If you really want to learn the business, go with a large firm that has good training programs. Later in life you will likely enjoy your own smaller firm where you have more control. This what I did and it works well with me. Keep in mind that not all agents and brokers are nice honest people. Never let that keep you from being a person of integrity. Strong moral values will always win out in the long run. 

It depends on your personal needs and objectives and what the firms have to offer in terms of training and support.

Cheryle --- first, good luck with your examination.   As far as "hanging your license" -- that decision is a very personal one and should include interviewing with some different brokerages in your market.  Since you will be newly licensed ask each about their new agent training process and find the right fit for you.   Here's to a successful new career.   

Cheryle, congratulations and good luck with your exam.  This is a very personal decision to make when choosing a broker. 

If you're new, go with the brokerage that is willing to train you.

Interview with as many as you can and you will soon find out that big or small they will all try to get you in the door.  It's easy to hang your license in alomst any brokerage but first write out your plan, your goals and what you need to get from a brokerage.  Training and mentoring is key but as Ryan Huggins - Thousand Oaks, CA said in his comment even the big box names don't always have the best trained agents.  You can get lost in the crowd. Smaller shops often have better options but again, not a lot of training programs.  Check all the top local brokerages out on line.  You can learn a lot by checking them out on Google first.  Don't go with the first one that offers...gather info first then compare.  Ask a lot of questions after you have time to sit down and look at your options.  You are interviewing them and need to know their culture, their goals and what they have to offer now and what they are looking at for the future.  Best of luck.  

If I were to do it all over again I would narrow down my choices to 3 and ask each one if I could just sit and observe for a day before making up my mind Cheryle Brown-Williamson .

It really comes down to what you are looking for, and the brokerage that will provide the training, mentoring, and culture you want and need. Take the time to intervew a number of places

Interview both..find the cultural that is a good fit. You will need training and lots of it! Be sure they have a good training program and mentors to help guide you!

Decide what you need, and interview several of them to determine who can provide this.

And get stats on their success rate with new agents.

I recommend interviewing several offices and asking about training and mentorship... Then follow your gut - it's not one size fits all.

Interview several offices and go for training or mentorship...Learning the business is your next challenge after getting your license. 

I wanted to be with someone who specialized in working with investors.  Interview many and make the best decision you can.

Good luck on the exam.  Sometimes going with a large agency one gets lost in the shuffle of the office.  Take time to interview a few both large and not so large agencies.  Ask about training and commission splits, almost always for a new agent the split is just not worth it if the training is not there.

Anytime a new agent asks me about where they should go, I tell them the following:

1. Does the brokerage have a non-competing Broker who is available to answer questions rather than working their own business?

2. Does the brokerage offer training and support to assist you in learning the ropes of being a good agent?

3. Does the brokerage offer opportunities for you to get business? How are internet leads distributed? What about floor and open house opportunities?

4. What is the cost of the brokerage? Can you afford it?

Ultimately the choice is yours, but I highly recommend interviewing a number of brokerages to see if the fit works for you - and of course, if you fit within the brokerage's needs as well. 

This is definitely a personal decision.  Best of luck on your exam!

If you're taking your exam, I'd recommend a company with a good training and mentoring program.  The big boxes don't always have that.  I had to train and mentor a Keller Williams agent when she bought one of my listings.  Her "coach" was useless/MIA.

I originally hung my license with Watson Real Estate Corporation in Florida because they had good training for new agents.  When I moved to Virginia, it took a couple of offices to get it right.  I chose Long and Foster because of the managing broker and agents.  There is a lot of help and support from the office staff here.  Make sure you ask what all of your costs will be as well.

Any choice is a win....play to win

I am with Michael Jacobs here - this is a very personal decision and choice. What are your needs. What will fit best for you?  I wish you all the best on the exam and with your career.

As a new agent, training, support and mentorship are going to be the most important factors for you.  Whether that is with a boutique or large franchise depends on the leadership of the offices in your area.    You may get more personal attention at the smaller boutique but you get more interaction with veteran agents at a larger office.  Or not.   As I said, it all depends on what is available in your market area.  

I recommend visiting atleast three, attend a sales meeting.  Being a new agent training, mentoring and access to resources is very important.  But the intangible feel and energy of the office is very important as well.

Visit with the managing broker. See what there program is. Does it meet your needs? Do you feel the chemistry?

It is such a personal choice.  Some swear by franchise brokers and want the big name behind them.  Others swear by independents. Some what education.  Others want zero commission split.  Some need brokers to provide leads, others want to be left alone to do their own marketing and lead generation.  What do YOU want/need?  That will help you decide which would be best for you. -Kasey

Cheryle,

It really depends on you and how you like to learn and feel comfortable with.  It has to fit who you are.  A

Interview with a few brokers in your area.  Keep in mind that it is two-way stree, you are interviewing them as they are interviewing you.  Focus on training & support offered.  Some brokers are only interested in how much $$ you can earn for them w/o helping you learn how to make $$$

Select the office that will best meet your personal needs.

I like to be in the company of many highly successful agents at the office.

When I was new, I hung it where my Mom's office was.

When I relocated, I chose a broker who fit the model that I was leaving.

I'm with the broker I'm with now because they allow me to operate my business as an independent office and entrepreneur.

For you being new, KW or CB (Coldwell Banker) has great training and support, I'd start there and then grow wings.

I hung mine with KW for the first 2 years because of their fabulous training. I capped both of those years at KW and liked getting the 100% commission. So, I switched to a 100% commission broker and love it. I still love learning and now have all kinds of resources to continue my education.

How do you decide?

When you have need to buy apparel, what do you do? In the end you  must choose the garment that FITS. Really, does anything else matter?

Your selection of broker is equally OBJECTIVE. The problem is, no one offers a means to MEASURE the broker. The suggestion is one you trust, good rapport, offer training, things a newbie can not measure. Let me put an end to that.

There are only two questions to which you need a response from the broker. Their response will allow you to measure if the broker has effective training, compensation, culture, systems, support and market share.

The 'allure' of train'n is the gateway drug to real estate agent failure.

90% of newbies never see their 2nd year anniversary. This has been true for decades, and the industry continues to sell train'n as a solution.

HOWEVER, like anyone wanting to start a new business, the owner must have a business plan. If you have no idea what your business really is, (that is what a plan does) you have no hope of finding the broker who can be beneficial to your future success.

I wish you the best of success.

We chose a small mom-and-pop shop with a broader network called Leading RE. The small office lets us offer a more personal touch to our clients and the larger network lets us provide the benefits of a larger office.

If you are new....decide what makes you comfortable and puts you in the best place to learn...if the brokerage has a mentoring program...climb  aboard !

It's like you buyers, some want to be outside of town on a careage and some want to be in the middle of things. Choose what fits your personality, nature, and support.

Congratulations and much success on your exam. Interview several offices, preferably large offices with great coaching, training and mentorship programs.

It depends on your individual situation and your market.  I went with a well known brokerage who was dominant in my area because I wanted to leverage their brand since I was new to the area and new to real estate.  They also offered training pretty much every day of the week, which was huge, as well as a mentor program, which I think is absolutely invaluable to a new agent. 

I ended up staying because of the support and the commission plans (yes, they have multiple plans for every single scenario).  I have yet to find a reason to leave.  Best of luck to you!

I made a course correction after 7 years. If the fit isn't right or changes; leave!

Cheryle it really depends on you and what style works better for you - smaller more intimate group or large big company.  There are some fabulous small brokers that train their agents really well. And of course the big brokers typically have good programs as well.  Good Luck!

Go where you can grow for this stage in your career.  A big office can help, but the best thing is to get a true mentor.  And those are where you find them.

It depends on so many factors. Too many to answer here in Q & A

Cheryle Brown-Williamson Big and little companies have their advantages and disadvantages. I would recommend you talk to several brokers and go with one you have a good rapport with and who has a good mentoring and training. Good luck with the exam.

I looked at the services provided and did a cost analysis.

I like the small hands on brokers rather than the warehouse feel of 300 plus agents in a business. Many get lost when it is too big. 

Curtis Evans nailed this one!

best to you in your new career

Good luck.

I've never worked for Keller Williams. But I hear they have a good training program and it might be a good idea to get that foundation in place before venturing off to a boutique firm. Of course their fees might be higher, so that's something you will have to weigh in making your decision. Good luck with the exam and your new career!

Come to Denver, and I will give you a great deal.

When I first started, I went with a large company because I thought working with a large company was the thing to do.  Nowadays, you can go with any company you want to and still succeed.  Major companies have great training but the good news is most of the boards have great training that is free..Find a company where the chemistry mixes with you.  I am high energy so I can't work with a lot of laid back people.  Would love to have you follow me because a lot of my posts will be to agents who are just starting out.  

Interview many brokers to see what they have to say, make a list of things that are important to you.  Training is a biggie! 

I just took an offer from the closest to me. What was a big mistake. Interview all brokers you like, visit offices personally, create a chart of cons and pros of each. Good luck. 

Look for training, for mentors, for a broker that you like.

Cheryle, I am NOT a realtor. I have started 8 small business and worked commission only BY CHOICE most of my life. I have DIFFERENT advice that the comments I read. 

I believe that before you select a broker you need to figure out your business plan. Part of this plan will include marketing strategies and HOW you intend to promote your new real estate business can GREATLY affect what broker you work for. KW will provide a decent website for free and you can blog and expect to get leads from the tools they provide. RE-Max has a corporate agreement in place with Tom Ferry who like his father trains on traditional approaches and occasionally even touches on some non-traditional approaches.

I would try to understand HOW I am going to generate sales BEFORE selecting a broker. Door Knocking? Expired listings cold calling? Sitting in an office and waiting for walk in's? Friends and family? 

Figure out the marketing/business plan and the brokerage that will fit your now much more clearly defined needs will be clearer. IE: 

If you have a HUGE circle of friends and family who are likely to use you once you inform them of your new career why give away your commission? You should look at 100% commission arrangement. That narrows your list. 

If you have NO idea how to run,start or even use the internet to research marketing plans then you should start with someone like KW that will step you through being a business owner. 

If you want to take my advice. Here is a good place to start.

https://placester.com/real-estate-marketing-academy/real-estate-business-plan-template/

There are a lot of great suggestions here. I would just say to take your time and interview a bunch before deciding. Also, when you find a brokerage you are seriously considering, call up a few agents and ask them questions about what is important to you. And I would pick an agent with a lot of business and one without (you might be able to see that information on MLS). You can get both perspectives on how the office supports agents.

Cheryle Brown-Williamson - when I did it for the first time, I had no clue!

And when I understood the 'whole picture' it is KW!

I wanted a small company and then when I started my own I stayed small

It depends on you and what is important to you. Training should be high on your list and also support and reputation of the company.

Interview the brokers AND the agents under each brokerages.  Find out what's important to you and see whether the brokers provide that. Find out what the agents like and dislike under their brokers. I hope this helps!