100% Commission Real Estate in the 1980’s?

If real estate broker Jim Weinberg is right, the 100 percent real estate commission concept is going to be the coming thing in the residential real estate sales industry.

Weinberg has just converted his Wall Street Company residential brokerage from the conventional commission split structure to the 100 percent commission approach.

That means sales associates working out of Weinberg’s offices will get all of the commission they make on a sale. Previously, the associate got anywhere from 50 percent to 75 percent of the commission,depending on how much business the sales agent was producing.

In return for getting the entire commission, sales associates will now pay a $400 per month desk rental fee plus a small transaction fee on each sale. The associate also pays personal expenses such as long distance telephone calls, car expense and advertising. Associates in conventional brokerages pay a certain amount of their personal expenses now — car expense, for example.

Weinberg provides receptionist-secretarial help, access to the Realtor board computer, plat books, a full-time noncompetitive sales manager, training and a relocation system.

”It’s a win-win situation for both the broker and the agent,” Weinberg said.

The 100 percent commission concept surfaced several years ago, but has grown slowly in this market. A couple of years ago there was just one office — 100 Percent Realty — in the Orlando area utilizing the concept.

But the REMAX 100 percent franchise system moved into the area about a year ago and ”has done quite well,” Weinberg said.

Under the old commission system, for every 20 sales agents a broker had, four might be top producers, four might be so-so and the rest might be coming and going, he said.

Weinberg said all four Wall Street Company offices — Lake Mary, Maitland, Altamonte Springs and Winter Park — will be converted to the new system.