Learn how to properly exit real estate agents from a brokerage or team in a graceful manner to enhance your company's reputation & increase the likelihood of them returning.
When it comes to leadership in real estate, most training focuses on recruiting agents and increasing production. But there’s another skill that can make or break your brokerage or team: knowing how to exit real estate agents from a brokerage gracefully.
Agent departures are inevitable. Whether it’s due to market shifts, personal goals, or the classic “grass is greener” mentality, you will have agents leave. The true measure of leadership isn’t whether you can stop them—it’s how you handle their exit. Your approach can either protect your reputation and culture or spark drama that damages both.
VIDEO: How to Exit Real Estate Agents from a Brokerage or Team
Why Agents Leave – And Why They Rarely Tell the Whole Story
The late-summer market slowdown is often a trigger for movement. Sales dip, school starts, and agents start scrutinizing their numbers. Instead of doubling down on proven lead generation strategies, some look for an external fix—moving to another brokerage or team in hopes of better splits, more leads, or stronger culture.
But here’s the truth: the reason they give you for leaving is rarely the real reason. Just like a high school breakup—“It’s not you, it’s me”—most agents are simply trying to avoid conflict. That means the feedback they offer during an exit interview is often incomplete or not actionable.
The Hidden Cost of a Poor Exit
Leaders who react emotionally to a departure send a loud message to their remaining agents: “I value you only while you’re making money for me.”
Negative reactions—whether overt (“You’ll never make it on your own”) or subtle (“We don’t make money off you anyway”)—can do more damage than the departure itself. These comments confirm the agent’s decision to leave and give them a story to tell in the market… one that casts you in a bad light.
Worse, other agents are watching. A poorly handled exit can turn a single departure into a wave of resignations.
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Team Coaching Program
The Team Real Estate Coaching Program is for smaller teams looking for internal structure, leverage and leadership.
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Broker Leadership
ICT Online CourseBroker Leadership
Lead your brokerage with confidence, clarity, and proven systems.
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Training on leadership strategies for brokers and owners
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How to recruit, retain, and develop top-producing agents
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Systems to create accountability and drive team performance
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Financial models to increase profitability at the brokerage level
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Culture-building techniques that inspire and engage agents
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Downloadable tools, dashboards, and recruiting resources
Develop Leadership Skills
Learn how to set vision, create culture, and guide your brokerage to long-term growth.
Build a Productive Environment
Implement systems that hold agents accountable and drive consistent results.
Recruit & Retain Top Talent
Attract high-performing agents and keep them engaged with proven leadership strategies.
Designed for all learning types
Video Training
In-depth video training walking you through each module of the course, explaining the strategies, tips, and best practices for using Canva for real estate agents.Written Workbook
Detailed and downloadable written workbook that provides you with a bullet point outline, summarized text, action steps, key takeaways, as well as space for taking notes.Instructor Materials
Teach this course at your organization with the help of our downloadable presentation notes, presentation files, and Instructor's Manual.Course curriculum
Enrollment includes access to the following course materials for 6 months
Get Started Here : Introduction- Join the Real Estate Agent Round Table Facebook Group
- Welcome to Broker Leadership!
- Module 2 Workbook: Understanding Job Roles
- Video: Job Roles for Admin Staff
- The Solution Triangle
- Video: Viral Goals are SMART
- Workbook: Module 2 – Viral Goals are SMART
- SMART Goals Graphic
- Module 2 Action Steps
- Video: Viral Goals Spread to the Team
- Workbook: Module 3 – Viral Goals Spread to the Team
- Small Team Organizational Structure (fillable)
- Midsize Team Organizational Structure – Traditional (fillable)
- Midsize Team Organizational Structure – Hybrid (fillable)
- Large Team Organizational Structure – Traditional (fillable)
- Large Team Organizational Structure – Hybrid (fillable)
- Module 3 Action Steps
- Video: Agent Onboarding Calendar
- Workbook: Module 4 – Agent Onboarding Calendar
- Team Onboarding Calendar Weeks 1-8
- Module 4 Action Steps
- Workbook: Module 5 – Recruiting Needs Analysis Appointment
- Video: Recruiting Needs Analysis Appointment
- Needs Analysis Steps Graphic
- Module 5 Action Steps
- Video: Training a Recruiter
- Workbook: Module 6 – Training a Recruiter
- Video: First Quarter Checklist
- Workbook: Module 7 – First Quarter Checklist
- First Quarter Checklist for Teams
- Module 7 Action Steps
- Video: Office Training Calendar
- Workbook: Module 8 – Office Training Calendar
- Real Estate Office Brokerage Training Calendar
- Module 8 Action Steps
- Video: Focus on Activities to Grow
- Workbook: Module 9 – Focus on Activities to Grow
- Module 9 Action Steps
- Video: Cultivate Personal Responsibility
- Workbook: Module 10 – Cultivate Personal Responsibility
- Workbook: Module 11 – Public Accountability
- Video: Public Accountability
- Module 11 Action Steps
- Video: The Essential Tool for Coaching Productivity
- Workbook: Module 12 – The Essential Tool for Coaching Agent Productivity
- ICC Business Tracker
- Module 12 Action Steps
- Video: How to Motivate Agents
- Workbook: Module 13 – How to Motivate Agents
- Module 13 Action Steps
- Video: Create a ‘Production-Centric’ Environment
- Workbook: Module 14 – Create a Production-Centric Environment
- Realtor Group Call Session – The Complete Guide
- Module 14 Action Steps
- Video: Tracking Activities
- Workbook: Module 15 – Tracking Activities
- Leadership Dashboard
- Module 15 Action Steps
- Video: The Recruiting & Retention Mindset
- Workbook: Module 17 – The Recruiting & Retention Mindset
- Module 17 Action Steps
- Workbook: Module 18 – Create a Growth-Oriented Business
- Video: Create a Growth-Oriented Business
- Team Onboarding Calendar Weeks 1-8
- Module 18 Action Steps
- Video: The Broker-Manager Business Plan
- Workbook: Module 19 – The Broker-Manager Business Plan
- 1-3-5 Single Page Business Plan Broker Owner – sample
- 1-3-5 Single Page Business Plan Broker Owner – fillable
- Module 19 Action Steps
- Video: The Future of Teams & Brokerages
- Workbook: Module 20 – The Future of Teams & Brokerages
- Module 20 Action Steps
- Video: Start Your Own Licensing School
- Workbook: Module 21 – Start Your Own Licensing School
About this course
- $349
- 77 lessons
- 6.5 hours of video content
Certification & Designation Upon Completion
In this ICT online course, you will receive an official designation of "Certified Brokerage Manager" or CBM upon completion, as well as a downloadable (and printable) Certificate of Completion. Add your designation seal, as well as your designation letters, to your email signature to bolster your reputation and show off your expertise to clients and colleagues alike.Reviews
"I use ICT systems, the Icenhower Institute, and the coaching program to coach and train my team of over 30 agents. I use the ICT dashboard systems to keep my entire team accountable for their activities and set proper expectations."
Jake Rockwell
Over 500 Units Sold Annually
"I have coached with ICT for over five years. ICT has helped me quadruple my luxury business through marketing strategies so that I receive listings and sales through lead generation and multiple pillars of income."
Dennis Adelpour
Luxury Agent - West Los Angeles
"When we started coaching with ICT we worked all the time with some degree of success. Now, seven years later, we have grown to have the #1 market share in our area, we more than tripled our income and production, while also improving our work-life balance to enjoy our personal life with family and friends."
Tammi Humphrey
#1 Market Share & 100 Million in Annual Sales Volume
Instructor
Brian Icenhower.
I designed Broker Leadership to help broker owners and team leaders on a growth path that helps their entire organization succeed.
I'm so excited to introduce this course to you. It's a high-powered course, whether you're running a real estate brokerage or real estate team ... any real estate organization or company, really. Typically, you have a leadership team (or you'd like to have one) and you have agents within your organization as well.
You will learn about business planning and goal setting for your own leadership team, and also strategies and tactics for helping your agents with business planning and goal setting.
Onboarding systems, orientation systems for new agents and staff members, and training systems for your team are all a huge part of this Broker Leadership course.
You'll also learn recruiting and growth stratgies. We have systems and tools for you to use to ensure your company grows the way you want it to with the type of agents in place so that you're succeeding on a high level.
Together, we will create a production-centric culture in your office, without all the drama and negative mindsets that so often infiltrate organizations in our industry.
In this course you'll have access to ICC's award-winning coaching and training systems, structures and tools to help you implement them, as well as workbooks and tools for in-person training at your office.
Learn how to scale your organization and diversify your business so you can always increase your income along with addingmore personal time for you and your leadership team.
This is one of our most robust, lengthy courses to date, by far the most detailed and thorough course for real estate leaders that has ever been created.
Start leading like the top brokers do.
Get the tools and strategies to recruit, retain, and lead your agents with confidence — start the course today. Add to CartTalk to a coach
If you've been considering hiring a coach, now's the time. Book a FREE coaching consultation session with your purchase of this course! Book Your Call
See all courses
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Jake Rockwell
Over 500 Units Sold Annually
"I have coached with ICT for over five years. ICT has helped me quadruple my luxury business through marketing strategies so that I receive listings and sales through lead generation and multiple pillars of income."
Dennis Adelpour
Luxury Agent - West Los Angeles
"When we started coaching with ICT we worked all the time with some degree of success. Now, seven years later, we have grown to have the #1 market share in our area, we more than tripled our income and production, while also improving our work-life balance to enjoy our personal life with family and friends."
Tammi Humphrey
#1 Market Share & 100 Million in Annual Sales Volume
Instructor
Brian Icenhower.
I designed Broker Leadership to help broker owners and team leaders on a growth path that helps their entire organization succeed.
I'm so excited to introduce this course to you. It's a high-powered course, whether you're running a real estate brokerage or real estate team ... any real estate organization or company, really. Typically, you have a leadership team (or you'd like to have one) and you have agents within your organization as well.
You will learn about business planning and goal setting for your own leadership team, and also strategies and tactics for helping your agents with business planning and goal setting.
Onboarding systems, orientation systems for new agents and staff members, and training systems for your team are all a huge part of this Broker Leadership course.
You'll also learn recruiting and growth stratgies. We have systems and tools for you to use to ensure your company grows the way you want it to with the type of agents in place so that you're succeeding on a high level.
Together, we will create a production-centric culture in your office, without all the drama and negative mindsets that so often infiltrate organizations in our industry.
In this course you'll have access to ICC's award-winning coaching and training systems, structures and tools to help you implement them, as well as workbooks and tools for in-person training at your office.
Learn how to scale your organization and diversify your business so you can always increase your income along with addingmore personal time for you and your leadership team.
This is one of our most robust, lengthy courses to date, by far the most detailed and thorough course for real estate leaders that has ever been created.
Common Leadership Missteps During Agent Exits
If you want to master how to exit real estate agents from a brokerage, avoid these damaging moves:
Making it personal.
Comments that question an agent’s abilities or character fuel resentment and tarnish your reputation.Changing their compensation on the way out.
Altering commission splits for pending deals signals insecurity and instability.Refusing to transfer listings.
Even if you’re legally allowed to keep them, refusing to transfer listings when it’s industry norm shows ill will.Poaching their team members mid-transition.
This escalates tensions and ensures negative word-of-mouth.
The Power of Grace
Strong leaders know that every exit is an opportunity. In fact, about half of all agents who leave will return—if they are treated well.
A graceful exit includes:
Keeping compensation structures consistent until all pending deals close.
Transferring listings when appropriate in your market.
Offering genuine help with their transition—yes, even logistical support.
Speaking positively about them, both publicly and privately.
This not only preserves relationships but also positions you as a leader who values people over transactions.
A poorly handled exit can turn a single departure into a wave of resignations.
Brian Icenhower
A Real-World Retention Win
One of our clients lost their top agent but stayed focused on relationship, not retaliation. Knowing this agent valued personal connection, they scheduled reminders to check in at her preferred working time—10:30 PM—every few weeks. They also invited her to social events, expressing genuine care.
By the tenth week, she returned. Why? Because the other brokerage didn’t know her the way her original team did. They played to her motivations, kept the relationship warm, and demonstrated they valued her as a person.
Why This Matters for Growth
If you want to grow, you must be just as good at exiting agents as you are at recruiting them. Poorly handled exits spread “poison pills” into the market, damaging your ability to attract talent. Graceful exits, on the other hand, create advocates—even from former agents—and sometimes bring them back.
The next time an agent leaves, resist the urge to react emotionally. Keep your focus on growth activities:
Recruiting new agents.
Training and supporting your current team.
Maintaining a culture of respect and professionalism.
Because in real estate leadership, your reputation is your currency—and how you handle exits determines whether it grows or shrinks.
Key Takeaway
Mastering how to exit real estate agents from a brokerage with grace isn’t just about being polite—it’s a strategic growth move. Treat people well on the way out, and you’ll keep the door open for them to return, protect your reputation, and strengthen your culture for the long haul.
Need expert guidance on leadership? Talk to an ICT coach for free today.
