Learn the key aspect of replacing yourself in real estate as a team leader or brokerage owner so that someone else is managing your business so that you don't have to!
Replacing yourself in real estate is easier said than done. The primary reason most people fail at this transition is that they hire the wrong person—or, more accurately, they fail to set the right expectations for the role.
Most team leaders and brokerage owners assume that if they hire a general manager, team leader, or broker to replace them, everything will run smoothly. However, more often than not, this person does not work out. And the reason for that failure almost always comes down to one thing: recruiting is not their primary responsibility.
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VIDEO: The Key To Replacing Yourself in Real Estate
Recruiting Must Be the Key Metric for Success
If you are hiring someone to run your team or brokerage, their number one priority must be recruiting. This is a non-negotiable. If recruiting is not their key metric, they will inevitably become bogged down in day-to-day tasks, focusing on management, streamlining systems, and handling agent concerns—none of which drive true growth.
Every real estate business needs growth to sustain itself. Without growth, you cannot afford to pay the person you hired. If your general manager, broker, or team leader is not actively recruiting, they are simply another expense on your balance sheet, not a revenue driver.
This is why your job description must clearly define recruiting as the primary responsibility. Additionally, once they are hired, they must be held accountable to that expectation every single day.
The Pitfall of Hiring a Sales Trainer or Manager Instead of a Recruiter
A common mistake real estate leaders make is hiring someone who is great at training or managing agents but lacks the skills or willingness to recruit. Sales trainers and managers tend to focus on making operations more efficient, mentoring agents, and improving office culture. While these things are valuable, they do not contribute directly to growth.
Even the best operational efficiencies will not increase your bottom line if you are not actively bringing new agents into your brokerage or team. The only way to drive substantial profit increases is to increase agent count. This is why recruiting must be the key performance indicator (KPI) for your replacement.
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Leadership Coaching Program
This leadership real estate coaching program is designed for any leadership position within a real estate team or brokerage. Sales managers, productivity coaches, education chair, etc. Build skills on how to lead others, keep an organization motivated and accountable and become an influential person within your organization.
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Brokerage / Corporate Coaching Program
With the Brokerage / Corporate Real Estate Coaching Program, ICC 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!
The Financial Justification for Prioritizing Growth
Consider this scenario:
You have a real estate team with 20 agents, generating $300,000 in profit annually. If your new hire successfully grows the team to 40 agents, your profit could double to $600,000. Because most of your expenses are already accounted for, the additional profit can cover your general manager’s salary while still increasing your earnings.
However, if you bring someone on and your team remains at 20 agents, you have simply added an extra salary to your expenses. Instead of freeing you up, you’ve created additional work for yourself, as you now have to manage and train this new hire without seeing a financial return.
Finding the Right Person to Replace You
The next challenge is finding the right person to step into your role. Many people assume the best choice is a top-producing agent, but that is not always the case. While production success is helpful, the best candidates tend to have strong leadership abilities, be highly coachable, and possess a natural ability to influence others.
The ideal candidate is:
Influential – They already have strong relationships within the real estate community and are respected by their peers.
Coachable – Recruiting is hard, and they must be willing to learn and adapt.
Resilient – They must be able to handle rejection and persist through the challenges of recruitment.
Not purely money-driven – Top producers often focus solely on commissions. A great leader must be motivated by more than just income.
Experienced but not necessarily the top agent – Someone who has sold 20+ homes per year at some point in their career has enough credibility to be taken seriously by other agents.
Willing to be held accountable – They must be measured and evaluated based on their recruiting efforts and success.
The truth is, replacing yourself in your business is not only possible—it’s achievable with the right structure, leadership, and mindset.
Brian Icenhower
Building a Leadership Talent Pipeline
If you are struggling to find the right person, think of leadership recruitment as a pipeline—just like recruiting new agents. You must actively seek out potential candidates both within and outside your team.
Internal Candidates
Growing a leader from within your organization often results in better cultural alignment and buy-in. These individuals already understand your systems and values, making for a smoother transition.
External Candidates
Recruiting leaders from outside your organization can bring fresh perspectives and additional skills. However, external candidates often take more time to integrate into your culture.
In either case, continuously developing a deep bench of leadership talent ensures that when you are ready to step away, you have strong candidates ready to take over.
Recruiting Your Replacement While Growing Your Business
The best way to find your replacement is to actively recruit. Every time you meet a potential agent or team leader, ask yourself if they have leadership potential. Through consistent recruiting efforts, you will come across individuals who are both great agents and natural leaders. Those are the people who can eventually replace you.
When looking for potential leaders, consider:
Retail managers and other leadership roles – Many retail managers are tired of their jobs and looking for a new challenge. They are used to managing people and are often great at recruiting.
Agents with strong networks – A new agent with strong social connections can be more valuable than an experienced agent with no influence.
Leaders within the real estate community – Individuals who are actively involved in the MLS or Association of Realtors are often well-connected and respected.
Replacing Yourself Starts with Recruiting
Ultimately, if you want to replace yourself, you must hire someone who will grow your business. And the only way to grow your business is through recruiting. If your replacement is not a recruiter, they will inevitably fail in the role, and you will find yourself back where you started.
To ensure success:
Define recruiting as the key metric in the job description.
Hold your replacement accountable for consistent recruiting efforts.
Find someone who is influential, coachable, and resilient.
Build a pipeline of leadership talent both within and outside your organization.
By following these principles, you can successfully replace yourself in real estate while ensuring your business continues to thrive and grow.
Need more guidance? Book a call with the link below for a free session with an ICT real estate coach.
