LIVING ON

Living On Commission

Commissioned sales is one of the few places where you get paid exactly what you ’re worth. One of my friends really hates that concept. “I could never live on that!” But loan officers have to do it all the time.

The most successful people I know love being on commission! They love being able to give themselves a raise just by working harder. Most people need a little help learning how to budget, and how to put away money for taxes and infrequent but important expenses.

So here’s the rule: Never plan to spend more than half of any paycheck. You can have all kinds of fancy formulas but that’s it. You have to assume that at least a quarter

by Linda Brakeall

and maybe a third will go directly to the government for taxes. You should be putting at least 10% away for savings and investment and 5% for surprises is not unrealistic.

When I took over a large real estate office a few years ago I found out that one of my new REALTORS®

was going through bankruptcy proceedings. I knew she a sold a lot of real estate and I couldn’t figure out how she got in that situation. One evening over coffee she told me about being a rookie with another company. She fell into a land deal and made the single largest sale her company had ever made.

Within six months she received a huge six-figure commission. Within two years she was in debt over her

Commissioned sales is one of the few places where you get paid exactly what you’re worth.

head. The problem? She spent it all! She started borrowing trying to pay her taxes. She was so stressed out over the tax situation that she didn’t sell any more real estate for the next year.

REALTORS®

or other commissioned sales people. A little planning in advance for regular and predictable expenses and a slush fund for surprises and you’ll be covered!

Don’t let that happen to you. Loan officers aren’t that different from

Copyright©, Linda Brakeall. All rights reserved.

JOSH WHITMORE , KALAMAZOO, MI — RISING STAR IN REAL ESTATE

Josh Whitmore started his career in real estate in 2012 as an investor. After a few years of flipping houses and truly enjoying the process, he decided that it might be something worth pursuing fulltime. He left his job as a banking branch manager and obtained his license in 2019. Josh currently works as a solo agent at Jaqua Realtors and serves clients throughout Kalamazoo, MI, and the surrounding cities.

Having a strong work ethic and in-depth knowledge of the area, and the local market, has helped Josh build a business network that fully consists of referral and repeat clients. “I’ve been pretty fortunate that thanks to word-of-mouth I haven’t had any need for marketing,” he says. “Clients appreciate my expertise. My years in banking and as an investor have given me a unique background that allows me to help guide them through every step of the transaction, and make it as easy and smooth as possible,” he says. And in order to show his clients how grateful he is for their business Josh likes to host client appreciation events.

A big part of Josh’s marketing strategy involves having professional photography, including drone photos. He also takes his time to do walkthrough videos that he shares on various social media portals. And his marketing techniques are already paying off. “It’s my first full-time year as a REALTOR®, and I’m on track to make $4 million in sales volume by the end of the year,” he says.

It’s great to have variety at work in order to keep it exciting, and Josh has found plenty of it in real estate. “Every day is different, every client is different, every house I walk through is different, and every transaction is different. Boredom or stagnation is not an option in real estate.”

In his spare time Josh is deeply involved in local sports. He helps coach Little League Baseball—which he also sponsors— and he started, coaches, and sponsors a travel baseball team for his older son. He also coaches a flag football for YMCA, and sponsors the local hockey program. Helping guide youth and inspire them to become successful in their pursuits is something he’s passionate about, which is why he put together a mentorship group where kids are exposed to accomplished local community and business leaders twice a month.

When he’s not working or giving back to his community, Josh likes to travel to Lake Michigan where he owns a condo with his wife. There, they enjoy relaxing and spending time with their kids. And going forward, Josh has many big plans for the future. He recently passed his broker’s test and hopes to eventually develop a team and start his own brokerage. Most importantly, he remains focused on giving his clients the best possible service. “When people ask me what kind of business I’m in, I never say I’m in the real estate business. I say I’m in the customer service business. If I’m not providing the best customer service to my clients then I haven’t earned the right to show them a house or ask them to buy a house from me. Real estate is just the name, but it’s not the business I’m in. I’m here to serve clients.”

To learn more about Josh Whitmore

please email jwhitmore@jaquarealtors.com, visit www.jaquarealtors.com/agents/63261-josh-whitmore, or call (561) 603–8658