Often an agent who is new to the real estate industry is urged to start off by joining a team or brokerage that provides leads. But why?

With the arrival in Jacksonville of Zillow’s new iBuyer program, Zillow Offers, many people are asking what the iBuyer concept is all about. Here’s a general overview of the how, why, pros and cons of iBuyers.

I’ve learned something surprising in my climb up the real estate ladder: most agents know very little about how the online lead generation system works.

Since online lead generation is typically one of the top three lead generation sources of any top professional real estate team, that disconnect is critical. It is essential that brokerages understand and teach their agents how that source of business works and why -- not only to help the agents and the brokerage, but also so their agents can maximize their service for their customers and stop costing their colleagues time and money.

Most brokerages don't teach what you really need to know in real estate because they often don't know themselves.

They may never have performed at a high level, or they may only care about agent count and money. They have quotas they need to hit, and many of their agents are W-2 employees that are simply there to get a paycheck.

It's all a numbers game for some brokerages, and if they just get enough bodies in the door, 1 in 10 will be successful … right? Sound familiar?

When considering real estate brokerages, an agent has many options to choose from. So, how do you get a handle on what is vital and what is just a pretty new thing? How do you cut through the noise and figure out the important questions to ask? You have to recognize what is unimportant, and focus on the more foundational, higher-level business questions. You have to understand what is most valuable to perform at the highest level possible and hit your financial goals.