Our Culture
Never in my life would I have expected the company I work with to change who I am as a person, but I truly feel this has happened, for the better, thanks to KW. In college, I was that girl... you know--the competitive one who wouldn't share class notes with you. While I'm still extremely competitive, the agents I'm surrounded by at KW have inspired a change of heart. When I was a new agent, I had nearly constant questions that were repeatedly answered by more experienced agents who had nothing to gain by helping me. They chose to pay their knowledge forward, and being surrounded by this altruistic environment has shaped the way I handle the transfer of knowledge.
Now that I'm not the one constantly asking questions, I find myself in a position to be able to answer questions for new agents who are working on their first deal or who find themselves in new and unusual situations. Among many other resources provided to us at KW, we have a Facebook forum that connects agents who span across varying levels of experience. This forum is where I find myself often, trying to disseminate what was taught to me when I was new and eager to learn because I feel that I have a tremendous debt to pay forward.
There is little I can do to repay those agents who once helped me, so I feel a sense of obligation to reach out to those asking for help. If I hadn't experienced the culture you find in our office, I don't think this would have been the case. One of my favorite KW belief systems is to always come from contribution. I strive to do this both inside and outside of my business, and find that it never fails me.
Our Education
I should start by mentioning that KW was named the No. 2 training company across all industries. That's right, across all industries. In real estate, training is everything. Because our field has one of the highest rates of litigation, becoming well educated is the most important thing we can do to protect our clients from finding themselves on the wrong side of a lawsuit. That sounds scary, right? Well, it is, and in our highly litigious society, it's frighteningly common.
So, how exactly does KW train its agents? The answer is simple: ongoing education. Our new agents go through "Ignite," which is an intense, month-long training program. Each of the 20 classes has a specific focus, such as negotiating win-win agreements, interpreting the market, marketing listings, writing contracts (which is actually stretched across three classes), plus 14 more equally important topics. The best part of these classes? Each one is taught by the agent in our office who excels most in that particular field. Circling back to the KW culture and paying it forward, the instructors aren't paid to teach these classes. They do it for no benefit of their own--they come from contribution.
While Ignite is an amazing training program, it's just the tip of the iceberg. Real estate law, contracts, and norms are constantly changing, which is why ongoing education is paramount. I am tremendously thankful to find myself in an office where education is abundant, encouraged, and best of all... free! There is no better place to find yourself than in a room full of inquisitive agents who want to do the best job for their clients, and who are dedicated to protecting them by being informed. Education is one of KW's top priorities, and being a part of the very first KW office and being located next to KW's international headquarters means we have constant access to the best information.
Our Support System
The support I receive at KW is vast. Because I'm highly risk-averse, one of my favorite people in our office is our Compliance Director, whose sole job is to ensure agents are implementing best-practice procedures in their businesses. Our Compliance Director reviews every single contract that is written in our office to protect both the agent and the client involved in the transaction. Whenever I have an unusual or tricky contract question, the answer is a quick email away.
New agents who join KW are provided with one year of coaching from our Director of Career Development, which is an enormous benefit. Through this program, agents find themselves with a lifeline to lead them through their first few transactions, as well as ongoing direction and support on how to build a sustainable business.
Beyond the staff members we have at our disposal (which are much greater in number than the two mentioned above), some of the most beneficial support comes from the agents in our office themselves. Circling back to the notion of always coming from contribution, our agents are always willing to lend a hand in one capacity or another. Whether they specialize in a neighborhood you're unfamiliar with, or if they have particular insights into new construction and you're more versed in resale, I feel secure knowing I can always reach out to someone our market center and receive support and advice. No matter what my client is trying to achieve, I always feel confident I can help them because any information I don't know myself is available somewhere in my office.
While we have many new agents joining our office each month, we also have an abundance of seasoned agents who are leaving their previous brokerage or even their own brokerage to join us. I think that speaks to the type of opportunities KW affords us and our clients. Beyond our culture, education, and support are many other reasons agents find tremendous value in our company, but that's a whole other blog post :)
If you or someone you know is looking to get their real estate license, I hope you will contact me! Through KW's relationship with real estate schools, we can offer a 50% discount off licensing classes. I would love to invite anyone who's interested to attend one of our weekly meetings to see our amazing culture in action! If you're already an agent with another brokerage and think you might enjoy working in our environment, let me know and I'd love to introduce you to one of our team leaders.
And as always, if you know someone who's looking to buy, sell, or invest in real estate and you think they would benefit from working with an educated agent who loves her profession, company, and clients, reach out to me so I may see how I can help them.
