What should ARMAN do?

[ARMAN]

ARMAN probably and hopefully going to work in real estate :shock: :hmm: and he needs your help :P

There are 2 real estate company's that I am choosing from, both are about 5 years on the market. In both I will be working on my own licence as a broker.
One is smaller (3-5 working agents), ok looking office, not that known on market and not that much advertised. They have 100 offers on the internet atm.
Other is bigger and more prestige looking(about 10-15 working agents) good looking office, they are widely advertised on the internet and in realty magazines(free issues which are given away everywhere), they have over 760 offers on the internet atm.

In both I will be trained by the owner. Both guys seems to be ok from the first look but you cant judge from that really. Both looks like they know what they are doing. Small company dude is about 10 years older than me and big company dude is 1 year younger than me :)

The bigger are doing all the stuff - sell houses, flats, do rents etc and I will be starting with rents which is good and bad, good as I'll learn it easier way as selling houses is more difficult that do rents but also I'll make less money in the beginning at least.
In the smaller company I will start with sales probably from the beginning as they mainly do sales but no rents.

Bigger company offers a bigger persentage from the business I will do for them also :hmm: 30% from the profit in small and 30 to 40% in bigger company.

I was decided to go to the smaller company which I visited as the first one and today I was in this bigger one and now I am confused what to do as I like them both :? I've been in two others which I choose not to join.

What do I do? Ask more questions or say what you think would be smart to do. Gotta let them know tomorrow.

Now shoot :twisted:

[MIHALS]

first: Hooray, ARMAN has a job :D

second: I'd go to the bigger company - they will teach you from the beginning and you always have way to go up :wink:

third: GOOD LUCK MY FRIEND!!! :good:

[ARMAN]

At least I will have a "job" after a pretty long while :shock: Thanx Michal ;)

[ARMAN]

@MrMojo - i know its up to me, as they say "you gotta do what you gotta do" :D More opinions will help me to think about it from different perspective ;)

[bultaco_metralla]

Go to the small one, dominate it and make an Imperium!!! .... LMAO...now serious, in wich one do you feel better?? for work, people bahaviour etc... thats the point IMO...

Congrats!

[dutchmasterflex]

Go to them both, and interview them just as they are interviewing you. Find out which one would work out in your favor(i.e. vacation/sick time, employee moral, overall "culture" of the business)

Is the "bigger" company more successful than the smaller one?

[novass]

Go with the bigger company, they are bigger for a reason :wink: You may not make as much in the beginning, but in the long run it will work to your benefit.

[batgirl]

arman should stop refering to himself as arman...

only direct decendents of the Jabba heirarchy are allowed to have airs around here :P

[acmarttin]

I don't know how things are in Prague, because I've never even been close to the place, but personally, I would scope out the insurance benefits, retirement options, etc.

That's sort of an American way of looking at things. If your government pays for your well being then you don't have to worry about that sort of thing.

----

Otherwise, I've been in a similar dilemma and ended up working for the larger company for the reasons listed above. My heart was with the smaller company because I felt like my work would be more noticed there (I'm a graphic artist), but so far I've been getting a decent little list of clients and I would say my work is pretty well appreciated around the office.

Too bad in the U.S. benefit and retirement packages are king.

[ARMAN]

Thanx for your thoughts guys ;)

I will be working for them but as a sort of independed broker on my own license so I pay all taxes, insurance, my own car and gas myself all other expenses around work are covered by the company obviously. Theres no basic salary - no sale = no money. On the other hand you are making multiple amount of what you can get in any other "secure" job.
Its a common practice that real estate company's dont have regular employers here.

I think I should join the big company 8)

[Mattk]

I would tend to go for the smaller company, because that's where I see myself when I graduate. But, you're not getting a regular salary and essentially working alone. There are more contact opportunities available in the larger agency. It's just more well-known.

To be honest, I have friends in real estate and it's a life I don't want!

[nthfinity]

Both companies sound small to me...

The company with the younger guy and is already significantly larger then the small company... entrapaneurship to a greater level seems like the way to go. Even in the faster growing company, there is always room for more growth, and it seems they have a crack at how to make it work better~ the training will be better~ the pay will be better ~ and the opertunity for becoming a greater success is there.

If the small company and larger company didn't start at the same time (say small 5 years, larger 20 years) then i'd shoot for the smaller company.

[silentm]

i just hope you do not regret your descision in the end and give it all you can :)

[TopGearNL]

Congrats Arman!

If Im ever moving to the Czech Republic you can sort out my house! :mrgreen:

[sameerrao]

Bigger company:
+ Recognized name - looks better on your resume when you leave (Always think about exit strategy)
+ larger share of profits
+ lower risk starting point while you are learning the trade - rent income is more stable to offset your own expenses
- lower overall income potential if you are a good salesman unless they turn the house sales over to you
+ Better job exposure - sales, rents

Smaller company
+ More chance at getting additional responsibility
+ More risky for the first year. No sales = no income

My recommendation:
Join the big company. Stay a year or two at least. If you are diligent and learn the craft well, they will naturally move you over to the more lucrative sector (sales) soon as it mutually beneficial to them and you.

After a couple years, you will have a better picture of the market and built contacts in the industry and can then move in a more lucrative position to the smaller company or set up your own business.

[Tyronne]

Heheh cool job and pays well.

It's always hard to know which one to join as both have good and bad points. Bigger firms have more sales people, if your boss tosses a bone into the yard all the dogs will fight for it. Meaning it's cut throat in big firm, whereas smaller firm are more personal and you could always deal with the boss on a personal level.

Will you be on commisions only? Will you get an area to market yourself? Most agent will be assigned areas to sell and get listings. Another area is property management but it's a lot of head aches as you will be dealing with a lot of people and that means a lot of head aches. Best to get to know your Property Manager well because they are a good source of getting listings.

Bigger firms will have higher propensity to advertise and in most cases will have larger market share aswell as better exposure. You will also get better training from larger firms as they tend to invest in their employees.

[ARMAN]

News - finally today I have signed papers to the smaller company as the "big" company acted as they are super special or what and in the end let me wait for half of the week to tell me that they "decided to take someone else" :roll:
Actually its almost impossible for foreigner(well I mean from post soviet countries) to get a job in real estate business here. As I was told by one lady from one of the company's that "its not good for the company image" to hire someone who have any kind of russian accent :bah:
In the company I am now the co-owner is a guy from Moldavia wich was in Soviet union, he started 8 years ago from nothing so he knows how and what to do to get accepted and to break thru... which is only good for me 8)

So today was full day of training continuing tomorrow and after that I am starting to work :twisted:

Thank you all for hints and suggestions ;) :P

[MIHALS]

awesome!!! go and get yourself a huge BigMac for getting a real job after a long time!!! :D
I wish you all the best to build your job up and then make that "big company" closed :lol:

see ya next sat Mr. Employee :wink:

[ARMAN]

Thanx guys :P

I just need to survive couple of weeks till I will sell something 8) cant sell the car as I will need it the most but gotta find a way to live it thru :shock:

MrMojo - houses inside Prague are from 140-160.000€ and more, 20-30km from Prague 80.000€ and more. Those are prices of new houses, old ones can be cheaper ofcourse :P

[ARMAN]

Sure! :P
Its the price of a whole separate house so you have small or big piece of land with it and so.