Taking Charge From the Get-go
Philip Becker, CRS, was 18 when he started his first business, an eBay drop-off store, where he listed customer goods on the auction site for a commission. Then he launched a website development company and founded an online business selling wedding favors. When he got his real estate license at 23, he wanted to open his own brokerage immediately rather than affiliate with someone else. So that’s what he did, although he wasn’t officially in charge until he was eligible to earn his broker’s license two years later. Today Becker has about 20 sales associates and plans for expansion. His retirement dream is to own a couple of properties and run a small brokerage at his favorite retreat, the U.S. Virgin Islands.