One of the greatest challenges facing real estate agents is the choice of working as a solo operator or joining with one or more agents to form a team. The question can lead to agonizing over the pros and cons. The agent must consider the particulars of having to work with another personality as an equal or near equal against being in charge of one’s own operation with no one else to contradict one’s business plans.

Sometimes the development of a Realtor’s business forces the issue. A solo operator is forced by an ever-increasing workload to take on help or risk losing business because he or she can’t keep up with all of the transactions coming in. Bringing in another agent as a partner can ease the strain and help the business grow further.

The benefits of working on a team may seem self-evident. For an agent whose workload is piling up, starting a team with another Realtor can provide major relief. With two or more agents around to handle clients and find leads, the transaction volume of each individual Realtor can go up. Agents also may be able to spend more time with each individual client, building a rapport that could develop into a solid business relationship.

“When you have a team, you’re surrounded by people who are invested in your success,” said Dina Goldentayer, a One Sotheby’s International Realty agent who formed The DS Team with partner Sladia Stantic. “It allows you to go to the next level beyond what you can do on your own.” Their team features two showing agents, an office manager and a contract coordinator.

“Building a team creates leverage,” said John Sandberg of The Sandberg Nortmann Group at Douglas Elliman Real Estate. “It’s good for the brand and creates mass. People want to deal more with a team and a team leader than some individual. If you have a team, you come across as more serious and as being the real deal.” Sandberg and his partner, Ann Nortmann, have a team that consists of an operations specialist, two full-time agents and a group of four sales specialists that they bring in for certain projects.