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Jeffrey Wagman, the broker/owner of independent firm Forest Hill Real Estate Inc., has about 75o agents and 16 offices throughout Ontario. He doesn’t think of his offices as “branchises,” but each office has its own manager who ultimately falls under his domain as the broker of record.

“We allow them to create the own culture within their office,” said Wagman, adding he does see some brokerages that have agents open up what might be construed as a branch. “I think it gives the public the impression of more exposure.”

He says the problem is the real estate sector is an industry that can take decades to crack, and a new agent faces massive obstacles.

“I still see the same agents in the higher-end neighbourhoods. You just don’t see people breaking in. I understand the desire to get into those areas,” Wagman said. “They think, ‘I’m going to target the affluent areas because there is more money’ but you have to pay your dues and work your way in.”

Wagman adds that it’s unlikely someone would abandon their base in a slower selling part of the city and move lock, stock and barrel to a more lucrative section because it just takes so long to build a client base.

“You don’t give up your meat and potatoes. These are just new people trying to break in,” he said.

Michael Kalles, president of Harvey Kalles Real Estate Ltd., which dominates in some of Toronto’s priciest neighbourhoods, said there has never been so much competition to sell homes.

“The difference today is just the number of agents,” he said, pointing to the 42,000-plus current members of the Toronto Real Estate Board. TREB has added 5,000 agents in the last two years.