By Deborah Ball, RE/MAX Times Online Associate Editor
Susan Schroeder was happy with RE/MAX after seven years of hard work and reaching the Hall of Fame. Three years ago, however, she was enticed by a local Keller Williams office that promised her a higher income and better tools to grow her team. Schroeder switched to Keller Williams. She quickly learned that the grass wasn’t greener on the other side.
Schroeder’s fees to have a team more than doubled. Her team never got its own phone calls. She was expected to recruit new agents constantly. Office support was nonexistent. It didn’t take long for her to become disenchanted with her decision. In January, she came back to RE/MAX – and brought four Keller Williams agents along with her.
“I put in a lot of effort there for very little or no return,” says Schroeder, a Team Leader with RE/MAX Independence in Chadds Ford, Pa. “Keller Williams is not the place for an experienced agent like me. They catered to newer agents, and I felt like my broker was in direct competition with me to get listings. I want to work with experienced, seasoned professionals instead of a bullpen of new agents.”
Schroeder has advice for those considering a jump.
“It’s not less expensive to be at Keller Williams, contrary to popular belief,” Schroeder says. “If you’re struggling, go to your owner or manager and negotiate with them. And remember that if you go to a less expensive company, you get what you pay for. No one else can compare to the freedom, control and results we have at RE/MAX. There’s a reason why the industry’s top producers are here.”
Bill Pierson, one of Schroeder’s team members who started his career at Keller Williams, is glad he moved with her to RE/MAX. The RE/MAX culture, his office’s atmosphere and the ability to keep the money he makes are unparalleled benefits he wasn’t receiving before.
“At Keller Williams, we paid a lot of fees and had to buy books, products and services from the company,” Pierson says. “There was little or no cooperation from other agents. Now, all of that has changed. We get our own calls, our broker is supportive and other agents are cooperative and helpful.
“The tremendous brand-name recognition of RE/MAX sells twice as many of our listings and despite this economy, our listings are selling much faster and our net income is much higher.”
