Headcount-Based vs. Performance-Based Brokerage Model
“Recruit-and-hope” brokerage model is dead.
There’s not one reason. There are many - regulatory, technological, financial, and even political changes - all happening at once, changing how we do business.
For example, the lawsuit brought transparency. Transparency around who pays for what. And while commissions haven’t gone anywhere (an even increased slightly), consumers are now much more selective about which agent they choose and what services are being offered.
This shift certainly gives an edge to professional, career-oriented agents who deliver clear value.
Mike DelPrete recently published some great stats on how The Top 20% of Agents Do 65% of Transactions.
Let that sink in. 20% of agents = 65% of transactions.
So, as a brokerage, who should you target with your recruitment strategy?
A small group of top-producing agents and teams that are spoiled with huge sign-on bonuses?
Or a long tail of low-producing, part-time agents, making it simply impossible to have any meaningful business planning, as their performance is totally out of your control?
The most successful brokerages and teams today are focused on driving agent performance, REGARDLESS of whether it is a part-timer or a career agent: setting clear expectations, coaching consistently, and building habits that drive results.
But here is the problem: there are no tools for driving agent performance.
CRM shows you performance — but can't improve it.
LMS holds your training — but can't drive action.
Coaching sessions inspire — but can't build daily habits.
CRMs and Transaction Management Systems only show you the end results — transactions, volume, leads.
But there’s no visibility into how those results were achieved — or how to replicate them. CRMs simply show you what happened. It can’t tell you what to do next — or how to make your agents better.
The only real way to drive more transactions is to increase dollar-producing activities
Dials. Conversations. Appointments.
In the age of AI, those activities are the real gold. These are the dollar-producing actions that ultimately drive transaction growth.
So, how can we track and increase dollar-producing actions?
Spreadsheets?
Weekly Zoom check-ins?
Patchwork of LMS tools, CRMs, and Slack messages?
The clutter of disconnected tools, scattered spreadsheets, and inconsistent processes kills productivity before it even has a chance to start.
At Agently, we bridge the gap between agent actions and results.
It’s the first Agent Performance Platform that connects training and coaching with CRM activity and transaction outcomes — all in one place.
Brokerages no longer have to guess what’s working. They can see who’s doing what, track how those actions convert into deals, and most importantly — drive agent behavior through smart, scalable communication.
Training/Coaching → Action → Results
All measurable. All manageable. All from one platform. All without hiring more staff.
Learn more at agently.com