Real estate recruiting used to feel fairly straightforward. Just talk about your generous signing bonuses and mention your amazing tech, and your brokerage stood out.
Things are a bit different now, and faced with so many choices, today’s agents want the full picture before deciding where to build their business (and rightly so!)
Brilliant agents deserve brokerages that will support their leads and their careers. At the same time, brokers deserve agents who are committed and know exactly what’s expected of them.
This means that when it comes to real estate recruiting, you have to consider how you showcase everything that makes your brokerage stand out, from your technology to your operational support.
Not sure where to start?
We’ve pulled tactical tips on how to approach real estate recruiting in 2026 to attract the best and brightest agents.
Areas to Focus on to Recruit Real Estate Agents
Commission splits open the door, but they rarely seal the deal.
Long-term recruiting depends on more than pay. Here are the areas to spotlight.
1. Lead quality
Lead quality often outweighs commission percentage, and without reliable pipeline infrastructure, even attractive commission models lose appeal.
According to member surveys by the National Association of REALTORS®, 66% of agents generated no business from online leads last year, and 65% generated no business from open houses. Brokerages that can deliver better outcomes and shout about their stats are inevitably going to stand out from the crowd.
When recruiting agents for real estate, address common questions, such as:
- Are leads provided?
- Are they exclusive or shared?
- What is the average conversion rate?
- Is there inside sales agent support?
Real estate recruiting succeeds when brokers demonstrate how agents will generate consistent business, not just how they will be paid.
How to do it:
- Explain how leads are generated. Show whether they come from marketing campaigns, referrals, listing activity, or online platforms.
- Clarify how leads are distributed and whether opportunities are shared, rotated, or assigned.
- Share conversion performance. Even rough metrics help agents understand that the pipeline is reliable.
2. Technology
Technology should absolutely be part of your recruiting position, as real estate tools can create a competitive edge that commission bonuses simply cannot match.
A great CRM, AI-driven workflows, or automated email marketing can all protect and nurture an agent’s relationships – their most important asset.
How to do it:
- Show the tools agents will actually use. Walk candidates through the CRM, marketing platform, and communication systems that support their daily work and show their ease of use.
- Explain how the tools support their pipeline. Highlight features like lead scoring and tracking, automated follow-ups, and how you store client data (that’s still theirs!) so they know opportunities won’t slip through the cracks, even if it’s centralized.
- Show how technology protects relationships, for example, if conversations and activity are captured in one system, how this helps maintain continuity with clients.
- Emphasize time savings. For example, automation reduces admin work, so show agents how this means they can focus on listings or nurturing their database.
3. Financials
Real estate broker recruiting conversations should, of course, address the full economic model, including cap structures, desk or monthly fees, transaction costs, stock or revenue share opportunities, and bonus structures.
High-performing agents will want to assess net income and long-term earning stability rather than percentage alone, so real estate recruiting should always give as much clarity as possible.
How to do it:
- Break down the full earnings model. Show how commission splits, caps, fees, and transaction costs work together so agents can understand their true net income.
- Use realistic examples of what an agent earning a typical production level might take home after splits, caps, and expenses.
- Show long-term earning potential through revenue share programs, stock options, or bonus structures to demonstrate how income grows over time
4. Culture
Agents will also be keen to understand a brokerage’s culture. Depending on their career point, culture to them could mean peer-led programs, broker accessibility, coaching and mentorship, or transparency in performance metrics, or whether the brokerage operates as a team-driven or independent model that stands out.
How to do it:
- Show how leadership engages with agents. It may be worth noting that many agents frequently cite lack of support, delayed compensation, and outdated systems as primary reasons for leaving a brokerage. Regular check-ins, coaching sessions, and open access to brokers signal real support.
- Highlight how collaboration works, for example, peer mentoring or team sessions
- Show real agent stories – videos and case studies speak volumes.
Keen to learn more? You might want to take a look at our in-depth article on what agents want here.
Tactical Tip: Manage Recruitment with a System
If you want to grow your brokerage and you implement these tactics, you’ll soon find you need a way to manage this process at scale.
Real estate recruiting cannot rely on spreadsheets or informal follow-up, and sustainable growth requires a defined, repeatable process.
That is why many brokerages invest in dedicated recruiting tools designed for brokers and leadership teams.
These systems use MLS performance data to identify high-producing agents and track production trends. Listing volume, transaction velocity, and other signals help brokers approach conversations with real evidence.
The data then feeds into a structured recruiting pipeline, giving leadership visibility from first contact through onboarding.
A purpose-built recruiting CRM allows brokerages to recruit strategically rather than reactively. For brokerages focused on long-term growth, it can be a worthwhile investment.
Ready to Systemise Your Real Estate Recruiting?
If your brokerage is serious about scaling recruitment with data-driven insight and structured pipeline management, the right tools can make a difference.
MoxiWorks provides broker-level recruiting solutions that help leadership teams identify top-producing agents using MLS data, track recruiting pipelines, and align onboarding with long-term production growth.
Why not explore how MoxiWorks can help you recruit real estate agents by speaking with our experts today?
