Learn how real estate teams attract top producing agents by implementing this tested system & criteria for lead distribution.
One of the most common questions I get from real estate team leaders and broker-owners is this: How do real estate teams attract top producing agents and actually keep them? It’s no secret that retention and recruitment are two sides of the same coin—and in today’s market, it’s not enough to just bring agents in the door. You’ve got to give them a reason to stay.
At Icenhower Coaching & Training, we’ve developed a system we call the Matching Standard, and it’s a game-changer for both growing your team and helping your agents reach their full potential. This blog is going to walk you through how the Matching Standard works, how to scale your team without burning out, and—most importantly—how real estate teams attract top producing agents by aligning growth opportunities with agent success.
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VIDEO: How Real Estate Teams Attract Top Producing Agents
The Matching Standard: A Path to Scalable Growth
Let’s start by defining the Matching Standard. At its core, it’s a lead distribution strategy designed to promote self-sufficiency, encourage personal growth, and reward productivity.
The Matching Standard means that for every closing an agent earns from their own sphere of influence (SOI), the team rewards them with one closing from team-generated leads. It’s a 1-to-1 ratio. If they bring in five closings from their SOI, they get five closings from the team’s lead sources—Zillow leads, referral networks, you name it.
This creates a strong incentive for agents to build their own business while also benefiting from the resources and brand of the team. It’s one of the clearest answers to how real estate teams attract top producing agents—by creating a clear path to success and scale.
Use the “But For” Test to Define Lead Sources
To determine whether a lead is considered “team-generated,” we use what we call the “But For” Test:
“But for the existence of the team, would this lead have existed?”
If the answer is no—if the lead came from the team’s paid marketing, admin systems, or brand recognition—then it’s clearly a team-generated lead.
On the flip side, if the lead came from the agent’s personal sphere or was referred directly to them, that’s an agent-generated lead.
This distinction is critical. It allows leaders to reward behavior appropriately, scale their systems efficiently, and attract high-performing agents who value both independence and support.
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Quick View
Team Coaching Program
The Team Real Estate Coaching Program is for smaller teams looking for internal structure, leverage and leadership.
The Problem with Top Producers Outgrowing the Team
A major challenge real estate teams face is retaining high-performing agents. Often, when agents begin generating 20+ transactions annually—most of them from their SOI—they no longer rely on team-generated leads. They feel like they’ve “graduated” from the team.
Without a plan in place, this can lead to turnover and stagnation. But top-performing teams handle this differently.
They adjust commission splits for high-producing agents, increase autonomy, and continue offering backend support. In short, they create a path for advancement within the team, rather than allowing it to be a stepping stone.
This is a huge part of how real estate teams attract top producing agents: by giving them a future on the team, not just a starting point.
Introducing the “We” Category: Making Your Leads Go Further
To make this system even more effective, we introduce a third category of leads: the “We” lead.
These are leads where both the team and the agent contributed. Not purely agent-generated. Not purely team-generated. Something in the middle.
Think of it as a draw—a collaborative win. Here are the most common examples of “We” leads and how they help teams attract and retain top producing agents.
1. Open Houses
Open houses are one of the most common types of “We” leads.
But for the team having the listing, would the open house exist?
No. The team provides the listing, but the agent is the one who holds the open house, meets the buyers, and nurtures the relationships. Some teams choose to label these as agent-generated to motivate participation, but in reality, they fall into the “We” category.
This helps leads go further, rewards initiative, and—importantly—teaches agents how to fish, not just gives them fish.
2. Past Clients from Team Leads
Here’s another scenario: An agent gets a Zillow lead provided by the team. Two years later, that client comes back to the agent—unsolicited—and wants to list their home.
Is that second transaction team-generated or agent-generated?
It’s a little of both. The lead originated from the team, but the agent nurtured the relationship, stayed in touch, and delivered excellent service. That’s “We” business. And recognizing it as such encourages agents to treat every lead—no matter where it came from—as an opportunity to build their database.
3. Farming with Team Support
Top-producing teams often provide their agents with farming tools and marketing support for specific geographic areas. The team may pay for mailers, design templates, run Facebook ads, or provide admin support.
In this case, the lead came from the agent’s designated farm, but the team made that marketing possible.
Again, that’s “We” business. And it’s one of the best-kept secrets for how real estate teams attract top producing agents—by giving them systems to grow their SOI intentionally and visibly.
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Quick View
Team Coaching Program
The Team Real Estate Coaching Program is for smaller teams looking for internal structure, leverage and leadership.
Bonus “We” Lead Scenarios
A few other examples worth mentioning include:
Floor time leads (where agents convert team-sourced inbound inquiries)
Door knocking campaigns (supported by team branding or listing activity)
Expired listings or circle prospecting (with team-provided data or auto-dialers)
Shared CRMs or ponds (where agents are given older leads to re-engage)
These collaborative efforts show agents that the team is invested in their success, not just tracking their output.
Why Strong Admin and Marketing Support Attracts Top Agents
Many teams mistakenly cut costs by limiting admin support, but top teams do the opposite.
Strong admin teams—especially full-time marketing coordinators—provide the backend leverage that top producing agents need. High-paid admins help agents:
Get listings to market faster
Execute multi-channel marketing campaigns
Leverage CRM systems for follow-up
Optimize their branding and online presence
In fact, we’ve seen that one highly effective marketing admin can pay for the entire admin department through increased production and efficiency.
Investing in this kind of support is not only smart—it’s how real estate teams attract top producing agents and build a magnetic brand reputation.
Learn more about the Agent Management Portal
Looking for the best way to add value for your agents? The Agent Management Portal is a powerful learning management system. You get access to all of our state-of-the-industry training materials, as well as tools to help you create your own training content for your agents.
We’ve developed a system we call the Matching Standard, and it’s a game-changer for both growing your team and helping your agents reach their full potential.
Brian Icenhower
Create a Scalable Path to Success
The beauty of the Matching Standard—along with the addition of the “We” category—is that it creates a repeatable, scalable model for team growth.
Newer agents are motivated to work their SOI so they can unlock more leads.
Mid-level agents are rewarded for collaboration through “We” leads.
Top producers are given freedom, higher splits, and support to stay on the team long-term.
This system doesn’t just grow teams—it retains excellence and eliminates the friction that usually comes when top agents feel boxed in.
Final Thoughts: Build a Team Agents Want to Stay On
If you want to know how real estate teams attract top producing agents, it’s not about flashy perks or empty promises. It’s about:
Clear expectations
Fair, scalable lead distribution
Support systems that matter
A path to growth within the team
At Icenhower Coaching & Training, we work with teams across North America to implement these exact systems, and the results speak for themselves. Whether you’re building a team from scratch or trying to level up your current operation, remember: top producers don’t want to leave a well-oiled machine.
Make your team that machine—and watch the top agents come to you.
