Frequently asked questions
“Dedicated to enhancing the lives of real estate professionals”
Connect FAQ
Q. Do you need an active Real Estate License to join Connect Realty?
A. Yes. To comply with local and state guidelines, all Associates must have a real estate license and become a member of a local board of realtors that Connect Realty is a member of. Within 30 days of application, licensees must transfer or activate their license sponsorship to Connect Realty. Agents that have not fully transitioned to Connect Realty or have not completed all of the required paperwork will be unable to earn commissions, residuals, or referral fees.
Q. In what ways is Connect Realty similar to offerings from other industry companies?
A. Various aspects of Connect may vaguely resemble the best pieces of traditional and non-traditional real estate firms. Connect Realty has reinvented and refined how real support services, marketing, technology and education are delivered to real estate agents and their clients and supercharged how real estate agents are paid.
Q. What products and services are going to be available for the listing and buying agents?
A. Connect Agents have 24/7 access to an ever-growing library of:
• Transaction Management Tools
• Brochure Templates
• Flyer Templates
• Ad Templates
• Buyer Guides
• Listing Presentation
Q. Do I have to maintain a brick and mortar office to participate with Connect Realty?
A. No. Our agent model is designed to provide you with all the tools you need without you having to have an office.
Q. Can I keep my current office or will I have to eliminate it?
A. It’s up to you. Whatever suits you best. If you already have an office and want to maintain one, you are welcome to do so.
Q. When will we have access to signs, riders and business cards and who pays for these items?
A. Signs and business cards can be ordered from an approved vendor located in our Marketing Place & eStore located in your Virtual Office. Marketing materials are an Associate's investment. Connect Realty does however order in bulk from many of our providers and passes along the savings to our Agents.
Q. Does Connect Realty offer any training?
A. Yes, we have extensive online training available to our agents. This covers everything from how to take a listing, get a price reduction, set up your data base, etc. Agents are able to access this 24/7 at their convenience. We also have one on one mentoring available for newer agents or someone who would like extra support. Many of our offices have weekly production classes as well.
Q. Do I have to get marketing materials approved by Connect Realty corporate?
A. Yes. This is to protect the brand image for all Connect Associates.
Q. What level of autonomy do your Associates enjoy?
A. The beauty and benefits of the real estate business – independence and freedom. Naturally it’s expected that Connect Associates conduct themselves in a professional, service oriented, consumer friendly and ethical manner. To preserve the professional image and brand integrity for all Associates, certain logical limitations will be enforced regarding the use of Connect Logos and marketing language (as outlined in your Policy & Procedure Manual). Connect Realty is first and foremost a real estate company whose primary focus is listing and selling real estate, delighting clients and helping hardworking real estate agents build a professional, profitable business. When recruiting, Associates are encouraged to focus on the positive benefits of our Agent Technology Package and industry leading compensation plan. Care should be taken to refrain from tarnishing the luster of the Connect brand by promoting with “get rich quick”, “become a millionaire”, “multi-level marketing” styles of communication and promotion. Associates are encouraged to use any of ConnectRealty.com web-copy for marketing, promotions and recruiting. Associate versions of website and other forms of promotional marketing materials are subject to corporate review and approval.
That’s a long winded way to say: we want you to have the freedom and independence for limitless success. We will work hard to help you realize your most important aspirations and will not allow Associates to dilute the Connect Realty brand or dull the luster of Connect Realty.
Q. Can I control how and when a listing is posted to the MLS?
A. Yes within the Rules & Regulations of your MLS.
Q. As a Broker-Associate do all personal transactions have to be under Connect realty?
A. Yes. Unless otherwise approved by the State Broker, we do not allow Broker-Associates to individually select which transactions are processed under Connect Realty vs. another brokerage.
Q. Can Brokers maintain other affiliations including real estate and mortgage products?
A. Yes, provided that all proper legal and compliance requirements and disclosures are adhered to, Associates may maintain their affiliations with ancillary service providers. Keep in mind, Connect Realty is first and foremost a real estate company. At no time can you represent any other services as provided from Connect Realty or use the Connect Realty logo when marketing those services.
Q. Is there an opportunity for a Mortgage Broker to become a "preferred lender"?
A. Connect Realty is first and foremost a real estate company. There are no immediate plans for Connect Realty to enter the mortgage industry. As opportunities arise Connect Realty will form alliances and/or partnerships that will benefit Connect Realty, our Agents and clients.
Q. Do you only receive commissions/residuals if you are active (what happens if you don’t have any business for several months)?
A. Correct. You must have an active license to be a Connect Associate. Connect Associates are not penalized if there is a gap in production. Other than a lack of commission income, nothing happens if you don’t have any business for several months. Good news, you do receive any residual income generated from your sponsored colleagues whether you have personal production or not. Cool huh?
Q. Are there any production quotas for Connect Associates?
A. No quotas. We do however expect our Agents to conduct business with a service oriented, professional, ethical, and honest behavior and practices.
Q. Will we have to enter the listing into Connect Realty MLS and our local MLS.
A. You are only required to submit you’re listing information to your local MLS and enter some basic information into our commission system. Connect Realty does offer additional platforms to assist you in marketing your listings. These are strictly optional however we hope that you will take full advantage of these services.
Q. Will we maintain our existing Supra Key systems?
A. Yes.
Q. Are we able to recruit agents all over the United States?
A. Yes. Anywhere Connect has a designated Connect Broker and board membership, Associates can recruit and sponsor.
Q. How are compliance requirement handled i.e. file review, storage etc?
A. Connect Realty will provide compliance services through our State Brokers and our Headquarters Operations Center. As part of our Agent Technology Package we provide Transaction Point (from Fidelity Real Estate Services) to track, manage, archive and provide unparalleled compliance for both our Agents and Brokers.
Q. The nature of Real Estate is somewhat technical, how can all of the legal and business aspects of a real estate transaction be handled by the internet when it is generally difficult to do it in person within a brick and mortar operation?
A. At Connect Realty we will never replace the personal interaction with our clients with the internet or an electronic form. We have proven however; that by utilizing technology we can improve the level of service we provide both our Agents and clients. Smooth, professional transactions are created by professional, well trained, well supported real estate agents not by brick and mortar.
Q. Is this a pyramid or a Multi Level Marketing “MLM” company?
A. No. Ask yourself this, with your existing company what happens if you refer a friend to the company you currently work for? Usually nothing, other than a “thanks”. Connect Realty is the next generation model of real estate company that believes that if you introduce other agents to Connect Realty you should be rewarded. The Connect model is vaguely similar to traditional brokerages but better for the agent. In a traditional brokerage model the commission generated is split with the broker and sales manager, while the franchise receives a franchise fee. The residual income compensation concept was introduced, legitimized and popularized by Keller Williams and Exit Realty. It’s been perfected by Connect Realty, where Agents keep more money and earn residuals WITHOUT the complex calculations involving personal productivity, branch profitability and corporate profitability. Please note agents are never asked to recruit others. First and foremost we are a real estate company.
Q. Are there any fees deducted from the 5% residual before payout?
A. No fees are charged as part of Connect’s residual compensation. The compensation is paid on the net commissions applicable to the agent. Please refer to the current Agent Compensation Agreement for all specific details regarding Agent Compensation.
Q. Is any part of 5% + 5% + 5% residual income deducted from agent commissions?
A. No. All residual income is paid directly from the net company dollar. In appreciation for your hard work and recruiting efforts, we are happy to reward you.
Q. Please explain the company’s termination policy? Is it unilateral or bilateral?
A. It’s unilateral. Either party may terminate without penalty or cause. Please refer to the current Agent Compensation Agreement for all specific details regarding Agent Compensation.
Q. Does Connect Realty charge any monthly fees?
A. Connect Does not charge any monthly Desk Fees, Processing Fees, Transaction Fees, Document Archival Fees or Office Fees. We do have a modest Agent Technology fee that covers all of our advanced services such as Realtor.com, Transaction Point, Personal Agent web page and Virtual Home Tours. This fee can be paid on a monthly basis or once a year, it’s up to you.
Q. Can an Agent customize their personal web sites or create their own?
A. Yes. Connect Realty has invested heavily in our Agent Technology Platform and we encourage our Agents to utilize this outstanding technology. Connect has incorporated live MLS data feeds, Google Mapping, lead generation, blogging and many other features into our company and Agent web pages. An Agent can link their own existing web site or new web site to their Connect Realty web site if they want to take advantage of these advanced features.
Q. Are you selling franchises to brokers in different states?
A. No. Connect Realty is a non-franchised based real estate company. Connect provides all the benefits of owning your own franchise without the franchise fees.
Q. I own my own domain name. How do I redirect it to my personal web site?
A. You do not actually redirect a domain name in this context, you redirect a web site. Consequently, you must have a web site defined to redirect it to your personal replicating web site. With some web servers it is possible to actually specify a different URL in the definition of the site (i.e., you do not need any content). On other servers, it may be necessary to have a single page which doesn’t display any content that redirects to another web site immediately. In either case, you will need to consult with your individual hosting company or web developer to accomplish this.
Q. What if I change my mind about membership and want a refund?
A. You are entitled to a three business day right of rescission and will receive a refund if your request is made within that timeframe.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us with additional questions!