Ted Chen is a Redfin Premier agent in the Bay Area. He joined Redfin in December 2023 after building a successful team at eXp Realty. We caught up with Ted to hear more about his experience at Redfin so far.
What were you doing before you joined Redfin?
I’ve been in the real estate industry for nearly a decade, doing some commercial real estate and business operations in addition to residential sales. Most recently, I was managing the Bay Area side of Superior Realty Group, which is the number one medium size team at eXp Realty. In the last two years, I’ve closed more than $40 million in sales and invested significant time in mentoring other agents.
Why did you decide to join Redfin?
I considered Redfin three years ago when I was craving change and explored tech-focused companies like Redfin versus traditional brokerage models. At the time, I decided to build my own team, but stayed connected as a Redfin Partner Agent to empower my network.
Redfin approached me a few years later with the new compensation plan in the Bay Area. Redfin Next intrigued me because I wanted to prioritize selling real estate versus investing time for lead generation or administering back-end tasks. I wanted to prep listings and show homes! Redfin Next promises to solve these concerns and provides great benefits while giving a fair commission split for agents like me.
What was the transition like?
Transitioning to Redfin was seamless: I was already finding and sharing homes with my clients through Redfin. Thanks to my tenure as a Partner Agent, I was already familiar with the many tech tools Redfin offers and the key metrics Redfin tracks. I’ve especially appreciated my team of coordinators and associate agents, because I didn’t used to have this type of a team to rely on. My team has helped free up a significant chunk of time for me to focus on closing deals and strategizing for the year ahead.
What makes Redfin different from other brokerages?
Redfin really walks the talk, putting customers first. This approach aligns well with my own priorities, so Redfin is a great match for me. Redfin’s well-known brand is another key benefit that I value. Everyone uses Redfin to search for homes and having Redfin as your brokerage helps in a listing consultation or going on tour. I can share Redfin-exclusive perks with listing clients, such as priority placement on Redfin.com. Securing seven days at the top of everyone’s searches is a lot of extra eyeballs! I work with many Bay-area techies who like having an “Owner Dashboard” for stats on how many people have viewed their listing and how our marketing campaigns are performing. Other brokerages filter this type of information through an agent, versus Redfin providing that data independently to empower sellers to feel in control of the process.
I’ve used a lot of tech tools in my time as an agent, and I think Redfin’s Agent Tools is a really strong platform. I can see a list of my clients and key data about their buying or selling journey, for example, homes they’ve viewed or favorited, or what they thought about different neighborhoods while out on tour. These insights help me customize and tailor my client communication, eliminating the typical, “Have you seen this home yet?” because I already know! These features are already helping me raise my conversion: one of my clients had recently favorited a home that was just relisted at a lower price, so I alerted him and now we’re going to tour it.
What would you tell other agents who are thinking about joining Redfin?
I am already evangelizing! At least 20 other agents have reached out to me since I joined Redfin to understand my career move. I’m not the kind of agent who chases the next shiny object, and I did a lot of research before I made the switch. Brokerages can try to one-up each other on commission splits or flashy bonuses, but Redfin refines the entire agent experience. Here, I am set up for success with high-quality leads and a support team. Redfin Next’s sphere and loyalty splits are on par with many brokerages on the market. I see Redfin as a place where my real estate career can grow and thrive for the long term, and I bet you will find the same thing.
Want to take your real estate business to the next level? With Redfin Next, you’ll earn a big traditional split on your own deals, coupled with Redfin.com customers, benefits, and support. Learn more at redfin.com/next.