Interviewing for a job in real estate is unlike anything you have done before. Actually it is the complete opposite of interviewing for any other career. In the past you had to convince them that you were the best choice. You were doing your best to land the job. But getting someone to higher you as a real estate agent is easy, actually too easy. A vast majority of the time all you need to do is meet their minimum requirements and you will be hired. The goal is not to have someone hire you. The goal is for you to interview them to see if you want to work with them. Hence, it's the opposite of what you are expecting.

 That means you have to be prepared to interview them and know what to expect. First let's create the proper expectation of what usually occurs in an interview.

 The focus will be on them and why you should be working with them.

• They will not help you determine if they are the most appropriate match for you.
• Consequently, you will notice that few of the questions will be about you. Again the focus will be on them and how they can impact your career.
• In essence they will be trying to sell you on working with them.

 When I'm interviewing a new prospect I can guess with a 95% accuracy rate what occurred at the last interview. It's that predictable. I met with an agent who had already interviewed at 5 other brokerages.  Only one asked more then a few basic questions about her. When she started interviewing them, several were even reluctant to directly answer all of her questions. All 5 kept the focus almost exclusively on why they were a great company and why she would be a success if she worked with them. All of them were trying to sell her on their company.

 The best overall advice I can give you is to go deep. Most of the time the recruiter will dwell on the surface and you need to get past that and go deeper and get more meaningful information. The company will keep the focus on the What questions.

-         What is the training like?

-         What is the compensation structure?

-         What expenses is the agent responsible for?

 You should focus on the Why questions. That will allow you to probe further and learn more about the brokerage you are interviewing.

-         Why do you structure your training this way?

-         Why is the compensation handled like that?

-         Why are the agents responsible for these expenses?

 These will tell you about the personality and philosophy of the company you are interviewing with. This keeps you from dwelling on the surface and just getting information. The insight about why they do things is important.

 Here are some topics and questions that may be helpful to you:

 1.                  Training

You will be told about how effective and great the training they offer is. This will be a big subject for most recruiters and they will try to sell you on their program. Questions that go deeper are;

• What makes it a highly effective training program?
• Are there ways to judge if it is effective?
• How is it different from what other companies are doing?
• What are the unique aspects to it?
• How long have you been doing it this way and why have you chosen this approach?
• What are the things you like most about it? What are the things you like least about it?
• If you could make changes to it what would you suggest?
• Where do you think it falls short?

 These last questions are good because every company has a negative side. Every training program has its shortfalls. No company or situation is perfect. You are just trying to see how honest they are going to be.

 2.                  The Company

This is when they will talk about their market share, how dominate they are, how they are growing, all of their advertising, tools and branding. They will be trying their best to impress you and it will all be positive and success oriented. The deeper questions are;

• Why should I work here?
• What programs brokers have to supplement an agent's income while they are getting on their feet?
• What are the future plans for growth?
• How does the success of the company translate into success for me?
• How would you define what this company stands for?
• What makes your company unique?
• What do you think it takes to succeed?
• How do you think I would fit in? Why do you think this company would be a good choice for me? Why do you think I would be a good choice for you?

 3.                  The Agents

This is about the number of agents they have, how successful they are and why you too will be a success.

• How many agents do you typically higher in a year? At either this office or company wide.
• What percent of those agents make it in real estate?
• What reasons do you see for failure?
• What reasons do you see for success?
• What characteristics are you looking for in new agents?
• If you could create the perfect recruit what attributes would they have?
• How do you define success?
• What are your minimum requirements and do you have quotas for agents?
• New agents need help and direction to grow their business. What marketing ideas do you typically recommend to new agents?
• In a typical office how would you describe the income distribution? The % of agent making under $30,000, from $30,000 to $50,000, from $50,000 to $70,000, from $70,000 to $100,000 and above. See if this is gross income or net of expenses.

4.                  The Company Splits and Policies

This is when they will talk about how they split the commissions and company policies. This subject is a little trickier. You are looking to see who is investing in whom. Are they directly investing in you as a person or are they looking for you to invest in them? Who has more to loose if you fail?

• Why do you do the splits this way?
• How does this compare to other companies?
• Have you recently changed your policies and if so why?
• If I was to fail, what investment would you loose?
• Do you have a mentoring system for me? If yes, what qualifies someone to be a mentor? Do they have any specific training and is there a cost to me?
• What expenses am I responsible for?
• Are there any advertising or marketing costs that are shared?
• Are there any discounts offered for advertising in company brochures and newspaper circulars?

 5.                  How Things Work. These questions deal with the office mechanics and how things function.

• How are company leads generated? How are they distributed? Are they given to newer agents and what do I have to do to earn these?
• What suggestions do you have for agents new to real estate?
• Are there expenses shared between the agents? If so how are they split? (sometimes there are expenses to pay, like weekend help to answer the phones, that are split by the agents)
• How is floor time handled?
• Can I hold open houses for other agents and if so how is this handled? Is there any advance training given? (The order of these questions will tell you something. Are they just going to throw you to the wolves or are they going to prepare you?)
• Will I be competing with the office manager for business?
• How accessible is the broker and who else can I call on for help?
• Can you give me names and phone numbers of other agents I can speak to?