Spruce School Students Find a Broker in West Virginia

If you’re enrolled in prelicensing classes at Spruce and getting ready to sit for your exam, now is a great time to start looking for a broker in West Virginia to sponsor you. It’s completely natural not to know which brokerage you’ll join yet, and it’s never too early to start looking — you’ll need a sponsoring broker to sign off on your application before you can activate your license anyhow.

If you get stressed out by job interviews, don’t think of this as one. Brokers need new agents so they can grow their business — they need YOU just as much as you need them. So although meeting with a broker has some characteristics of an interview, try to remember you have choices here too. They might arrange a meeting with you (and hopefully they will, because if they don’t, you probably don’t want to work there anyway), but you’re also picking who YOU want to work for.

Start by Scouting Brokerages

I’ve told students to pick up a Homes and Land magazine in their area and see which offices look like a place you’d want to work, based on how they advertise. Just keep in mind advertising costs money somewhere down the line, so there may be previously unseen factors weighing into your decision. You’ll want to think those through by meeting with different offices and asking questions.

Reach Out and Set Up a Meeting

Once you have an idea of a few offices you might want to work for, call them.

Tell them you’re taking your class through Spruce Real Estate School and will be licensed soon. Let them know you need a sponsoring broker to work under, and ask if you can set up an appointment to meet with the broker about working for them.

I’m almost certain most brokers want and need new agents and will happily set up a time to see you. If they don’t, that’s a big red flag telling you that you don’t need to be there.

Questions to Ask When You Meet

Once you’re in the meeting, ask a few questions and get a feel for the place. Two of the biggest, in my opinion, are office fees and required office time.

Office Fees

Some brokerages charge office or desk fees, and some don’t. Remember those flashy ads in Homes and Land magazine? Some offices advertise well because of the fees they collect, while others cut back on advertising because they never charge a desk fee. Neither approach means a broker is ripping you off — it’s really just a difference in how the office is run, and it’s up to you to decide how you feel about that. There are negatives and benefits to almost every setup, which is why you need to sit down with the broker, even if it’s only for ten minutes. What one person sees as a plus, another might see as a negative. Take how a broker budgets their advertising, and what that costs you, for example.

Bigger agencies that advertise well often charge higher desk fees, office fees, or use different commission splits with their agents. That might be a smart strategy for you, or it might feel like a money pit. It’s up to you to decide what matters and ask the office how they operate.

Required Office Time

Some offices require you to answer phones for a set number of hours each week. That could be a great thing, since taking calls in the office is a solid way to pick up leads, or it could be tough if you’re already working 40 hours a week somewhere else.

Think about where you plan to meet clients. If you don’t already know a lot of people buying and selling, you might want to spend more time at a real estate office, meeting walk-ins or fielding calls that could turn into leads.

These are just two questions that come to mind quickly. I’m sure there are hundreds more, but it’s something you can think about between now and your meeting. If you’re drawing a blank, start with these two.

Every Brokerage Runs Differently

All offices are run differently. Even Century 21 Morgantown is run differently than Century 21 Fairmont, so you have to see what each broker actually does. Some brokers train better than others. Some might even share a listing with you if you need help. It varies, which is why there’s no single answer I can give you.

How Many Brokers Should You Meet With?

Honestly, I’d call around to brokers in your area and try to schedule meetings with two or three. Anything more than just one is probably a good idea, though even one is fine if you find the right fit. Brokers are more than likely going to be happy to have you, and like I said earlier, if they’re not, it probably wouldn’t have worked out anyway.

Find a Broker in West Virginia With Our Free Tools

To make this even easier, we built two free tools for Spruce students and the brokerages that hire them.

• Students: Browse every West Virginia brokerage looking to sponsor new agents and see who’s hiring before you even pick up the phone.
• Brokers: if you run a brokerage and want to reach Spruce students directly, list your office here for free.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a broker before I take my West Virginia real estate exam?

You’ll need to line up a sponsoring broker at some point in the licensing process, and it’s smart to start meeting brokers while you’re still in class instead of waiting until after your exam. That way you’re not scrambling to find someone once you’re ready to activate your license.

How many brokers should I interview before choosing one?

Two or three is a good target, though even one solid fit is fine if you find the right match right away. The point isn’t to shop around forever — it’s to make sure you’re picking an office and a broker you’ll actually enjoy working with.

What questions should I ask when I meet with a broker?

Start with office fees and required office time, since those affect your day-to-day the most. From there, ask about training, lead generation, commission splits, and how involved the broker gets with new agents.

Where can I find brokerages in West Virginia that are looking for new agents?

Check the Spruce broker directory to see which West Virginia brokerages are currently open to sponsoring new agents, so you know exactly who to call before you even pick up the phone.

Get Licensed With the School That Only Does West Virginia

At the end of the day, none of this matters until you’ve got your license in hand — and that’s where we come in. Spruce Real Estate School only teaches West Virginia real estate. We don’t stretch ourselves thin trying to cover fifty different states and fifty different rulebooks. We know WV, because WV is the only place we teach. If you haven’t enrolled yet, head over to sprucerealestateschool.com and let’s get you licensed, so you can start making those calls to brokers for real.