Desk Fee for Real Estate Associate?

I am a new , currently inactive licensee who at this time am more interested in personal investment and MLS access than working with other buyers/sellers. For this reason I'd like to to sign on with a broker for a small monthly or annual desk fee. I'd be willing to share an add'l fee/commission on any (non-personal) sales I happen to get, in exchange for broker guidance/mentoring through the process. However at this time, sales are not my main goal, and I don't want the demands/pressures of signing on under a commission agreement.
Can brokers, or agents out there who pay a desk fee, tell me what I should expect to pay and how your agreements are structured?
Thanks!

Goz,
a desk fee brings cash flow to the table. DUH.
I know licensees signed on with brokers for a year or more now, who've yet to make a sale. Do the math!
You obviously aren't a broker or agent who participates in desk fee relationships and therefore should have refrained from 'answering', the question...if you can call it that.
These relationships do exist - in fact the realtor I sold my last home with, has one with her broker.
And as I said I'd be willing to arrange some sort of commission on at least a certain number of transactions per year in ADDITION to the desk fee. That would be worth it to me, for the guidance and experience gained.
What I don't want is what a lot of my classmates and friends who've become licensed are getting ----- nonstop pestering by their brokers to do cold calls, door-to-doors, etc. Since I'm in this for investment purposes right now, that doesn't interest me.
Thanks for nothing, though. Really .

There are some offices that charge a lower desk free ($250/-) & then your commissions are paid on a split (70/30) with your broker. Typically, the lower the split to the broker, the higher the desk fee. When on a split & desk fee, there is usually some sort of tier where once you acheive a certain level of production (usually based on the 30% the broker gets on your commissions), you then jump up to the next level of a higher commission (say 80/20).

Some offices in my area have 100+ agents & specialize in this scenario. It may seem like the broker doesn't make much money with this, but the broker makes their money in other areas, such as charging you for photo copies, color copies, long distance faxing, marketing materials, renting you broker owned keyboxes, signage, etc.

The also make money on your transactions or listings by having a "transaction fee" of a couple hundred bucks or so, or perhaps you may utilize the services of an inhouse transaction coordinator to handle your paperwork, input your listings, design your flyers.

100% desk fees are typically for those more experienced agents that the broker knows are going to be bringing in more sales & listings. In our office, 100% commission plan/desk fee is $900/month.

There are offices out there with desk fee plans & with nearly everyone having a computer at home, it is no longer necessary to spend hours & hours in a real estate office waiting for "walk ins".

You may have to chat up a few agents or make some calls to brokers or managers to find out what plans they have available. If you are looking for the lowest desk fee possible, look at independent offices & stay away from franchised office. Franchised offices will also have "franchise fees" that are paid out of your commission.

Just make sure the broker knows your motivation up front & if you are both OK with it, they should not hound you to making cold calls & knocking on doors.

Be sure to ask their policy on personal investing. They all vary. You may be limited to one per year, after a certain acheivement level or some have no restrictions at all.

Good luck finding a broker willing to bring you aboard just for a desk fee; the broker in exchange for the access to mls will want a commission on any sale professional or personal you facilitate,

also many brokers do not want to deal with a person on their books who are not bring sales in one form or another, not only the general over head cost but they have insurance and fees etc that are based upon the number of agents they employee,

so what do you bring to the table?