Mary Jane, a 22 year old real estate agent, in Kansas City, is starting to feel burned out. It's a Thursday night and she is still at the office trying to prepare for tomorrow's appointments. She started out with the KC Realty office as an independent sales agent 2 years ego. The first 9 months were really tough as she was trying to figure out the business and find clients. Then, her dedication and hard work began to pay off. Slowly she started to find her own clients mostly through weekend open houses. She was at work 7 days a week but had control of with who and when she worked. Although she wishes that she didn’t have to do some of the mundane administrative work which isn’t a money making activity, Mary enjoys the control she has while handling the transactions from beginning and to the end because she can always answer a client about the status of the deal . She feels very comfortable when she sees a deal through to settlement and personally takes responsibility. Mary hears too many horror stories of perfectly sound deals turning sour and falling through because of timely administrative issues. She tends to be a control freak and is not sure if she can trust another to handle this for her.  

 

 

Then, 6 months ego, the lead of the biggest real estate team in the office noticed her rising success and offered her to join the team as a buyer’s agent. She was honored and excited. The team and its members seemed very successful and busy with lots of work. She would make slightly less per deal but it seems like they are booming with business so then she will probably have more deals to work on. The team lead has created a system that works which would require Mary to lose control and her scheduling and follow a system. Nevertheless, it’s is a lot easier to capture leads and clients when you say you are part of a well known team.

 

 

 

Mary's dilemma is does she give up her personal business and join this team or pass the opportunity?  It’s not an easy business because the pay is sporadic and the work being done today can pay off a month or two later and sometimes even longer. Many times it never turnes into a sale. If she stays alone there are only so many hours in a day and it seems there will be a cap to the number of clients she can handle at any given time. Yet, with a team she can focus only on the selling which brings commission checks and leave the other work to a transaction manager on the team.

 

 

 

Personally, she has been with live-in boyfriend for two years and they haven’t decided if they want to take the relationship further. Since she works evenings with clients who are off from their work, she hardly has time to go out with her friends and boyfriend. She is feeling stressed. Joining a team might make things easier but it might also turnout to be more demanding. The team lead gave her a week to think things over because they do want a commitment of at least a year since they will be spending recourses. What should Mary do?