Competitive agents teaming up to lure buyers

The latest technique among real estate agents seeking an edge in an increasingly competitive market is teaming up with their competitors themselves. Though only 9 percent of National Association of Realtors members belong to a team of real estate agents, the number of teams is increasing nationwide, the group said. Teams typically work within a company: Alix Prince Team is part of Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty in Rye, N.Y., where each of the four participating agents divide their commission based on their role in the sale, minus the firm’s cut. The four agents of Realtors 4, within nearby Weichert Capital Properties and Estates, split everything evenly. The advantage of a team, buyers are told, is never getting lost in the shuffle. On top of the increased attention, buyers can enjoy each agent’s particular subspecialty. Team-brokering may not be as lucrative as working independently, said Ralph Roberts, a real estate coach and an agent from Michigan. But in this economic environment, “it’s better to share at least a little piece of the pie than none at all,” he said.