How to Break Up With Your Broker (With No Hard Feelings)

Chances are, if your broker isn’t the right fit for you, you are likely not the right fit for them. And if you’re wondering how to switch real estate brokers, you’re not alone. While partnerships can be difficult to sever, the decision to change real estate brokers is in the best interest of your career and future. Why waste your best years in a situation that doesn’t check all your boxes? For some, deciding to leave can be the toughest part. Once you’ve decided to move on, changing real estate brokers is as easy as having a conversation with your broker about your decision to take your license elsewhere. Some brokerages can even handle everything on the professional side of leaving your old company for you.

When considering how to change real estate brokers, try to think about how the move is best for both parties and change your mindset to focus on how your goals will be managed better by another broker. It may not make them happy, but at the end of the day, business is business. It’s to everyone’s benefit when each person involved in a partnership is motivated to work, happy with the work they are doing, and geared to thrive. 

How to Change Real Estate Brokers

Switching real estate brokerages is a transitional process. After you’ve broken up with your old broker, you’ll move into a new brokerage. This process will vary from brokerage to brokerage. For example, when new agents sign with ROOST, the first thing we do is move their licenses over and get to work setting them up. 

This process involves a complete marketing package that introduces our new agents to the market with a personal brand under the ROOST mantle. They get pictures taken, business cards and signs made, a Facebook page, a website, and everything else agents need to get started. We also help them stay connected by sending out letters to everyone they know about the move to a new brokerage — and this will help build a mailing list. 

Staying connected to past clients and other people you know is incredibly important for real estate agents, and we want to help you continue that practice by making your transition as painless as possible. 

Potential Growing Pains for New Agents in Real Estate

At ROOST, we try to ensure that the transition process of changing real estate brokers isn’t a headache for our agents, but some growing pains can arise when making the switch. For example, if an agent doesn’t have their database together or if everything they need on the business side of things isn’t all in one place, there’s only so much we can do to help. 

Once a real estate agent signs with ROOST, we can take action to help them get better at tracking different elements of the business and keeping all their important documents and paperwork in easy-to-access, secure locations. But we can’t retroactively fix this if someone hasn’t done this work in the past. 

An important thing to consider before choosing to change brokerages is whether you have all your ducks in a row. Starting over with a new brokerage relationship is a fresh start, and you want to make the most of it. If you’re not fully prepared to change your real estate license to a new broker and you have a lot of loose ends to tie up first, take those steps before you talk to your current broker about leaving. 

Another example of potential growing pains would be if you’ve planned a big family vacation. Transferring real estate brokerages two weeks before you go on vacation isn’t a good idea, because the first few weeks of work at a new brokerage involve a lot of crucial set-up phases that help agents get established with their new agency. If you’ve got plans that might impede your ability to jump in with both feet, the better choice is to wait until you’re ready to make that move. 

I encourage people who are considering switching brokerages – to ROOST or anywhere else – to evaluate their situation and make sure the timing is right and have everything to move prepared before breaking up with their brokers. Then, all that’s left to do is have a conversation about ending the partnership so you can move on and start your new life. 

Tools You Can Use: The Quick Start Game Plan

One of the best tools we offer at ROOST is what we call our Quick Start Game Plan. The basic concept of the Quick Start Game Plan is to give new agents at ROOST everything they need for their fresh start – as well as tools to help propel their business – from day one. At ROOST, we support our agents and want to ensure they have everything they need. That’s why we’re even willing to help negotiate getting out of bad brokerage arrangements and pay for their initial signs, cards, and other marketing to help people reintroduce themselves as a Roost agent. 

Another element of the Quick Start Game Plan is something we do for our agents that’s basically like throwing them an open house. This allows them to engage in the first part of our motto, which is connect, by inviting everyone they know – sometimes people they haven’t seen in years – to a big party. We give people snacks, ROOST swag, information about your new business, and anything else that will help them make that connection and, ultimately, remember you when they’re ready to list their existing home or find a new one. 

Whether you’re in the early phases of considering a breakup with your broker or know you’re ready to make the move, the most important decision is finding a new real estate brokerage that is aligned with your personal goals as a real estate agent. If you’d like to learn more about how ROOST operates, take a look at https://roostrealestateco.com/about-roost/ for more information.