What your broker doesn't want you to know can hurt you.

Whether your plan is to start selling real estate as a full-time agent, or to be a part-timer with an eye on transitioning to full time after you quit your day job, or you just want to boost your current income by staying part-time, you will be confronted with an array of choices. How can new agents figure out which agency is the right fit for their financial goals and lifestyle?

Sadly, the dropout rate for new agents is well over 80 percent. The primary reason is the choices new agents make from the start. They do not understand the significant differences between the franchise chains, the boutiques (luxury and otherwise), and the small, home-based brokerages. There are pros and cons for each type of office. Realtors who do not understand these differences hop from company to company.

There are also hidden fees and agendas that are not disclosed to the new agent; there are hierarchies and unspoken policies in place at every office. Not knowing about the important details that are seldom disclosed up front causes agents to change companies multiple times, especially in their first year. In doing so, they lose confidence and momentum along with their customers and their listings. The new agent who can avoid the common pitfalls will not be one of the 80 percent who fail.

What the new agent needs is empowering, street-smart information and Valerie Thorne's Start Selling Real Estate offers just that. The author's goal is to provide new agents with the kind of real-world information that will enable them to make the right choices from the beginning of their careers. It will help new agents avoid time and money wasting activities. This book walks you through the types of agencies and provides you with the information that will help you decide which office is the best fit for you, based on your needs and goals. It explains the financial impact of different combinations of fees and agent/broker splits: the portion of money that goes to you and the portion that goes to your office once a deal has closed. It will explain why your broker's agenda is to get you to buy lead-generating and marketing services you don't need, and offers tips on how to sidestep their demands.

Let Valerie give you the straight-up talk so you can be street-smart in this lucrative but rough-and-tumble game called real estate. Let her empower you to get started the right way.

Who should read this book?