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We’ve talked a lot about different ways to build and maintain a real estate database full of prospective clients, such as keeping up with text messages, pop-by visits, and phone calls. But, I’ve got some ideas you may not have considered from my years of practice. If you’ve been wondering how to find real estate clients and need a jumping-off point, these are great places to start. 

Some of these strategies might seem a bit old-fashioned, but they are impactful and they’re also fun ways to get you out to become a bigger part of your community. That’s all part of what we do as real estate agents. Community is an essential part of our business, and making connections that lead to additional names in our ever-growing database are priceless interactions. 

Try out a few of these strategies and see how they help you practice your business and grow your real estate database. 

  1. Community Involvement

Let people know that you exist: You’re a real estate agent in their community! From there, people can form their own opinions about your professionalism and decide whether they’d like to work with you or know someone else who might need a property. 

Community involvement is a great way to just get out there and meet people. If you let people know that you enjoy being part of a community, that you value their business and referrals, and that you’re excited about the work you do, you have a wealth of opportunity to create some connections that will last and help you grow your business. 

As a brokerage, we talk a lot about supporting what our agents support. If your kids play Little League and you want to sponsor a team, we’ll help you get a banner on the back fence of the ball field. That’s good for business, it’s good for you, and it’s good for the community. 

If you run or help raise money through charity fundraisers, we think about how we can support you as a brokerage. Is there a way we can get you and ROOST on that t-shirt? We want to make positive connections that get our agents out in the community so they can meet people and show what they’re all about. Get passionate, and get involved. 

  1. Client Appreciation Events

We like to do client appreciation events as a company. One way of doing this can be hosting open houses for new agents – especially when they come with a database already. We’ll have an open house invite, and they can invite everyone on their contacts list. The brokerage pays for this and supplies all the merchandise, snacks, drinks, and everything to make people feel comfortable and help our agents renew those connections. 

We’ve done other events like free pumpkin days in the fall or a photo booth for Mother’s Day. Holidays are also great for these events, like a St. Patrick’s Day-themed party. Anything that invites a lot of people to a single space and allows you to go around, shake hands, and tell people about what you’re doing and that you’re available if they need a property or know anyone who might be looking. 

  1. Gratitude, Gratitude, Gratitude

Rather than just looking at different generic real estate agent tips, think back to behavior. This strategy requires more of a mindset shift. If you’re struggling to find people to call or connect with weekly to uphold your personal connection standard, I invite you to think back to gratitude. Recall what happened earlier in the week, and remember any positive interactions you’ve had or any experience that led you to feel grateful for someone or something. 

That’s what I like to do, and how I like to lead my business: with gratitude. 

Your connections are built around people you know, like, and trust – and they know, like, and trust you, too. Think about whether someone’s got a birthday coming up, or if they just had a baby, as significant life events can be important times to connect. Find reasons to connect with people, be grateful for the connections you do make, and practice with kindness and professionalism. 

You’re not selling anything. You’re simply taking the time out to thank someone, to say you appreciate them, or that you’re thinking of them for a personal reason that can help strengthen that connection. The business will come with time because when they think to pick up the phone about a listing, you’ll be the person they’re thinking about. 

The Referral Method Works By Focusing On People

As real estate agents, we’re people people. We connect people to homes, we’re a part of important chapters of their lives, and we want to support them along the way. It’s reciprocal. Working by referral is a win because it connects us with past, present, and future clients who will help us grow our business over time. Just as we want to support our clients, it’s important to also find the right support as real estate agents. 

At ROOST, we want to ensure our connections are strong and our agents are thriving. It’s more than just having good real estate database software and technology. We want to help you build the business that allows you to have the life you want – and we’ll help you create the strategies and give you the tools you need to get there. So much of this business relies on behavior, consistency, and mutual support between you and your real estate brokerage. We believe in what you believe, and we believe in you. 

Final Thoughts

Building your database doesn’t have to feel like a chore. Channel your creativity into developing new strategies to make connections with people. If you’ve got a specific hobby, skill, or interest group, try to find ways to bring that into your business. Even if you’re an introvert, there are ways to make meeting people enjoyable. 

At the end of the day, what matters most is that you’re a familiar, friendly face in the community. When you put yourself out there, you are giving people in your community the opportunity to get to know you, and hopefully, through those interactions, they’ll learn to like and trust you. 

Buying or selling a home can be stressful. Your prospective clients want to know they’re in good hands when it comes time to make that huge life decision – and if you’ve made the right impressions, they’ll think of you when it’s time to make that call. Small steps lead to big progress over time if you dedicate yourself to making and maintaining those connections over time. 

Be a dependable person who people want to work with, and allow yourself the confidence to be your authentic self while doing it. We support what you support. When you support other people, they’ll support you, too. 

If you’re new to the business or maybe haven’t always done the best job of building a database, you might wonder how to get real estate leads. It’s possible to move pretty quickly to get names in your database and make connections. 

I’m not a huge fan of outsourcing my business and paying for leads on Zillow or Realtor.com or any of the other big companies. But all that being said, there are times when you or your business need a boost. 

Whether you prefer buying leads or have an external source of real estate lead generation, such as from a broker or third party, you have to keep your expectations for these leads grounded in reality. There are some drawbacks to working with the big companies, but every so often, you can get lucky and get a connection out of one of those paid leads – and that’s a name to add to your database. That’s the inherent value of a paid lead. 

We have a paid lead program at ROOST Real Estate Company, but when we talk about that, I’d like to be careful in saying that the 30, 40, or even 50 leads you’ll get every month in your inbox are not always going to be today’s business. But you can get into a habit of working these leads to find someone and build a connection. It’s worth seeking them out to find someone that’s a 5-star person, or at least willing to talk to you and have a conversation because that can be a jumping-off point to a more sustainable, lasting relationship. If you can put even some of those names into your database, that’s a real win from a paid lead. 

If you’re paying hundreds of dollars a month buying real estate leads from big companies and not getting new business to cover those costs, is it really worth it?

Instead, you should be on the lookout for diamonds in the rough. There are far more chances in a paid lead that result in getting a connection and an addition to your database, so that’s worth doing. Because of that, there’s a place for paid leads in your business if you need to build a database. 

Look at names in your database – and adding names to your database – as making deposits in your personal investment account. You’ve got to think about this practice like you would an IRA or a 401k or other retirement accounts because this database, and the connections you’ve built inside of it, are what will continue to generate leads for you throughout your career. As you add names, you’re putting money in your personal investment account for years and years to come. 

Another element to consider when thinking about the truth of paid leads – both good and bad – is the relative quality of these leads. My personal experience with Zillow and Realtor.com is that it’s a free-for-all. 

For example, someone wants to ask a question about a house. What happens?

That can mean that the lead quality isn’t great. Some avenues help generate better leads. At ROOST, we’ve partnered with a company called Real Geeks. So, if you go to the ROOST website and click the search pages, you’ll see a standard page that’s similar to what others have, but it’s set up to allow searches in the markets where we do business. 

Right now, we have it set up to search:

Through our website, we get approximately 50 to 60 leads a month that we circulate to our agents, round-robin style. The relative quality of leads sourced through a real estate lead generation website is better than what agents can pay for on Zillow or Realtor.com, too. In my opinion, a lot of people feel like they’re getting burned by the bigger companies because they can get bombarded by calls from agents. 

Our system helps people who come to ROOST look for listings they’re actually interested in vs. going to a site like Zillow and just liking houses because they look cool and not because you have any intention of moving. 

When people come to the website and actually spend enough time to enter their email address or phone number, that’s a better lead than you’ll get elsewhere. 

The Real Value of a Lead

There’s value in working with the right brokerage, and under the right business model, that benefit can extend to the quality and quantity of your leads. We waste a lot of leads because sometimes we don’t have available agents because they’re too busy. Some agents take all they can, but sometimes there’s still not enough coverage. 

However, we’re fortunate that we can provide that for our agents. We’ve got a solid database with leads, and we’re able to give our agents access to that for free. That’s the beauty of a referral-based model that stems from a healthy database of names. 

At ROOST, we work by a round-robin style of sharing leads. This is a great way to make sure there’s even distribution of what leads are incoming and available. One agent gets this lead, the next agent gets the next, and so on. We don’t ask for any monthly fees for access to our leads, we don’t charge a tech fee. 

I hope our database gets much, much bigger in the future – but regardless of how big it gets, I’m passionate about ensuring our agents have that access and opportunity available to them. I want people to be able to scale their database from zero to 100 to 150 or even beyond. 

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, the names in your database are going to be a valuable tool that helps you keep a steady incoming flow of business. Paid leads do have value, but only if you’re using those leads to add names to your database and grow your business. If you get caught up in the shuffle of dealing with the big companies, you’re going to run into lots of competition, and you’re going to burn yourself out chasing down leads and fighting with other agents to close a sale. 

Look for those diamonds in the rough and try to find leads that are worth paying for – and that’s how you’ll make your time and energy more worthwhile. By applying some calculated strategy and having solid real estate lead generation ideas, agents can sort through leads and find the ones that seem most promising. From there, maintaining those connections and using them as a jumping-off point will lead you to other names – and more leads you didn’t pay for. 

It all comes back to that database full of people you know, trust, and like to work with. And, if the connection is strong enough, that feeling will be mutual. That’s where the true success in real estate is found, and you can’t always quantify its value because, for many agents, those connections are priceless. 


There’s power in building a real estate database. Let me explain why. I see a huge amount of real estate agents using their hard-earned commission dollars to pay for leads. Some agents can literally pay thousands of dollars for leads on Zillow or Realtor.com; you’re racing every other agent who has paid for those leads to get the sale. It’s a game. 

You’re taught that you need to respond in five minutes, you’ve got to do this thing or that thing – and it can be exhausting. This way of working has become a reality for many real estate agents. To them, it’s just a way of life. 

But what if I told you it didn’t have to be that way?

I’m not judging anyone who does find success in this way of conducting business or enjoys running their business this way, but it’s not for me. 

I’ve been working by referral for over 20 years – and during boom times or lean times, it works. Working by referral brought in opportunities for me immediately following the housing market crash in 2008-2009. That’s why my agents and I managed to have a good business coming out of 2011, 2012, and 2014. 

From what I’ve seen this year in our business, we’re coming up on potentially tough times again. However, I’m confident that our agents will come out all right – perhaps not unscathed – but real estate referrals gathered through our model will help them continue to have incoming business opportunities where others can’t find those options. 

We’re going to be out there growing our real estate databases, making connections, nurturing our existing relationships – but other agents will be scared to death, hiding out at home, and dealing with potential lead scarcity from the big companies. 

I think one of the most beautiful lifestyle benefits of working by referral is the freedom it grants you in regard to who you can work with. 

We’ve all had those clients that we maybe didn’t get along with or mesh with for one reason or another – and we wouldn’t want to take their call again, necessarily. If money was something to consider, and any lead was something we needed, you probably would need to pick up that phone call, right? If you work by referral, you make a decision early on that you’re only going to work with people who know, like, and trust you. 

As real estate agents, we sometimes have to do things we maybe wouldn’t prefer doing in order to close a sale. But I wish more agents would think of themselves as professionals and seek out the respect we grant to other professionals, such as doctors or lawyers. You probably wouldn’t call your family physician at 10 o’clock at night and demand an audience with them, after all.  

The people in your database will respect you as a professional, and that gives you a little more breathing room. You don’t have to run your business working by a big company’s rules, answering the phone every time it rings no matter what you’re doing, or building your life around work. By working by referral, you have more freedom to build your work around your life

Chris’ Story

My last real job was as a District Manager for Target stores in the Long Island and New York City areas. When that ended, I had no desire to work in retail again. I certainly had no desire to work for anyone else. Between you and me, I was a pretty horrible employee. I wasn’t sure what to do, but I got my real estate license because it seemed like the thing to do at the time. 

I ended up moving back to Ohio, joined a local firm, bought a bunch of properties for myself, and just jumped in with everything I had. 

The firm I joined had a really old-school office with a bullpen and listing brokers on the outside of the perimeter. The newer agents and those of us who weren’t big listers were in the bullpen, and we had to do floor time. This included answering the phone and showing houses on the broker’s behalf. We got a 50/50 split, which was pretty standard. 

I didn’t really enjoy that, and I couldn’t help but think there was a better way. I got super lucky and, somehow, the marketing team for Top Producer found me. This was back when Top Producer was still desktop; it wasn’t even online. The best thing about that experience was that brokers always needed someone to post open houses for them. 

I ended up hosting open houses like a crazy person because I had just left a job where I was making really good money, and now I was making nothing. I thought the way to make money was to do open houses and everything else by the book, so that’s where I focused my time and energy – but then I found Top Producer, a type of real estate database software. 

It was the first real look I had into referral-based models because it had all these templates, you could add people to the database, and then it would prompt you to print a letter. These letters were usually pretty simple, like “thanks for coming to my open house,” but it would put them on campaigns. After you got letters written that suited your needs, sending them was easy as pressing a button. 

I’m an introvert – and there’s no questioning that. However, I forced myself to get into a routine where, after an open house on Sunday, I would go into the office on a Monday evening and call everyone who had signed into the open house the day before. I didn’t know what I was doing at the time, but I was trying to find someone to work with. 

The beauty of this was that if I found someone I wanted to work with, I could add them to Top Producer. Before too long, I had around 40 names in my database – and within 4-5 months, it was too much to do the work required by Top Producer by myself. I hired my first assistant to come in for a couple of hours to print everything off, put them in envelopes, mail them out, and all I had to do was sign my name. 

I ended up getting my broker’s license in 2003, and immediately bought a couple of REMAX franchises. The best thing about being associated with REMAX was that it introduced me to Brian Buffini, which helped me expand the referral-based business model that had been so successful for me in the past. Brian is the foremost authority on referral-based real estate businesses, and he was able to articulate to me why everything I had been doing with Top Producer worked so well. I eventually had my own Buffini coach and was able to expand and learn the system through that company. 

Put Yourself Out There to Make Lasting Connections

In 2014, we started ROOST Real Estate Company with the idea that I wanted to provide my agents with the same support that Brian and referral-based models prescribed. We wanted them to have everything that agents who wanted to work by referral needed and wanted to teach them what working by referral means so they had a deeper understanding of everything they needed to be doing in order to be successful like I was. All of our marketing technology is designed to support and amplify the habits and behaviors of the greatest professionals in our industry. 

I talk about my motto, “Connect, Practice, Track, Grow,” but connect is really the first part. Connections come first. Asking for real estate referrals can be hard, but there are lots of ways to make this happen and build lasting connections. 

Some examples of connections can be:

Doing a pop-by can be really nerve-wracking, especially for introverts. You may feel the same way about making phone calls. I actually grew to love pop-by visits. It’s part of what helped me build my business. 

Here’s an example of what I’ve done in the past. For Easter time, I would buy Peeps – “Have my peeps call your peeps.” I also used to go to grocery stores and buy items to make S’Mores kits, or buy the three packs of mustard, ketchup, and mayo that you can sometimes find on end caps. There are these cool pop-by tags that have little jokes on them, and you can add these to little gift baskets that are themed. It’s low-tech, but it’s high-touch. 

It helps foster a connection between you and the clients in your database, and it doesn’t require a great deal of output cost on your end because these items, for the most part, are reasonably inexpensive. 

When I was out doing my pop-bys, I would pick 20 or 30 people who I had worked with in the past or recently had worked with. Do this a few times a year, 3-5 times, or however often you’re comfortable. Don’t feel bad if you’re nervous doing them, because I’ll tell you there were so many times when I’d be out doing my pop-bys and I’d hope nobody answered the door. 

My claim to fame – and feel free to steal this tip – is to get your gift together, make sure it looks nice, and make sure the person you’re leaving it for knows it’s from you. 

Base your message around the theme or occasion you’re trying to capitalize on. You’ll have the best text interaction you’ve ever had with anyone.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, however many names you collect in your database is up to you. There are numerous strategies on how to ask for real estate referrals that help agents foster and grow connections with potential clients, existing clients, and others who could lead them to client referrals. When you have a robust database with ample connections, you will see your business grow and you will make money. 

More names equal a greater potential for sales: The top real estate agents who work by referral all share this in common. They all have a healthy database, they keep up with their connections, and this leads them to success. 

There’s power in the database once you know how to use it and commit to maintaining and adding to it on a regular basis.

Agents often wonder how to get more leads in real estate. Here’s my secret: Using a referral-based real estate model has always worked wonders for me. This model is the core of how Roost operates. Not only does it provide benefits such as a steady stream of income that real estate agents can rely on year-round, but Roost’s referral model works for lots of different kinds of agents, too. 

There are ample reasons why I’ve spent years trying to convert other brokerages to following the same path. Once you consider the substantial benefits of a referral-based model, I think you’ll see the value in it, too. 

Benefit #1: Work With Clients You Like

We’ve all had those clients that, once the sale is final, we’d rather not like to hear from or work with again. For some reason or another, you were just not compatible with them. On the flip side of the coin, you likely have a few favorites in your client list. 

What if I told you that a referral-based model means that, 99% of the time, you don’t have to work with the clients you didn’t get along with as well? Instead, you can shift focus to building relationships with your favorites. That’s one huge perk of referral-based models. 

Benefit #2: Get More Real Estate Leads By Building Strong Client Relationships

Piggybacking off of the previous point, referral-based models are notoriously better for building strong client relationships and can help maintain those connections with your clients. 

With referral-based models, you’re able to help boost your likelihood of repeat clients, which can certainly help you get more leads in real estate. Plus, the potential for new clients to become part of your network is based on positive word of mouth from referral-based leads. If you choose to work with a Roost broker who is closely aligned with your needs, you’ll be able to prioritize your relationships based on any personal goals you have for your real estate business. 

For example, if you and your broker both have a more relationally-focused mindset, this benefit will only get stronger as you work together. 

Benefit #3: Referral-Based Models Are the Best Way to Get Real Estate Leads

If you’re struggling with how to generate more leads in your real estate business, look no further than referral-based models as the solution. Here’s why: Instead of buying leads from companies like Zillow or Realtor.com, referral-based models allow you to have access to more complete, stronger leads. 

You’ll never have to wonder how many bedrooms a listing has due to incomplete information ever again. By working directly with people you have established relationships with, you take away some of the legwork. Directly connecting yourself to motivated buyers and sellers are key to keeping a steady stream of business — and revenue. 

A Case Study: Rena’s Story

One great way of illustrating why we at Roost think the referral-based real estate model is superior to other types of business is Rena’s story. 

Rena is a Roost agent based out of Melbourne, Florida who was new to the business when we first met. She was also new to Florida, so we tried to drum up some business for her to help her establish a foothold on the Space Coast. 

First, we did a six-month trial of Zillow, which cost us well over $1,000 a month. Rena worked hard to learn that system inside out. She tried every possible strategy to give herself an advantage using the Zillow model for the duration of that six-month trial period. 

Unfortunately for Rena, she ended up taking phone calls from people she didn’t know – on the first ring, usually – and followed up with texts within five minutes. During this trial period, Rena also experienced situations where she got terrible leads, she wasn’t able to make connections or work on practicing her craft to improve at business, and it was a non-starter. Rena did everything Zillow tells agents to do to be successful and played by their rules – but she still came up short. I was right with her the whole way and she was miserable. 

The lesson learned here was, often, the types of leads are based on what you can pay for – and they’re competitive. 

In different types of businesses within the real estate industry, agents will run into situations where someone will ask a question through a website and end up with different agents responding all at once because the leads go to multiple agents. It’s frustrating, and we don’t think that’s a good life for real estate agents or a good way to do business. So, we switched gears and went toward a referral-based model instead. 

Since then, Rena has finally managed to break through and find her path to success using our referral-based model at Roost. She has built a successful real estate business for herself, and I’ll tell you this with certainty: She’ll never go back to operating the other way. If you’re struggling like Rena was and want to learn more about how a referral-based model could help you get more leads in real estate, contact us. 

At ROOST, we don’t want our real estate agents to experience growing pains when they’re just getting started. An important thing to consider before choosing to change brokerages is whether you have all your ducks in a row. Starting over with a new brokerage relationship is a fresh start, so you want to make the most of it. 

If you’re not fully prepared to change your license over to a new company and you have a lot of loose ends to tie up first, take those steps first. 

Just like you support your clients and your community, the right broker will give you the support you deserve – and that includes helping you navigate any potential growing pains that might come as a result of transitioning to a new brokerage. If you’re struggling with finding your forward momentum and experiencing growing pains with any part of the real estate business, here’s some advice.

4 Strategies The Best Real Estate Agents Use

You could easily devote a lot of time to researching the best marketing strategies for real estate agents. Marketing strategies for real estate agents come in all shapes and sizes – and ROOST likes to get our agents started with a full marketing package, including a Facebook page, website, and other physical marketing materials. 

But before you dig too deep into social media strategy for real estate and spend a lot of time thinking about this end of the business, consider other strategies that might work for you.

Throughout my career, I’ve noticed that the best real estate agents use four – and only four –  strategies to stay at the top of their game. While other marketing strategies for realtors can help grow success, the following four actions are all that separate the top agents from the rest of the pack. 

  1. Making connections: This strategy involves how you stay in touch with people. Top real estate agents deploy making connections as a personal strategy that keeps them in touch with colleagues, past clients, future clients, other agents, and anyone who they think might be beneficial to keep in the loop. Whether you choose to send personal notes, text messages, gifts or use other strategies that keep people connected to you – and by default, your business – this method helps you remain memorable. If people remember you, they’ll give you a call the next time someone asks them for a good agent or when they’re ready to buy another property. 
  2. Practice their craft: Like with any other business, you have to keep your skills sharp to remain ahead of the curve. By continuing to better your skills, you can refine how you conduct yourself at listings or initial buyer meetings or learn new tricks to hone a competitive edge at negotiations. 
  3. Track their business: The best real estate agents track every single aspect of their business. Consider using customer relationship management software (CRM) to keep track of birthdays or what your client’s next house might look like. Know where all your leads and referrals come from. Understand your listing multiplier indexes. If you have a keen understanding of how each element of your business works, you’ll become a better professional. 
  4. Learn and grow: When top agents use the previous three strategies, the fourth becomes a natural byproduct. If you understand how to stay relevant and accessible for your past clients, trust them to recommend you for future clients, stay connected to other professionals and resources, and track every part of your business, you’ll be a top agent in no time. 

An easy way to remember these traits is with my motto: “Connect, Practice, Track, Grow.” 

If you continue to invest your time wisely by boosting these four elements of real estate – connecting with others, practicing your skills, tracking your business, and growing from the knowledge you’ve gained – you’ll be on the fast track to the top sooner than you realize. 

The Right Broker Gives You The Support You Deserve

Just like you support your clients and your community, the right broker will give you the support you deserve. Part of my passion stems from being able to fulfill my agents’ needs. ROOST agents are given the individualized support they need from their brokers because that’s what I believe in giving my agents. 

Whether you’re a deal maker, disillusioned with the way business has been for you, a new professional looking to soar, or a diehard who might be looking for a breath of fresh air, there’s a path to success to anyone as long as you’re willing to work hard to achieve your goals. 

Remember: The best marketing strategies for realtors are ultimately the ones that work best for you. With the right broker by your side, everything you hope to accomplish is within your reach. 

Chances are, if your broker isn’t the right fit for you, you are likely not the right fit for them. And if you’re wondering how to switch real estate brokers, you’re not alone. While partnerships can be difficult to sever, the decision to change real estate brokers is in the best interest of your career and future. Why waste your best years in a situation that doesn’t check all your boxes? For some, deciding to leave can be the toughest part. Once you’ve decided to move on, changing real estate brokers is as easy as having a conversation with your broker about your decision to take your license elsewhere. Some brokerages can even handle everything on the professional side of leaving your old company for you.

When considering how to change real estate brokers, try to think about how the move is best for both parties and change your mindset to focus on how your goals will be managed better by another broker. It may not make them happy, but at the end of the day, business is business. It’s to everyone’s benefit when each person involved in a partnership is motivated to work, happy with the work they are doing, and geared to thrive. 

How to Change Real Estate Brokers

Switching real estate brokerages is a transitional process. After you’ve broken up with your old broker, you’ll move into a new brokerage. This process will vary from brokerage to brokerage. For example, when new agents sign with ROOST, the first thing we do is move their licenses over and get to work setting them up. 

This process involves a complete marketing package that introduces our new agents to the market with a personal brand under the ROOST mantle. They get pictures taken, business cards and signs made, a Facebook page, a website, and everything else agents need to get started. We also help them stay connected by sending out letters to everyone they know about the move to a new brokerage — and this will help build a mailing list. 

Staying connected to past clients and other people you know is incredibly important for real estate agents, and we want to help you continue that practice by making your transition as painless as possible. 

Potential Growing Pains for New Agents in Real Estate

At ROOST, we try to ensure that the transition process of changing real estate brokers isn’t a headache for our agents, but some growing pains can arise when making the switch. For example, if an agent doesn’t have their database together or if everything they need on the business side of things isn’t all in one place, there’s only so much we can do to help. 

Once a real estate agent signs with ROOST, we can take action to help them get better at tracking different elements of the business and keeping all their important documents and paperwork in easy-to-access, secure locations. But we can’t retroactively fix this if someone hasn’t done this work in the past. 

An important thing to consider before choosing to change brokerages is whether you have all your ducks in a row. Starting over with a new brokerage relationship is a fresh start, and you want to make the most of it. If you’re not fully prepared to change your real estate license to a new broker and you have a lot of loose ends to tie up first, take those steps before you talk to your current broker about leaving. 

Another example of potential growing pains would be if you’ve planned a big family vacation. Transferring real estate brokerages two weeks before you go on vacation isn’t a good idea, because the first few weeks of work at a new brokerage involve a lot of crucial set-up phases that help agents get established with their new agency. If you’ve got plans that might impede your ability to jump in with both feet, the better choice is to wait until you’re ready to make that move. 

I encourage people who are considering switching brokerages – to ROOST or anywhere else – to evaluate their situation and make sure the timing is right and have everything to move prepared before breaking up with their brokers. Then, all that’s left to do is have a conversation about ending the partnership so you can move on and start your new life. 

Tools You Can Use: The Quick Start Game Plan

One of the best tools we offer at ROOST is what we call our Quick Start Game Plan. The basic concept of the Quick Start Game Plan is to give new agents at ROOST everything they need for their fresh start – as well as tools to help propel their business – from day one. At ROOST, we support our agents and want to ensure they have everything they need. That’s why we’re even willing to help negotiate getting out of bad brokerage arrangements and pay for their initial signs, cards, and other marketing to help people reintroduce themselves as a Roost agent. 

Another element of the Quick Start Game Plan is something we do for our agents that’s basically like throwing them an open house. This allows them to engage in the first part of our motto, which is connect, by inviting everyone they know – sometimes people they haven’t seen in years – to a big party. We give people snacks, ROOST swag, information about your new business, and anything else that will help them make that connection and, ultimately, remember you when they’re ready to list their existing home or find a new one. 

Whether you’re in the early phases of considering a breakup with your broker or know you’re ready to make the move, the most important decision is finding a new real estate brokerage that is aligned with your personal goals as a real estate agent. If you’d like to learn more about how ROOST operates, take a look at https://roostrealestateco.com/about-roost/ for more information. 

Working with lots of different types of real estate agents has taught me a few key insights about how they work and what they need from real estate brokers in order to see growth and score the big wins we all want. 

I’ve broken down the characteristics of realtors I’ve met during my time in the business into four distinct profiles. These profiles can help you figure out more about where you are and, armed with the knowledge of what you need in a broker, you’ll be able to work smarter when choosing a real estate brokerage. 

  1. The Deal Makers

Deal makers, as their title may suggest, are incredibly self-motivated. These people may fall into a more transactional mindset because they’re in this for the business. They love the thrill of the hunt and are hungry to close a deal. Deal makers tend to gravitate toward 100% shops, which refers to brokerages that allow agents to work for free. Basically, if you make $1,000, you keep $1,000. 

Deal makers may find themselves closely aligned with people who work at these types of brokerages because both parties are motivated by the sale and want to quickly move on to the next deal. 

  1. The Disillusioned

Disillusioned real estate agents have had a bit of a rough road. For one reason or another, the real estate business just hasn’t turned out the way they hoped it would. These agents have likely had their real estate license for a few years, but they’re not happy. However, regardless of whether the disillusioned agents got mixed up with the wrong brokerage or whatever else has held them back, they are not ready to give up. 

These agents could likely benefit from a broker who will make them excited to work again. They need a strong mentor who can offer them training in areas where they need to bulk up their skills. Whether it’s partnering with someone who has fresh insights about the industry or someone who has learned lessons that follow a similar route to what a disillusioned agent has experienced in their own career, these agents benefit from someone who can help mentor them. Together, this partnership can develop strategies that do work from places where past efforts have been less rewarding. 

  1. The Die Hards

This personality profile might sound a bit extreme, but I mean this term affectionately. Diehard real estate agents are very loyal to their broker and the success they’ve achieved through working the big legacy brands, like Coldwell Banker, or even big regional companies like Howard Hannah. While these are outstanding companies, diehards have become successful because they’ve followed the traditions and rules of these companies rather than forging their own paths. This isn’t a bad thing! It’s just a different way of doing business. 

However, diehards may have a tougher time leaving their current broker because they don’t have a strong personal brand or identity outside of the work they’ve done for a legacy franchise. Their identity as real estate professionals has become intertwined with the franchise’s name, so it isn’t always easy to make a career shift. A lot of diehards don’t see any value in breaking up with their brokers because they’ve been in the business for a long time, they’ve been successful, and there’s more risk involved with doing something outside of their existing relationship. 

  1. The New Professionals

New professionals tend to be people who value relationships over transactions, and that’s where a good broker relationship can be easily forged if your other goals are aligned. New professionals have gained insights about the value of relationships in this business, and so they’re genuinely looking to find a mentor to work with them to ensure they get a steady stream of referrals and listings. They understand that building strong relationships is the best way to not only obtain repeat business but also discover new opportunities. 

Agents with this personality profile are excited about adding value year after year, they want to become better at their work, and they want to focus on more targeted needs, such as marketing. One key thing to learn about agents with this personality type is that they are always focused on their futures more than their pasts. The type of real estate broker who also has big dreams, goals, and ambitions could easily align with a new professional. 

However, brokers who do enter into relationships with new professionals need to be focused on continuing to excite and motivate their agents through mentorship, training, and providing them with new opportunities or skills. 

Why Choose The Realtor Lifestyle?

Part of the reason why people choose this business is because of the real estate agent lifestyle. Much of your business is conducted based on your own terms — and you essentially work for yourself. That’s part of why I got into real estate, after all. I knew I needed a lifestyle change that would allow me more flexibility and control over my own success. And if you feel this way, you’re certainly not alone. However, with some major lifestyle perks come other considerations that need to be made, which is where your real estate agent personality profile comes into play. How you work, how you think about business, and your own earning goals will likely dictate much of your overall realtor lifestyle. 

For many real estate agents, the business becomes the core of their life — and other elements, such as health and family, suffer as a result of overworking. In particular, deal makers tend to work themselves to the bone because they’re so focused on their sales. 

Instead of putting yourself in a position where you’re going to burn out or potentially damage other important aspects of your personal life, consider how finding the right brokerage can amplify the lifestyle benefits inherent to real estate work. 

Part of why our referral-based model works at Roost is because it allows our agents to have a steady stream of work to do all year round, so they never have to fear potential scarcity. This makes it easier to plan family vacations, take time away to focus on other passions, or whatever else someone values in terms of upholding a proper work-life balance. 


Part of finding the right licensed broker is establishing a good relationship that works for both parties. Now, just like any relationship, brokerage arrangements can be positive or negative depending on what all involved parties put into shared work. I want you to avoid a bad relationship with your potential real estate agent broker, but bad relationships do happen. 

Unfortunately, that’s part of the real estate business and too often, agents stay in bad relationships with brokers for several reasons. 

Here’s how to gauge a good broker relationship vs. a bad one. Plus, we’ll cover the characteristics of each, so you know how to potentially avoid red flags before they become a problem. 

Examples of Good Broker Relationships

The best real estate brokerage relationships are those where the broker and real estate agent have the same views, goals, and desires for conducting their business. If you need someone to mentor you and find a broker who is passionate about mentorship and training – especially with new agents – you might have a perfect match. 

If you have lofty goals for yearly sales and are a high-achiever who is constantly on the go and wants to feel more independent, a real estate broker who allows you that agency and pushes you to succeed might be a better fit. 

By partnering with a broker who understands where you are today, your long-term goals, and your short-term goals because they share the same mindset as you, a good relationship is likely in your future. 

Examples of Bad Broker Relationships

I think the key indicator of a bad brokerage relationship is when your core values don’t align. For example, if you are transactionally minded and focused on making 300 transactions in a year, you want a transactional broker who shares your mindset and will help you meet those goals. 

If you’re partnered with a real estate agent broker who is more relationally minded and focused on connections with past clients, other agents, referral sources, and future clients, they likely won’t have the same goals as you. Where you’re focused on making the next sale and collecting that next paycheck, they will be focusing on building relationships and making connections. This can eventually lead to a situation where you are frustrated with the way your broker handles business, and they might be frustrated with how you manage yours. 

Other situations that might foster a bad broker relationship include cases where someone is a new agent and needs a lot of mentorship or training, but your broker isn’t necessarily interested in helping you to that level or has a different focus, such as a more transactional focus. 

It’s important to find the best brokerage for new agents instead of partnering with someone who doesn’t want to take the time to help mentor and train you because they’re focused on making the next sale, this can lead to a bad relationship. If your broker isn’t prepared to give you the emotional support you need or doesn’t think you need more extensive training to build your confidence and increase your likelihood to make sales, this is going to lead to frustration and conflict on both sides. 

At the end of the day, bad relationships tend to come down to miscommunication and a misaligned view of how your broker wants their business to run vs. how you want your real estate business to run. 

Why Do Agents Stay in Bad Relationships with Brokers?

You may ask yourself: Why would an agent stay in a relationship with a broker if it’s not a good relationship? Why wouldn’t they just change their brokerage? 

There are a couple of reasons why this happens. 

Ultimately, real estate agents stay in tough brokerage arrangements that aren’t serving them because of financial, emotional, or branding costs. While breaking up is hard to do, sometimes it’s necessary to ensure that you see long-term success in your real estate career – and find the best real estate brokerage for your individual needs. 

When it comes to finding the right broker, I think we all know a Google search for “real estate brokers near me” isn’t going to give you the best results. The good news is, finding the right real estate broker it’s not as difficult as you may think… 

The One Rule for Real Estate Agents Looking for a Broker 

There is really only one rule for real estate agents who are looking for their perfect broker relationship: seek out a licensed real estate broker who is aligned with your vision of how you want to conduct your business.  

This is not as easy as it sounds. 

There are many, many, ways to approach the business of real estate. What’s more, your approach will likely change and evolve over time. So, it’s critical that you select a real estate broker to associate with who will evolve with you and support you during every stage of your career. 

Here’s an example of an agent whose approach to the business of real estate has evolved over time. 

Priscilla’s Story 

Priscilla McNamee started off as a young, motivated real estate agent who approached the business as if she was shot out of a cannon. Her role models were successful veterans whose approach to the business was best described as “traditional.”  

Priscilla initially associated with a well-known local brokerage that I would describe as a ‘Legacy House’. The agents were very competitive, status-driven, very involved in the social aspects of the local board of realtors, motivated by Ohio Association of Realtor sales awards, and very set in their ways.  

Keep in mind that 20 to 25 years ago, we Realtors owned all the information about listings for sale in the market and guarded that information like our lives depended on it. That’s just the way it was. The Legacy House Realtors were the best people we had to model the way for us. 

I first met Priscilla when I opened a RE/MAX franchise in Springfield, Ohio in 2003-2004. We were the only national franchise option for realtors in Springfield at the time, and we were able to attract several veteran agents, including Priscilla, over the first few years. 

Priscilla was promised that the RE/MAX brand would lend her instant credibility in the market. After all, RE/MAX at the time was the largest and most trusted real estate brand in the world. While we had some incredible technology at RE/MAX relative to the local competition Priscilla and I eventually realized that she had essentially traded a local legacy brand for a national legacy brand. 

The best part of my association with RE/MAX was being introduced to Brian Buffini at a RE/MAX convention. Buffini and Company showed me a new way forward in the business that was based on long-term productive relationships, not short-term, “of the moment” transactions. This idea, and the way Brian articulated it, was transformational for me, and ultimately for Priscilla. 

Fast forward to the real estate crash of 2008 and 2009: I ended my association with RE/MAX and focused on my personal practice. Priscilla went back to work at the local legacy house she was with before joining me at RE/MAX. 

Priscilla never forgot the lessons we learned from Brian, even as her fellow realtors continued to approach the business as a series of transactions. By this time, Zillow and others had taken what had been information only realtors had and shared it with the rest of the world, for free. 

The traditional way of doing business at a legacy house brokerage got more difficult as the general public started to see all agents as the same since few of us were offering anything of value to our clients at the time beyond what they could find online. 

Priscilla slowly realized that the way to differentiate herself was to focus on relationships and build a referral-based real estate business. However, she struggled to do this because her vision was completely out of line with the way her brokerage worked. 

Meanwhile, I started dreaming about what a real estate brokerage might look like that focused exclusively on supporting individual agents who wanted to approach the business as I did. In 2014, I opened ROOST to do exactly that.  

Priscilla and I eventually reconnected and she agreed to join me at ROOST. During that meeting, I could tell Priscilla was fully committed to working by referral. She even hired a personal success coach at Buffini and Company who has helped triple her business over the last five years, while she carves out more time for her family. She’s now living a beautiful life and shares her mindset with anyone willing to listen. 

Tools You Can Use: The Real Estate Mindset Scorecard 

If the number one trait to look for in a real estate broker is that they be aligned with you, how do you find them? The first step is to get clear on how you want to do business. Ask yourself, “How do I want to approach the business of real estate?” This is a sneaky question because it sounds simple but takes some serious thought and self-reflection to answer. Fortunately, we’ve got a thinking tool to help you. 

The Eight Success Mindsets Scorecard at www.8SuccessMinsetsScorecard.com provides you with a series of questions and statements that relate to the eight success mindsets the most successful real estate professionals among us share. 

Each of the eight mindsets that make up the scorecard has four columns or stages that create a continuum. If you find that your scores fall mostly in stage one, you will likely realize that your approach to the business of real estate is more transactional in nature. 

A transactional approach is not a negative despite how it may sound. Lots of Realtors score themselves primarily in stage one across the mindsets and do very well.  A Realtor with a more transactional approach simply tends to be task-oriented, focused on their numbers, and always on the lookout for the next immediate opportunity to get to the closing table.   

If you have a transactional approach to the business, finding a broker who can help you think critically about a task-oriented action and financial plan may be a top priority for you.   

If your scores cluster in stage two you may be a new agent or may not be experiencing the benefits a career in real estate promised. Agents in stage two tend to value training and community above all, and generally have less ambitious goals than those in the other three stages. Many in stage two see real estate as more of a job than a profession or entrepreneurial opportunity.  

In stage two, just as in stage one, finding a brokerage that is aligned with your vision of your business is critical. 

If your overall scores fall mostly in column or stage three, you are likely an established professional with years of experience and an extensive book of business. Your approach is likely more traditional in nature and you will do well in a brokerage environment where hard work and long hours are rewarded. 

If you find yourself scoring yourself more prominently in stage four, your business approach is more relational in nature. For you, a relationship is far more valuable than any single transaction.  Finding a brokerage that shares your relationship-oriented approach to the business is going to be critical to your long-term success and overall happiness. 

My advice is to look for a broker that is motivated to promote your personal connection making activities, enhance your personal practice, support your business based on your personal success metrics, and coach you for never-ending personal growth and development. 

Now that you have a clear idea of how you want to approach the business, you can target your search to a specific category of brokerage that will likely be a great fit for you. 

The 4 Types Of Brokerages 

There are essentially four distinct types of brokerages. They are The 100% Shops, The Mass Market Franchises, The Legacy Houses, and the Right Fit Partners. 

Learning about the general characteristics of each brokerage category will instantly focus your search for a brokerage aligned with you. 

The 100% Shops    

Think Fathom, Red 1, Emerge  

  1. Great home for transaction-oriented professionals. 
  1. Not only is the relationship between agent and client transactional, but so is the relationship between agent and broker. 
  1. These brokers provide limited support and generally charge limited fees. They expect little from their agents and their agents expect little from them.  
  1. These brokerages focus on having a high agent count, as the average annual sales of their licensed agents tend to be low. 
  1. The culture 100% commission brokerages is best characterized as ‘hands-off’. The offices tend to lack professional camaraderie, shared vision, mentoring, training, or personal coaching. 
  1. The tools provided by these brokerages vary from nothing to an extensive menu of extras and add-ons that come at an additional cost or monthly fee. 
  1. The successful agents and team leaders at these brokerages use the money they keep to fund their own businesses within the brokerage. 

Anne’s Story 

One of my favorite stories about an agent who got their start at a 100% shop is Anne Sparks in our office. She was my guest on our last episode. Anne got started at office just outside of Springfield that is a newer franchise that only charges an annual fee and then a transaction fee on the first 15 sales. The offset of course to limited cost is limited service, mentorship, and training. 

Anne was disillusioned. She had chosen the wrong brokerage and was doubting her decision to pursue a career in real estate. Then Anne downloaded my book How To Make It In The NEW Real Estate Business and listened to our first podcast we did with Susan Elliott last summer.   

Anne liked what she heard and reached out to meet.  Anne fit right in with our culture was excited to begin working by referral and using the tools, training, and resources we provide. We also paired Anne with Tina Bleything, our Agent Success Coordinator so she had a buddy to help her get started on the right foot with us. 

Long story short – Anne is having a GREAT year in what is still a challenging real estate environment.   

The Mass-Market Franchises   

Think Keller Williams, EXP, EXIT 

  1. Mass market franchise real estate brokerages often offer extensive training programs as a means of attracting new agents seeking safety and security in a job. 
  1. The commission split structure of these brokerages is often designed to incentivize agents to stay with the company by capping their commission splits at a predetermined amount once they have earned a certain amount. 
  1. While mass market franchise real estate brokerages may offer extensive training libraries and video resources, these tools are useless in isolation and need to be accompanied by practice, repetition, and experience in the real world. 
  1. Successful real estate agents are typically driven by intrinsic ambition, which cannot be trained into existence. 
  1. Many new agents who begin their careers at mass market franchise real estate brokerages for the training alone, often fail to find success and become disillusioned, either leaving the industry altogether or seeking out a brokerage committed to their ongoing professional success and personal development. 

The Legacy Houses  

Think Coldwell Banker, Century 21, Howard Hannah, Berkshire Hathaway 

  1. These brokerages have a long history and a tradition of excellence going back decades. They were formed when brokerages were highly selective about the agents they invited to join. 
  1. The culture at these firms can be described as traditional. Their compelling offer to agents is their name recognition, history, and status as a highly respected brand. 
  1. These brokerages and their agents are focused on holding on to what they’ve worked so hard to get. They are not interested in shiny objects or tech for tech’s sake. 
  1. These brokerages have deep and extensive institutional wisdom and are the bedrock foundation of the real estate industry. 
  1. At these brokerages there is a mix of professionals, with a large group of Realtors joyfully celebrating their purpose and continuing to add value, and a not insignificant subset of agents holding on to what they have for dear life because they cannot imagine doing anything else. 

The Right-Fit Partners   

I believe this is the future of real estate and what we aspire to be at ROOST Real Estate Co. 

  1. The right fit partner brokerages combine a vision for the future with the best practices of the past.  
  1. The New Professionals choose a Right Fit Brokerage based on shared values and stay because of the opportunities they create together. 
  1. Productivity for The New Professionals comes from activities that promote and enhance their relationships with people who know, like, trust, and support them. They prioritize connections and adding value to the lives of past, present, and future clients. 
  1. The New Professionals at The Right Fit Brokerages are some of the most productive and profitable Realtors in the industry. They have the tools they need to track their lead generating activities, multiply the value of every listing, expand their personal brand, and generate more leads, referrals, appointments, contracts, and income. 
  1. The New Professionals achieve a balance between their personal and professional lives that other Realtors can only dream of. They intentionally craft careers worth pursuing and lives worth living, and they are successful on their own terms and by their own rules. 

In reality, there’s no right or wrong way to approach the real estate business. With the right broker by your side, nothing can hold you back from using your own goals, motivations, and mindsets to propel you forward.  

The key is finding a broker who is aligned with your values, shares your mindsets, and has a deep understanding of how you want to approach your business.  

In closing I want to share an 8 Success Mindsets Scorecard Success Story. 

We recently brought on a newly licensed Realtor who is also going to help us in our property management department. His name is Trey Bucio from Dayton Ohio.  

Before we extended an offer to Trey I asked him to complete the ROOST version of the 8 Success Mindset Scorecard at www.GreatFitAgent.com

After completing the scorecard, and for the first time in his fledgling career, Trey found the words to express the kind of business he dreamed of. Trey even said to me after completing the scorecard “it’s like you know me better than I do”.  

That’s the kind of feedback that makes my day.  I am confident that Trey will enjoy a long and successful career with us.  Our values are aligned and we are a great fit for each other. 

Thank you for Reading! 

And whenever you’re ready: 

Download your FREE copy of Eight Success Mindsets Of The NEW Real Estate Professional and learn how to craft a career worth pursuing and a life worth living. www.8SuccessMindsets.com  

And, if you want to jump straight to the 8 Success Mindsets Scorecard check it out online at www.8SuccessMindsetsScorecard.com

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