Metro Brokers

Metro Brokers

I flip through the Gwinnett Daily Post website looking for job opportunities. It's a Thursday before I am to go to Shelby, NC for the wedding event of the century. I come across an ad for real estate. Perfect. Even better is that it's in the Hamilton Mill area, which just so happens to be exactly where I live. So I call the woman, Kimberly, and leave a message saying I am interested.

I get a call the next day while I am getting packed for the weekend. It's around 11:30, and she calls and says that she got my message, and that she is having an information Q & A that day around noon. I didn't need to leave especially early, so I decide to give it a shot. I drive across the highway, about a mile, and get to the place. after a few minutes of waiting, Kimberly comes walking out. She is a busty woman, with large features all around. She is dressed in a red suit and she looks exactly like the Snapple lady. So from now on I'll refer to her as Wendy the Snapple lady. She invited me and several other people into a conference room and hands us some information packets.

I'm seated facing towards the door, and I look around to view who else is interested in a career in real estate. I really don't know what to expect- I'm just here for the bud light as they say. On my immediate right is a 40ish woman dressed in a jean skirt and a collar top tucked in. She looks worn, as though she's been making ends meet for the past 20 years. She is very nice, and had actually taken the classes about 20 years ago, but just never got her license. On my left is a mother daughter combo. The daughter has a face caked with so much white powder she looks like a porcelain doll. Her lipstick is bright red, and her dark hair is pulled back enough to give her a temporary facelift. Her mom is seated next to her. She is done up exactly like the daughter, but with a coiffed hairdo that says "I have to look presentable, all the time." They want to go into business together. Lovely.

The last person is a black man who looks like he rolled right out of the trash can and into the meeting. He has on worn jeans, a faded, dirty button down shirt, and a beard that is as scraggly as his past. He is missing all but two or three of his bottom teeth, with graying hair and a voice that is hardly coherent. He starts asking questions immediately, and I feel bad for Wendy the Snapple lady.

Snapple lady starts explaining the business, and it's going alright. Everyone has a few questions here and there, and most of it is just her telling us about the company and what would be expected of us from a monetary and time perspective. Suddenly, the black guy, lets call him...Barry, starts in on how much this whole ordeal is going to cost. It was apparent the minute he walked in the building that he was not going to be in real estate. You can hardly understand him, and while he is nice enough, he is not exactly the kind of person most people would want to buy a house from. he rambles on and on, and other people start talking too. I'm stuck there in the middle of their blabbering about their current jobs, and I just want to get the information and get the hell out.

Finally, after about an hour and a half, I say that I have to leave, and I make my way out. I tell Wendy that I enjoyed meeting her, and that I will be in contact with her. I hop in the car and go to the wedding. Good times.

I get up Monday on a mission to do some work. I start sending out resumes like its my job...wait..it is my job...and start thinking a lot more about the real estate opportunity. I thought it was interesting and a real estate license is something that would be good to have just in case. You never know when you might just need to sell some shit. I delicately craft a letter to the Wendy with some follow up questions regarding the whole process, with the hope that I would get an informative response back. The following is a copy of my letter to her, and the responses she gave me, which will be put in bold typeface. This is not a joke. I did not doctor her responses, nor could I make this up. I have underlined the obvious parts. The following comes directly from the Human Resource chair of this real estate company:

Ms. Wendy the Snapple lady,

I attended the information session you held this past Friday (7.13.07),
and had some follow up questions and concerns regarding the opportunity to
become an agent with Metrobrokers.com.

I recently graduated from Clemson University with a Marketing degree, and
really have no outside sales experience, especially working with people in
high dollar sales.  I was wondering if you have found that the best agents
have experience in any specific field before changing to real estate, or
if the training program is sufficient to preparing agents to apply their
shills in the real world.

You really do not have to have any experiance in sales,
it is a plus but nessaray. Metrobrokers training is to help you learn how
to become
 A perfessional sales agent from negoations to doing paperwork.


I also am wondering about support from the Metrobrokers.com team.  I read
through the information packet I was given on Friday, and I saw that there
is  coaching program available to new agents.  Is this a program where
there is continuous support from a specific agent, or is it just someone
to whom I can call with questions and comments?

Actually, The coachs are experianced agents with different speciallties
that are no longer competing with you they are paid salerey. They teach
you orginizational skills, how to time managage your self and they really
coach you, they envite you to a bussiness planing class and really find
out how much money you would like to make and go build a bussiness plan
for you by how many calls you need to make or how many face to face
contact you need to make and how many houses you need to sell and how to
do it bassed on what type of  prospecting you like to do, they give you
ideas every week and coach you on what to say, you name they do it. Their
goal is to get you through at least 8 closings in 6 months.


How transferable is a Georgia real estate license?  I heard something
mentioned on Friday how Florida does not automatically recognize a
license.  Would, for example, South Carolina accept a Georgia license?

Yes they do.
All you have to do for South Carolina is purches the license. Florida is
the only state they does not have complete reciprocity with Georgia. So if
you are not a resident in Florida you have to set for just the state law
portion of their state exam.


Finally, I wanted to know about post licensing and continuous training.
Once I obtain a rel estate license, what additional training is required
so that I can begin to list and sell houses?  I know there are designation
courses available to enhance my skills, I just wasn't sure whether they
were mandated or encouraged.

Once licensed the post license is required and Metrobrokers requires that
you also do PHD which is a a class that teches you how to pospect at the
same time you are actually in the field obtaining business. Also you will
be required to do at least 6 hrs of  continueing eduction every year, so
the other classes are encouraged but not required.


I have been applying for jobs for the past few months with no success so
far.  The idea of working for myself is enticing, but also a bit scary
considering I have no experience to draw upon, and that I am just out of
college.  If there is anything I should know before taking a step towards
real estate, good or bad, please let me know so I can make a more informed
decision.  Thank you and have a good day!

I know it seems a little scarey. Its always easy to be a little scared of
not knowing if you'll suceed in something you know nothing about. I was as
well scared because I was a single parent at the time I got into the
business so I had others that depended on me and I came from being a
bartender so I had no clue. I was not good with computers or pushing
paperwork. I had never even purched my own home so no experiance what so
ever. So if  I can do it you can to. Look at me I've been in the industray
for 7 years now. There are so many different things you can do in real
estate and not just the sales aspect of it. I think with the interest you
show and by the questions you asked you make for  a top producer. I can
see that you are egar and that makes for a really good agent. The question
you should ask your self is what do you have to lose. You are young with
no dependants. Right now is the best time for you start your Career. that
way when you are ready to start a family your business is built.




Sincerely,

Gunz

Unbelievable. I couldn't understand how she could send this out to me. Not only are there countless typos, but even the grammar is pitiful. I received this email and sent it to my mom- we both agreed that it was the more poorly written response either one of us had ever seen. My cousins write better than that, and they're still in middle school. I was taken back by the response, and my enthusiasm waned as a result. How successful of a company can it be if this is the sort of garbage that is sent out to prospective clients? Where is the spell check?? I sent her another email thanking her for the responses and asking a few more, but this is a prime example of the laziness that is plaguing people these days. Granted I am not looking to purchase a house, but I am looking to become an agent and possibly make the company very profitable. I would have hoped a 30 second spell check was in order for me. Maybe not. Either way, it was a reality check for sure.