I have mostly worked at large real estate companies in the past. I enjoyed all of the benefits that they offered, however I never liked the cost of doing business with them (commission splits, desk fees, franchise fees, adverting fees, etc), but tolerated it because of the other benefits. That was fine when we were all making lots of money, but when the economy fell apart, I decided to start watching every penny of my cost of doing business.

That’s when I joined Hook & Ladder Realty, about three years ago. They believe in allowing the agents to make 100% of the commission and they only charge a small transaction fee per closing and a small monthly fee. They also have another plan if you don’t want the monthly fee. I must admit that they don’t offer some of the benefits of the larger companies, however they also don’t require you to attend weekly meetings, do floor time, offer office space (most agents work from home anyway).

I would rather have the commission in my pocket than give it to a big company for advertising that doesn’t benefit me at all. The Hook & Ladder Realty name is derived from one of the owners being a retired firefighter. They believe that giving of yourself to help others with integrity is paramount to operating a business.  I agree with that and operate  my business that way also.

Gregg Rappaport