Do the Major Brokerages Give you a salary or is it really a draw?

I've been hearing conflicting accounts on this with the brokers I've networked with and through this forum. I hear in the beginning the major players start you out as an analyst and you're not really expected to originate business until year 3 to 5? But another broker I've talked to at CBRE said when he was hired, his senior broker paid for his draw and that it wasn't a really salary paid by the company then. 

It would be nice to have a salary in the beginning to keep the lights on but if I don't get the position I want with one of these companies is it really that big of a deal starting as a 1099 with a middle-smaller shop that has a solid team (that's willing to take me on their already existing deals) because being a broker at the top tier firms are basically not salaried anyway?

Can anyone provide clarity to this?

Thanks

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If you are working in Investment Sales at one of the bigger shops on institutional deals, they will start you out as an analyst. You will be paid a salary + bonus, the bonus can be either a % of deals closed or % of salary, I have seen it both ways. You are not expected to originate business until 3-5 years as you have mentioned, and frankly no one is going to let you sell their $100 MM building if you have no experience. You need to learn to ropes first: how to value the building, learn the marketing process, managing the DD and closing, and you need to have the relationships in the industry. 
However, you can start out as a broker at some of the bigger shops working on Private Capital and smaller sized transactions (generally $30 million and under), in which case you might have a draw and work on commission only. 

Tldr; if you get hired as an analyst at the bigger firms, you will likely be salaried. If you get hired as a broker, you will likely be commissioned based. 

 

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