Personal Assistants 2

If your assistant holds a valid real estate license, they are legally a "Sales Associate," even if they are just helping you. They can do everything you can do (show homes, negotiate contracts, explain forms).Paying a LICENSED Assistant: If they are helping you sell houses (showing, negotiating), any commission they earn must be paid to them by the Broker, not by you. (Remember: Sales associates can't pay other sales associates directly).For "Clerical" Work: If they are licensed but only doing filing and data entry, you can pay them a salary directly. However, to stay safe, most brokerages prefer all checks to flow through the Broker to avoid confusion.Paying an UNLICENSED Assistant: Who pays: You (the Sales Associate) can pay them directly from your own pocket. They must be paid a salary or hourly wage.Restriction: You generally cannot pay them a commission or a bonus per transaction. Paying an unlicensed person a fee based on a closed deal is considered "sharing a commission," which is illegal.