We speak with so many brilliant folks across dozens of industries and when those folks happen to be working for someone else, sometimes we can’t help but wonder why they aren’t working for themselves. How do folks decide between joining a firm or starting their own? We posed the question to the community and have shared some of their responses below.

Kimberly Tomlinson

I joined RE/MAX Alliance right after passing my real estate test. Everything went so quickly after that moment given I thought it could take a few “tries”. It’ always been the right choice for me to join a larger firm. I wanted a brand and RE/MAX Alliance provided that along with a lot of training and development steps. Of course I felt nervous. Scared! How would I find clients? How long would it take? Could I make money in a profession that is 100% commission based? It all came together though and faith in my abilities and support of friends and family went a long way in pushing my success up hill. Read more>>

Paige Bounassi

So I had spent almost half a decade in the Los Angeles real estate market as a REALTOR, and while I loved it, I felt that because of the high interest rates and high purchase prices, I was feeling very stagnant, and my ethical nature was being tested. Trever, Ahing, founder and CEO of the nationwide novations based dispositions company Buyer Beater had contacted me about working at the company that he was just starting to branch out for. Trever has done novations for years and gained such a following that he needed to branch out and scale up, which is why he contacted me. He knew, based on my years of sales and my experience as a realtor that he wanted me to be the manager of his entire Acquisitions Department for Buyer Beater. Read more>>

Guillermo Granier

As a Junior at the College of Charleston, I decided to join Lee & Associates Charleston as an intern. It was the best decision I’ve made for my career. I obtained my South Carolina real estate license during my Senior year of college. This May of 2023, I graduated from the College of Charleston and became a full-time Associate at Lee & Associates Charleston. My experience with the firm throughout school showed me that they had the team, the tools and the market knowledge I needed to succeed. To be honest, after I had been working at the firm for more than a year during school, I didn’t see myself working with anyone else. It definitely helped getting that experience before I graduated. As I mentioned, I finished school May of 2023. Now, I am on a team focusing primarily on Retail real estate throughout South Carolina. We are the Palmetto Retail Group. Read more>>

Romina Keshishyan

After graduating Loyola Law School, I continued to work for a law firm that represents unions, including SAG-AFTRA, the Directors Guild of America, Inc., and the Writers Guild of America. It was inspiring to work alongside powerful, passionate attorneys advocating for union employees. It hearkened back to my UC Berkeley days as a union organizer for AFSCME Local 3299 when I envisioned becoming a lawyer one day to help employees. Read more>>