Metro Brokers TV is metro brokers real estate

MetroBrokersTV: I am Amy Chase with Metro Brokers. We are here today at Metro Brokers TV with Joe Bennell. Joe is with Tailor-Made Real Estate in Longmont, Colorado. Welcome Joe.

Joe Bennell: Thank you.

MetroBrokersTV: So, tell me a little bit about how the brand and name recognition from Metro Brokers is working out for you as the only office in Longmont.

Joe Bennell: So far it is fantastic. It is definitely a recognizable brand even up in our little neck of the woods up in Longmont. Longmont has been considered kind of a smaller area and I think previously it may not have been a good fit for Metro Brokers, but it is now. We are at a size where it is recognizable; people who have seen the commercials, people who have seen the signs. There are other Metro Brokers from the northern Denver Metro area listing properties in Longmont as well. So, there is a lot of added benefit to the brand and people see it and they know it.

MetroBrokersTV: Tell me a little bit about the return on your investment from Metro Brokers. It is a great opportunity for our monthly dues. Tell me what your experience has been and what you like about that.

Joe Bennell: For the $80 bucks a month membership fee, it is really, it is just an unbeatable price. I mean you get television commercials, you get a wonderful website that incorporates all seven Colorado MLS systems into it. Included with that website you get your own personal agent page, which is a tremendous amount of money if you were to go outside and do that on your own. For instance, when I was trying to brand my independent company, I was looking at the television commercials and the cost of that and just for me to run a little 10 second ad between the hours of 1 am and 3 am four times a month was going to cost me $6,000 dollars. I am really pleased that I benefit from television commercials and I am only spending $80 dollars a month. I am spending a total of under 1000 dollars a month for an entire office to benefit from literally hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of advertising and marketing.

MetroBrokersTV: How have you been received in the community? Do you find that you are a respected agent or have you really had to kind of fight to earn that reputation or how has that been going?

Joe Bennell: Prior to my membership with Metro Brokers, people still hadn't really heard about Joe Bennell or Tailor-Made Real Estate. That was just because it is so cost prohibitive to market and brand an independent company and since I have opened up the doors, the word is getting out quickly, there is no other plan like it and it just makes a lot of sense for a lot of people who want to be successful in this business.

MetroBrokersTV: Tell me a little bit about your plans for expansion.

Joe Bennell: Well, I own an office right now on Main Street and it is a fairly large space and I need to get that one filled. I would like to fill that one up with professionals in the industry who are going to help promote the positive image of Metro Brokers brand and then I am looking forward to opening up some other offices in and around Longmont.

MetroBrokersTV: So, seasoned agents, are you also looking to bring on newer agents?

Joe Bennell: Not so much. Not so much. I am looking for the folks that have at least three years experience and understand how to do a transaction and want to be independent.

MetroBrokersTV: Well, there is no doubt in my mind you will continue to grow and do great.

Joe Bennell: Thank you.

MetroBrokersTV: Thanks Joe for coming.

Joe Bennell: You're welcome.

MetroBrokersTV: Hi. I am Amy Chase with Metro Brokers. Thanks for joining us again today on Metro Brokers TV. I am here this afternoon with Joe Bennell. He is out of our Longmont office. Joe, welcome.

Joe Bennell: Thank you.

MetroBrokersTV: So, tell us a little bit about how long you have been in real estate and what your background is.

Joe Bennell: Well, I have been in real estate now for five years. My previous background was in telecommunications engineering.

MetroBrokersTV: And your situation is a little bit unique because my understanding is when you got into real estate, you started a franchise immediately. So, you are not only an agent, but you are also a site owner with Metro Brokers.

Joe Bennell: That's correct.

MetroBrokersTV: So, tell me a little bit about that process and how you decided to join Metro Brokers. I understand you looked at other franchises. What was that like for you?

Joe Bennell: Well, I had been independent for a while, a business partner of mine and I who started Tailor-Made Real Estate and we were truly independent. I was under his license for the requirement of two years, which is the Colorado regulations and after that point, he decided to retire from the business and I was on my own with this Tailor-Made Real Estate and I just really couldn't get enough forward motion and just decided that I need to get a brand. So, at that point in time, I had looked into RE/MAX and Coldwell Banker. Most of the franchises that I looked into were roughly on an average $20,000 to $25,000 dollars just to get in the door and open up a little satellite office. So, I just put the word out to some of the brokers that I knew and came back and found Metro Brokers through actually one of the current board of directors.

MetroBrokersTV: So, why Metro Brokers? What was the good fit?

Joe Bennell: I am able to run my business the way I want to run my business. There is no particular franchise fee associated with it. There is a membership $80.00 monthly fee. The Metro Brokers brand was designed purely as a marketing co-op and really the marketing co-op and the brand recognition is huge in my business. It is just... you need it to convert buyer and seller prospects into actual clientele. They need to know who you are working for and they need to know that you are backed by a solid company.

MetroBrokersTV: And what was the application process like and tell us about that fee.

Joe Bennell: It was very simple. I just made one $900.00 application to open an office and they asked a few questions about my operating budget and where I am planning the office, what my venue would be, and I think once I submitted the application, it was... I had to wait for a committee meeting to approve the new office. There was maybe a three week turnaround time before I got approval.

MetroBrokersTV: So, a three week turnaround time, low fees, simplicity, now everything is online, kind of a no-brainer.

Joe Bennell: That's no-brainer, absolutely a no-brainer.

MetroBrokersTV: Terrific. Well, congratulations on a job well done.

Joe Bennell: Thank you.

MetroBrokersTV: Thanks for being here.

Joe Bennell: You're welcome.

Hi. This is Joe Bennell. I am coming here today from theMetro brokers Longmont office Franchise and I just wanted to clarify a couple of things regarding the metro Brokers monthly fees. I have had some brokers approach me and ask me whether or not there are any fees in excess of the Metro Brokers $80 dollars and my answer to them is yes. There are other fees if you want to have an office here. You would have to sign a lease and have some dedicated space. You are an independent broker and you are responsible to pay for your office. If you would like to use common space, that's fine as well. There is a different fee associated with that. However, the point is that the $80 dollars a month gets you all the success tools that you need, your branding, your marketing, your CTM contract software, and the Metro brokers Brand Name recognition that you need to be successful.

MetroBrokersTV : I am Mark Eibner and welcome to metrobrokerstv.com. Today, we are with Bruce Mitchell and Bruce has just recently opened an office up in the Breckenridge area and Bruce welcome to the show.

Bruce Mitchell: Thank you.

MetroBrokersTV : Just a quick question. With Metro Brokers having good brand recognition down here in Denver, what possessed you to perhaps pick the Metro Brokers brand name up in the mountain community? <read more-watch video>

Bruce Mitchell: Actually, the Front Range is very important to us. Over 60% of our business comes from the Front Range and Metro Brokers has such a strong presence in the Front Range of Colorado that I feel like it is going to be a great asset.

MetroBrokersTV : So, a lot of your clients, customers up there are actually familiar with the name Metro Brokers.

Bruce Mitchell: I would say two out of three buyers in the mountains are very familiar with Metro Brokers.

MetroBrokersTV : Wow. Excellent. Why don't you tell us a little bit about your office, how long you have been in the business, where you came from before?

Bruce Mitchell: I have been in the business for eight years. I have been with Re/Max. I have been very successful at Re/Max, but I was looking for an opportunity to open my own business. Sometimes you feel like you are beating the beast a little bit at Re/Max. It is a big company. Their rates have gone up quite a bit over time and I think that 30years ago, they were very innovative in bringing the 100% concept to traditional real estate, but today I feel like Metro Brokers has created a model for today's real estate market and in the future.

MetroBrokersTV : I mean it is hard to believe Metro Brokers started 32 years ago and we were a 100% shop back then with one set membership fee per month and 32 years later, we have a one set member fee... membership fee per month, no franchise fees, no advertising fees, no corporate fees, no any fees. Is that something that really attracted you to their franchise?

Bruce Mitchell: It seems like every dollar that you pay into Metro Brokers you get double your money back with the technology that they provide. The website is fantastic and it seems more like we are all here sharing costs rather than feeding the corporate beast like we did at Re/Max.

MetroBrokersTV : Opening expenses, I mean were you kind of shocked at how low it really cost to acquire the Metro Brokers trade name?

Bruce Mitchell: I was very surprised. I don't think most brokers realize how easily they can open their own shop with Metro Brokers.

MetroBrokersTV : Yeah, like office application fee, was it $950?

Bruce Mitchell: That is correct, yeah.

MetroBrokersTV : It is kind of hard to believe. I don't know, I know some of the even, let us just say lesser known Internet based franchises are running ten grand at a minimum and you really get no support, no anything. Have you been pleased with how Metro has worked with you and the support you have got here from corporate down in Denver?

Bruce Mitchell: The people here at Metro Brokers have been wonderful to work with and I have been really blown away by the support that they provide, with the technology, the website, is really going to be a big deal in our business in the mountains.

MetroBrokersTV : Great. Well, Bruce, we really appreciate having you on board and we also appreciate you coming in for the interview today. For more information about Metro Brokers, its people, our concept, keep your browser tuned on metrobrokerstv.com.

MetroBrokersTV : Metro Broker founder Larry Carr, says The concept is still as good now, as it was ever was. We are privileged today to really have an industry icon, Larry Carr. Larry Carr is with Metro Brokers and I wanted to do this interview with Larry, because Metro Brokers is in fact a very well known company in the State of Colorado here and you were one of the original founders some 30 odd years ago. So, why do not you tell us really what got in you to start something like Metro Brokers?

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