I work at a very small firm. My broker never tells me what him and the other salesperson are working on. Is this normal?
I work at a very small firm. It's just a broker and two salespeople (me being one of them). The broker, a guy in his seventies, never tells me what him and the other salesperson are up to. They drive around NYC going to meetings and perhaps working on a deal or possibly two, but he (and she) leaves me in the dark. It's like he's keeping it a secret from me, and telling her to not tell me anything (not that I ask - but you would think there would be some communication). I talked to a former salesperson who left the company because he was frustrated with the broker, and he says the broker does it to keep "hands out of the pot" and also to "divide and conquer" (although maybe he is paranoid). 

It's like the other salesperson is the broker's "little buddy", and he just uses her because she's smarter than him, a cute girl in her 20s, and he likes feeling like he has an assistant.

Is this normal?
[{"id": "dlyxhg4", "text": "Every brokerage is different. Some brokers are very hands on with their salespeople, providing leads and offering advice and training. Others may not do so and see any deals that come through as \"icing on cake\". If he is not investing his time in you, it seems he is leaving entirely up to you to either sink or swim there.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "dlz3ct1", "text": "Well, it might be perfectly ok, but that could raise some red flags for me. I worked in an office where the broker's now in prison for the frauds she was running to scam people out of millions of dollars. The environment there was sort of like this. She would be busy with 1-3 of her agents working on something that had an air of urgency and secrecy at all times, but none of the agents or groups of agents would be able to discuss with the other agents or groups what each was working on. It was a very awkward and intimidating environment. \n\n", "replies": [{"id": "dlz49ar", "text": "&gt; I worked in an office where the broker's now in prison for the frauds she was running to scam people out of millions of dollars\n\nWow. What kind of scam was it?", "replies": [{"id": "dm08l7u", "text": "She was running several scams. I was one of the lucky ones who she didn't manage to actually get money out of, though she tried. I don't know all the details of all the stuff she did, but these two articles give a brief overview: http://www.leavenworthtimes.com/article/20150710/NEWS/150719950 \nhttps://www.justice.gov/usao-ks/pr/kansas-city-area-business-owner-indicted-2014-indicted-again-bank-fraud\n", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "dlz5gah", "text": "What are you getting out of this? If you are commission based, you are being fucked. If you are salary, well, what do you care? \n\nBrokers are a weird bunch, and the reason why this guy works by himself is because this is the only way things will work. He is 70 years old and has probably fucked everyone in town. \n\nI would ask other brokers what his reputation is. For better or worse, his actions reflect on you, and by working with him you may be enhancing or diminishing your future prospects. \n\nThis just sounds like an old man who only looks after himself, and by staying there, you are not growing your network or working on YOUR clients. \n", "replies": [{"id": "dlz76bm", "text": "Thank you. I'm new to this so I'm not really sure what it's supposed to be like. I'm thinking about applying to some other firms if things don't get moving. I have always been conscious of the fact that no one else works at the firm.", "replies": [{"id": "dlz865z", "text": "Wherever you go, your reputation gets there first. Old brokers make careers out of eating younger naive people. And if they stay there too long and take the abuse, then you can hardly fault the older guy. \n\nTake as much as you can, learn his business and his contacts, take everything in as a learning experience. Work with people you respect, and know who you are working with.  ", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "dlzghr6", "text": "The true test comes when you're working on a deal and he wants to know everything about it and/or insert himself at the end.  Make sure you control the relationships you develop. That book of business is your bread and butter. ", "replies": [{"id": "dm3jf0o", "text": "The cream rises. If you're meant to keep that business no one can take it from you.  Good luck stealing my best clients.  They need me.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "dlzp4r5", "text": "What do you want out of a broker?  \n\nIt really doesn't sound abnormal to me at all.  It also strikes me as none of your business what the other agent and his relationship is.  If she makes him feel young, or she blows him on occasion or whatever *shrug* what business is it of yours?\n\nYou sound like a new agent, and maybe this isn't a great fit for you.  \n\nSome brokers will hold your hand and give you a cut on their deals to do a lot of the work.  They will want to know what you are doing all the time and say /u/ill_silent_lasagna did you make your calls today?  \n\nOthers don't give a fuck.  They will give you office space, cards, and handle your signs and subscriptions.  The rest is up to you.  \n\nMost are somewhere in between.  \n\nSmall shops are going to be closer to the 'so handle your business and let me know if you have a problem' side typically.  \n\nIf you want to handle your stuff go there.  If you want to sit in an office, have sales meetings, and jerk off around the water cooler about who has this biggest deal going right now and fight about who the team lead/broker put on what assignments go to CBRE or one of those guys.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "dm3jbdh", "text": "Bro.  He's been hustling for 40+ years.  Why would he hand you deals to work on?  Show some hustle, find a deal for yourself to work on, and maybe he'll invest in you.", "replies": [{"id": "dm44cde", "text": "Maybe others are different.  But I would have had a hard time starting out in this business at a young age without my broker helping me out a bit.  I didn't expect handouts but I learned SO much from shadowing meetings and jumping on conference calls.  I didn't get paid for it but I learned how to \"hustle.\"  ", "replies": [], "depth": 2}, {"id": "dm4627h", "text": "He's been in real estate for 10 years", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "dm8xkhd", "text": "Some brokers are very tight lipped about the stuff they are working on because shit can hit the fan at any moment if more people know..tbh it's pretty common and I wouldn't take any offense to it. ", "replies": [], "depth": 1}]