Arthur Darmanin is very selective when it comes to bringing new companies into the Sellstate fold. And for good reason. Given the interconnected dynamic that runs throughout the system—from the newest agent all the way up to Darmanin himself—joining Sellstate is for those who are willing to aim high and work together to get there. “We have to make sure we’re all rowing the same way,” says Darmanin, who gives us a look inside the firm he founded with partner Neil Cresswell in Fort Myers, Fla., in 2002, in this exclusive interview.
Maria Patterson: Please describe Sellstate’s distinction in the marketplace.
Arthur Darmanin: We have three main points of distinction: We pay high commission to our agents; we provide breakthrough technology; and we offer revenue sharing.
MP: Why is high commission a priority?
AD: We pay high commissions because to get good, productive agents, you have to pay them well. That’s the reality of the industry. Another reality is, good agents will not join you unless they’re going to do better by closing more deals. That doesn’t mean you do it at the expense of having a profitable business. We believe in paying high commissions, but at the same time, having a business model that makes sense for the franchisee. We use a 95/5 platform. But what’s more than simply offering high commission is showing agents that you can support them. Our philosophy is not only paying well, but making sure we’re helping agents with their business. As a broker, if I can’t demonstrate to you how I can help you make more money, then clearly I have to be the cheapest game in town. But then there will always be someone cheaper than you. It’s a race to the bottom.
MP: So if price isn’t the only factor, how are you demonstrating value to agents?
AD: That’s where our breakthrough technology comes in. In today’s environment, for an agent to compete, they need good technology. Our definition of good technology is lead generation. It’s technology that works and helps you get more listings and more buyers—technology that is user-friendly, has a lot of automation and components that integrate well with each other. You also have to have exposure for your listings on the big sites, like enhanced listings on Homes.com. Our social media is also very robust; we offer a very comprehensive package, and we keep adding to it. To the best of my knowledge, we are the only franchisor where the agent doesn’t have to pay for a robust and complete technology package such as ours. As part of our value proposition, when an agent joins Sellstate, he/she automatically gets the entire package at no cost to them.
MP: What’s one of the newest tech features you’ve added?
AD: We recently added a feature to our Sellstate Power Suite that automatically creates a listing-specific website, flyer, Facebook posts, postcards, etc., for every single listing. All our agents have to do is input the listing into the MLS as they normally would, and all of this magic …read more
From:: Real Estate News