Pricing · Operating Partner
What this costs.
The first step is a short application, followed by a 30-minute call if it's a fit. After that there are two ways to work together. The price depends on team size and markets.
01 · Before you compare the price to a hire
Price the delay first.
Every month your team runs short on agents, or leads go unanswered, has a number on it. That number is often bigger than a month of fees. If the cost of waiting is smaller than the cost of the work, don't hire anyone. That's a real answer, and I'll give it to you on the call.
02 · Two ways to work together
The ladder.
The application comes first, then the call. Each option below is a bigger commitment than the one before it.
- 01
The Expansion Readiness Plan
$5,000, one-time
30 days to plan your next market: your home market gates, the new market, and your first 6 months. Credited toward the first month if you continue into the operating seat.
- 02
The operating seat
Starts at $7,500 a month
Scoped to team size and markets. The first 30 days include a full diagnostic and plan. I work with four teams at a time, by application. Three-month minimum, then month to month.
Three-month minimum, then month to month. The month I stop being worth what you pay me, I say it first.
03 — Where these numbers sit
Against the alternatives.
| Option | Typical cost | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time COO | $250K+ base, plus equity | A forty-hour seat, once the seat is really forty hours |
| Interim COO | $25K–$50K / mo | Full-time seat-filler for 3 to 9 months |
| Consulting project | $30K–$250K+ / project | A diagnosis and a plan you still have to run |
| Fractional COO | $8K–$25K / mo | 10 to 20 hours a week building the operating system |
| Expansion Readiness Plan | $5,000, one-time, 30 days | One new market, credited toward the first month |
| The operating seat | From $7,500 a month | Weekly accountability until the team runs without you. |
04 — Fit
Who this is not for.
- You want the answer for free. There is a 30-minute call for qualified applicants. It is a read, not a plan.
- You need someone to go sell for you. I build the team that sells.
What the price does not include
- No strategy-document-only engagement. If I write the plan, I run the plan.
- No equity in place of cash. Cash first. Equity is a separate conversation, later, if ever.
Questions owners ask about the money
Pricing questions
How much does an Operating Partner cost?+
The Expansion Readiness Plan is $5,000, one-time, for 30 days and is credited toward the first month if you continue into the operating seat. The operating seat starts at $7,500 a month. Three-month minimum, then month to month. The first 30 days include a full diagnostic and plan.
When is a real estate team ready to open a new market?+
When every market you already run is at 100% or better on your lead program's performance standards. You also need a lead forecast for the new market and a sales leader ready to hire. The Expansion Readiness Plan checks all of it before you commit.
What happens on the 30-minute call?+
It's a read rather than a plan. You leave knowing whether there is a problem worth paying to solve, and I leave knowing whether I'm the person who should solve it. The call is by application, and there's no charge for it.
Why not hire a full-time COO instead?+
A full-time COO runs $250K or more in base plus equity and only makes sense once the seat is genuinely forty hours a week. Below that you are paying for a chair, not for moves.
How does this compare to a fractional COO?+
The market band for fractional operating help is $8,000 to $25,000 a month. The difference is that I carry a revenue target and run the moves rather than advising on them.
Do you offer a discounted trial month or take equity instead of cash?+
No to both. The seat does not get cheaper to get started, and cash comes first. Equity is a separate conversation, later, if ever.
Is there a contract or minimum term?+
Three-month minimum, then month to month.
One call.
Thirty minutes. Bring the bottleneck. You leave knowing what the wait is costing and whether this is worth paying for at all.
More detail — Questions owners ask
Not ready to book
Every week you wait has a number on it. The calculator tells you what it is, in about two minutes.
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- Before you hire me
- About
- Background
- Case study: ChuckTown Homes
- Case study: Dwelli
- Common questions
- The second in command
- Zillow Flex vs Zillow Preferred
- Zillow Preferred leads not converting
- How to scale a Zillow Preferred team
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- How I read a business
- Methodology
- Proof
- Recommendations
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- Your bottleneck pattern
- What you're load-bearing for
- Media and talks