The Real Deal New York

From the May issue: Every real estate brokerage takes a slightly different approach to training new hires. The Real Deal surveyed six of the city’s largest and busiest residential firms, and found programs ranging from a month-and-a-half intensive curriculum involving exams to one agency where training is comprised of only a truncated discussion on the nuances of co-ops. Executives from all firms surveyed said voluntary continuing education is strongly encouraged. Bellmarc co-founder Neil Binder didn’t just write the book on selling real estate; he’s written a few. His fourth, “Thinking About Selling,” is due out this June. So naturally, his firm takes broker training to an elevated level: New hires are required to undergo an intense six-week course on the business of real estate. Interestingly, lessons on ethics don’t comprise part of the curriculum.