Brian Icenhower & United Realty Group CEO Dan Duffy discuss how to start a real estate brokerage.
Hi everyone, Brian Icenhower here. I had the incredible opportunity to sit down with Dan Duffy, the CEO and founder of United Real Estate Group—a national real estate company that’s quietly become one of the most powerful players in our industry. If you’ve ever wondered how to start a real estate brokerage and grow it into a thriving, sustainable business, Dan’s story and insights are exactly what you need.
While many in our industry chase trends or get caught up in the latest buzz about revenue share models and network marketing downlines, Dan and his team have focused on steady, strategic growth. The results speak for themselves: United Real Estate now has over 24,400 agents, is on track for 90,000 transaction sides this year, and boasts a 99% monthly agent retention rate. That’s not a typo—99%.
Let’s unpack the lessons Dan shared on what it really takes to start and scale a successful real estate brokerage.
Listen to this episode of The Brian Icenhower Podcast.
VIDEO: How to Start a Real Estate Brokerage with Dan Duffy CEO of United Realty Group
Start with the End in Mind
Dan emphasized something we don’t hear often enough in our industry: visualize your ideal life five years from now. Before you even decide how to start a real estate brokerage, ask yourself what kind of life you want that brokerage to support.
He introduced a tool I loved—the two-by-two grid. It’s a simple square split into four boxes:
Personal
Professional
Financial
Non-financial
Start by filling out where you want to be in each of these categories five years from now. What kind of home do you want to live in? What does your daily schedule look like? Are you hiking in the Sequoias with your kids or managing a top-producing team of agents from a sleek downtown office? Paint that picture in full detail.
Then backtrack—what does one year from now need to look like to start getting you there?
This kind of vision planning might seem fluffy to some, but Dan has used it throughout his career, from his early days consulting for Ernst & Young to founding and scaling United Real Estate. And every time, he’s reached his five-year vision in about two years. That’s powerful.
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Brokerage / Corporate Coaching Program
With the Brokerage / Corporate Real Estate Coaching Program, ICT will help firms set up the most effective and efficient systems for recruiting, agent onboarding, commission & fee structures, agent engagement & retention systems, recruiting, administrative work-flows, transaction management, staff hiring, agent onboarding, productivity training & accountability, financials & budgeting, marketing and much more!
Avoid the “No Man’s Land” of Growth
Another critical insight Dan offered is the danger of outgrowing your original vision without resetting your plan. He calls it getting stuck in “no man’s land.” Maybe you built a brokerage or team that hit 50 agents, then 100—but you never paused to recalibrate your systems, investments, or infrastructure to match that new scale.
It’s a trap many fall into. You get so caught up in the day-to-day operations that you forget to step back and ask, “What’s next?” That’s when SG&A costs (selling, general, and administrative expenses) balloon. You hire too fast, sign expensive tech contracts, open giant offices—and suddenly, the music stops.
Starting a real estate brokerage without scalable systems is like building a house on sand. And as market cycles shift, those gaps can become liabilities overnight.
Build a Brokerage That Attracts, Not Chases
United Real Estate has grown organically, not through aggressive recruiting tactics, but by attracting the right people with a solid value proposition. Their agents pay a flat fee per transaction, giving teams and brokers maximum flexibility to design compensation models that work for them.
That flexibility is a huge win, especially in today’s market. Agents want affordability, support, and systems that help them produce. United built a platform that delivers on all three.
Even better, this model has led to consistent 1.5% month-over-month organic recruiting growth and 13% year-over-year net agent growth. That’s real, measurable momentum—without the churn and burn we often see elsewhere.
In a Down Market, Double Down on Support
One of the most inspiring takeaways from our conversation was United’s approach to economic downturns. Rather than pulling back, they invest more—in their tech platform, marketing services, training programs, and agent support.
In fact, they launched United Real Estate during the Great Recession. Why? Because that’s when agents and brokers need leadership the most.
Dan believes that curiosity is the key to innovation. When markets tighten and transactions slow, the natural instinct is to retreat. But the best brokerages use those times to ask better questions:
What do our agents need right now?
How can we help them grow when times are tough?
What tools and systems will give them a competitive edge?
If you want to know how to start a real estate brokerage that thrives in any market, the answer isn’t flashy—it’s curiosity, vision, and relentless focus on agent success.
Everything good in business starts with curiosity. The minute you stop being curious, you stop growing.
Brian Icenhower
Know When to Pivot
Dan also spoke about the current wave of brokerages reaching out to United—firms with 80 to 150 agents that built big during the boom and are now looking to downsize their expenses without sacrificing impact.
These brokers aren’t quitting. They’re pivoting—adopting smarter tech, trimming overhead, and partnering with platforms like United that let them retain their entrepreneurial freedom while shedding the burden of bloated infrastructure.
If you’re in this position, take heart. There’s no shame in reassessing your model. In fact, it’s the smartest thing you can do.
Restore Your Curiosity
Dan believes—and I completely agree—that everything good in business starts with curiosity. The minute you stop being curious, you stop growing. The minute you think you’ve “got this,” you start making decisions based only on what’s right in front of you, instead of where you actually want to go.
That’s how brokers end up making reactive choices, buying big offices they don’t need, or investing in systems that don’t scale.
Instead, restore your curiosity. Sit down with that two-by-two grid. Ask yourself hard questions. Paint your perfect life. Then reverse-engineer the brokerage that gets you there.
Final Thoughts
Dan’s wisdom was a reminder to me—and hopefully to you—that starting a real estate brokerage isn’t just about transactions or recruiting. It’s about building a business that serves your life, not the other way around.
Whether you’re a solo agent dreaming of starting your own firm, a team leader ready to go independent, or a broker-owner navigating the challenges of scale, the principles remain the same:
Start with a clear vision.
Build systems that scale.
Attract rather than chase.
Stay humble and stay curious.
If you’re wondering how to start a real estate brokerage that stands the test of time, look no further than what Dan Duffy and the team at United Real Estate have done. And if you’re ever feeling lost in “no man’s land,” just know—you’re not alone. You’ve got resources, coaches, and partners ready to help guide the way.
Until next time, keep growing, stay curious, and build something you’re proud of.
