to have your license here.

Do you have ownership in a title company and mortgage company? We are not in the title business, the mortgage business, the insurance business, the pest control business or the home inspection business. Our core business is real estate! Many brokers try to branch out and be all things to all people and offer a one stop approach. Our experience shows that these affiliated companies are huge profit centers for the broker, but rarely result in the best value for the consumer. And because they are huge profit centers, they divert the broker’s attention from the core business. Despite what you have been told, the best consumer values come from free market competition, period.

What type of company wide marketing programs do you have? All company listings appear on our website which we have invested many hours refining and streamlining for maximum SEO effectiveness. We have cross migration contracts with just most national websites and when your listings appear on our website they appear automatically on these national websites, thereby exposing your listings to nearly 35million unique visits per month. Every where possible, your listings will appear with your contact info and all leads are routed directly to you. In addition to this, our website provides an area for you to post a bio and complete contact information. All of this results in FREE online marketing for both you and your client. We also have worked out discounts with most publications and direct mail houses.

Are you a HUD certified broker? Yes. In fact our agents represent some of the most active buyers of HUD homes in the area.

How much freedom do I have to structure my own deals to meet my client’s needs? As much as you want. There simply is no other business model equal to ours in the freedom offered to the agent. Today’s consumer has more information at their finger tips then at any time in the history of the world. A tremendous amount of this readily available info is related to real estate. Up until now, the real estate agent’s role has been one of information controller. But with the advent of the internet age, our role has been forever changed to one of information interpreter. No longer can we force all clients into a single mold and arrogantly expect that they will oblige our offering of a single business model and a standardized fee structure. The consumer demands choices. Because the traditional broker model ties the broker’s income to the commission dollars, the broker is in control of your business. The broker therefore exerts absolute control over what choices you can offer your clients. Under our model, YOU are in control of YOUR business. No more stopping to ask “mother may I?” when you are sitting in front of a client. It’s your business, experience the freedom!

Why am I paying more to my current company?? That is one you will have to answer yourself. We would love to have you contact us and we can investigate together and see if our company might be your future home.

Benchmark Realty…setting the standard by which all real estate companies will be measured!