The Role of the Sales Associate

While you can work for a corporation, you generally cannot run it, unless you are the broker. A sales associate (or broker associate) is prohibited from being an Officer (President, VP, Secretary) or a Director of a real estate brokerage corporation.The Partnership Rule: You also cannot be a General Partner in a brokerage partnership. The Reason: Officers and General Partners have the authority to direct and control the company. However, by law, a sales associate must be under the direction and control of a broker. You cannot be the boss of the person who is supposed to be your boss.What CAN you do? You can be a shareholder (owner) of the corporation or a limited partner (investor). You can own a piece of the pie; you just can't hold the title that lets you steer the ship, unless you are the broker of the cooperation.