Boutique VS Virtual Brokerages

Engel & Völkers is a fantastic example of how amazing boutique brokerages can be in the big, bad world of real estate! From the professional interal system, vetting of our agents and overall our committment to customer care and satisfaction, E&V is proud to be a luxury, boutique brokerage. However, you may be wondering what the big difference between a boutique and virtual brokerage is! So, let's get into it! But first, watch this lovely video from the Engel & Völkers YouTube channel about the journey a listing goes on when listed with us!

Now, contrary to the traditional understanding of what a "boutique" brokerage is, E&V strikes a nice balance between the national resources and market recognition, while still having localized shops that hire the best of the best in the area, that know it well and call it home.

The advantages of a boutique brokerage don't just exist for the buyer or seller, however! They're also extremely relevant for agents looking for their home as far as brokerages go. 

Boutique brokerages can offer much more one-on-one training and mentorship, with less fees and obstacles to hurdle alone when getting set up and established. When specializing in a particular type of home, or property, boutique brokerages may be a better option because of the niching down that can happen much more easily. You'll also be getting access to a community on a more intimate level! 

E&V is international, starting in Germany and expanding all across the world. Here at our Engel & Völkers Western Frontier shops, we specialize in the beautiful Big Sky country, and strive to offer the charm and class of a small community brokerage, with the resources and expertise of an international brand. 

Virtual brokerages are online brokerages that have no actual physical presence. There's no office location, and the communications amongst the internal team will be almost all, if not completely done virtually. This has some advantages as far as saving money on the internal side, but overall decreases the connection and benefit for the buyer and seller.

Internally, there may be a few advantages that seem worth it in the short term. Advantages such as commission splits, larger online presence potential, or tools and paperwork being all virtual. However, in the longterm for connection to a community, and servicing them with professionalism and humanity, an all virtual brokerage doesn't offer the amount of luxury and comfort that a boutique brand with the international resources like ours does. A big pro of virtual companies is the motivation and necessity to stay at the cutting edge of the new and improved real estate technology. However, this is a massive priority to EV, and we combine a love of real estate for an appreciation of luxury, with our GG magazine and blog, and our individual agent blogs, keeping our clients updated on all things luxury and local! We're constantly looking for ways to improve our online reach, and internal systems, to make the best possible experience for our clients.

Overall, the EV team prides ourselves on our ability to combine the greatest parts of all types of brokerages. We stay on the cutting edge of technology and innovation, like a virtual brokerage would. We have the resources and broad market understanding of a National Brokerage, and in fact, we're even international with locations and boutique shops all over the world! Finally, and most importantly to us, we maintain the quality of connection, accessibility, care, and area expertise of a boutique brokerage! So, whether you're an agent looking for a brokerage to call home, or a seller looking for the right agent to sell your home, or a buyer looking for help finding the right place, the EV team is the home for you!