- Tell me about the type of agents that are in your office.
- Tell me why I should join a Windermere office, what is different about Windermere?
- Do you have a program for agents coming into your office to make the transition smoother?
- What do you do to help newly transitioned agents build their business?
- What is your training program like in the office?
- What help do you have if I am new to the business?
- What technology tools do you have for agents?
- What technology tools do you have for my Buyers and Sellers?
- What marketing tools do you have for agents?
- Tell me what I can expect at your sales meetings.
- Are you sales meetings mandatory?
- Can you give me an office roster so I can talk to your agents before I make the decision to move to Windermere?
- Tell me about your availability to your agents. When I call or come to you for help, when can’t I call you for help?
- What is the Circle of Excellence and is it important to your office?
- Do you have floor time, and if so, how is it handled?
- What costs do you cover for an agent making a move to your office?
- How much are your fees and what do I get for that fee?
- Can your office help if I need to make a referral outside of our area?
- Do you have Health Insurance options?
Tell me about the type of agents that are in your office.
Hardworking, competitive yet open and sharing, caring, friendly. To take this vision into more simple words, Windermere/Coeur d’Alene Realty, Inc. and Windermere Hayden, LLC are a group of agents that are passionate about real estate and if we are going to work hard and put a lot of time into the business in order to be successful, then we might as well have a lot of fun along the way.
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Tell me why I should join a Windermere office, what is different about Windermere?
There are lots of reasons. The first thing that comes to mind is the culture. Windermere does not have one corporate bone in its body. Consider the visual of a reverse or upside down pyramid. At the top, the widest part, are agents, next the staff, then the Managing Brokers and owners. It’s all about the agents and supporting/serving the agents. Thus our owners and support staff call themselves the Service Team.
For a sales organization we are not very “salesy.” We are more a service company to our clients and communities. We are highly competitive yet collaborative; no prima donna agents our focus is on the client and their success. The Service Team’s role is to help agents achieve their goals. We have an office environment that is calm, 100% supportive, business-like and respectful.
Windermere provides some pretty impressive “power tools” for agents. For the agent, we have both a online resource center for Windermere system wide as well as an online resource center for everything you need at a local level. They are web based and easy to use anywhere. We also have personal agent websites, a contact management system, a high quality, low-cost direct mail/email program, easy to use programs to upload listings to a wide variety of websites, subsidized sphere mailings and listing presentation sheets. We also offer supported advertising options. Our strategy is to allow our agents to tailor their advertising needs to the way they feel is most effective for their business.
Although Windermere doesn’t believe in chest beating, we do have the best of all worlds. We have the size of Windermere, which gives us a vast market presence and market share, especially on the West coast, yet Windermere/Coeur d’Alene Realty, Inc. and Windermere Hayden, LLC are small enough to be and feel like a family.
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Do you have a program for agents coming into your office to make the transition smoother?
Yes. With our recruiting efforts focused on bringing in experienced agents; we have a solid track record of transitioning agents without too many business bumps. It starts with a one-on-one staff orientation backed with a 3 page checklist that will take you through each step of the orientation. We will work with you on an individual basis and assist you with transferring all of your listing paperwork, change signage and help you create new marketing materials. You will meet with various Service Team members who are willing to tutor you one-on-one to get you up to speed.
What do you do to help newly transitioned agents build their business?
Business planning at Windermere is key to the success of so many of our agents. That is why we offer one-on-one coaching, mentoring and classes to help every agent achieve their goals. There are also several support groups that meet each week to support each other in the goals we set for ourselves. We are happy to partner with you and provide weekly, bi-weekly or monthly accountability.
What is your training program like in the office?
One area we get the greatest feedback from agents that have joined our offices is our training program. We proactively offer a training program that is a blend of:
- One-on-one coaching
- In House weekly training sessions
- Webinars
- Hosting nationally known speakers right in our area
- Business development classes
- Support group meetings
But don’t take our word for how helpful these classes are to the agents. Ask any of our agents. They will attest to the diligence we place on this very important aspect of a real estate career. Your success means the world to us.
What help do you have if I am new to the business?
We have a special program for new agents or even experienced agents who desire to take their business to the next level. This intensive program is mandatory for newly licensed agents and is offered at no cost to the agent. We will cover everything you need to know to get a solid foundation built for your business. A few things on the long list of items you will accomplish is having a personalized agent website, know how to build a business plan, know the contracts and forms, have insight on working with Buyers and Sellers, acquire time management skills and much more. We want you to succeed and we will help you with those steps to success.
What technology tools do you have for agents?
We understand the importance of staying proactive in a tech savvy world. That is why we offer agents the latest technological tools available. This includes:
- Visibility on high traffic websites including Realtor.com, Facebook, CraigsList, Trulia
- Free agent websites
- Highly discounted enhanced websites
- Contact Management Systems
- 24/7 company resource center
- Seller feedback reports
- Blogs
- Office generated Facebook presence
What technology tools do you have for my Buyers and Sellers?
Not only is www.CDARealty.com a highly recognized and used local site but we also have the power of www.Winderemere.com and www.Realtor.com to help give the greatest exposure to your listings.
We also have relationships with other internet companies and search engines: Zillow, CraigsList, Trulia, Yahoo, Google base. Tools like Listing Xpress and Google Analytics help make sure your Sellers get feedback reports on their hit count and click-throughs.
Buyers can also stay on top of every new listing that is posted area wide by using our automatic program where they can establish multiple home searches based on their specific criteria.
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What marketing tools do you have for agents?
Marketing is where we shine. We have everything you need to shed the best light on you or your listings. We have high quality, full customizable marketing materials that can be delivered to your office within 24 hours. There is also direct mail and email programs and Listing Presentation tools that are easy to use and effective.
And when it comes to helping you with your personal marketing, we go the extra mile to help you establish top of mind awareness with your clients. We offer subsidized Circle of Friends mailings. This mailing program is targeted to local people and local business’ and our agents get rave reviews from their clients. And we do all the work for you. You just have to take the calls when your clients call and thank you for the thoughtful gift.
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Tell me what I can expect at your sales meetings.
We meet every Wednesday morning beginning at 8:30am and go to approximately 9:30am. The expectation is that everyone attends all sales meetings. In return, the meetings are informative, high energy, motivational and timely. Agendas are always prepared and the meetings are interactive.
If you would like to attend one of our sales meetings, we would love to have you. Just stop by any Wednesday morning, we start promptly at 8:30am.
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Are you sales meetings mandatory?
The expectation is that everyone attends all sales meetings. The “M” word is difficult for us Windermere people. However, agents find value in the meetings and we have a high regular attendance. Our goal is to create content each and every week that you can put to use immediately.
Can you give me an office roster so I can talk to your agents before I make the decision to move to Windermere?
Absolutely and we recommend it. You may to click on the “What Agents are Saying” tab on this site to get a glimpse of some things our agents have to say. Would you like us to suggest someone who already made the leap from your company? We are also happy to provide you with any agent name, phone number and email address.
Tell me about your availability to your agents. When I call or come to you for help, when can’t I call you for help?
We have an open door policy and are here to help. As former agents ourselves, we understand and are very sensitive to agent urgency. For the most part, there is someone always available. We are available via phone, email and text – and yes, on weekends, too.
What is the Circle of Excellence and is it important to your office?
Each year the Coeur d’Alene Association of Realtors presents a Circle of Excellence Award. This award showcases an agent’s commitment to excellence in representation, community involvement and civic spirit. These are all attributes that we build our business upon so it brings us great pleasure when year after year Windermere agents consistently make up at least XX% of agents receiving the award.
Do you have floor time, and if so, how is it handled?
Yes, we do. Floor is available to any agent that is interested in participating. You simply let the staff know your availability and schedule requests. At the beginning of each month a Floor Time calendar is distributed and posted on the Compass Site. If you something comes up at the last minute and you are not able to be present during your assigned time, the staff will work with you to find a replacement.
What costs do you cover for an agent making a move to your office?
We are committed to helping you make the transition and partnership with you in costs. For experienced agents, many times we will work with your regarding your anniversary date and how much of their split has been paid to the other company. For a new agent, we will allow them to put their start up cost (signs, cards, education) on the agent charge and divide the cost over their first two or three closings.
How much are your fees and what do I get for that fee?
We have only 3 fees. We have a split of $XXXX, a That is it. There are no desk fees. In return you get a non competing broker who is passionate about making agents successful, a full time staff, 7 days a week, who are servant hearted and whose sole purpose is to support agents and their business, cutting edge business tools, legal assistance, one-on-one coaching, more education classes than you can even imagine, support groups, XXXXXXX and to be associated with the most productive agents in the area. That association and influence is not subtle…in fact, we think it can be priceless.
Can your office help if I need to make a referral outside of our area?
Yes. We can help you earn a referral fee for relocations. Windermere is affiliated with the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World. Through this partnership we are equipped to assist with the sale or purchase of a home anywhere in the world. We can even help with corporate relocations. In addition, Windermere Relocation’s goal is to provide the convenience of “one-stop shopping” by being a full-service relocation provider so you have access to helpful reports like Cost of Living and City Comparisons.
Do you have Health Insurance options?
Yes. As a collective group, Windermere has access to health insurance programs that you can purchase as an independent contractor.