What Real Estate Agents Want From a Brokerage in 2026
Current research on what real estate agents value in a brokerage, including commission economics, training and support, brand and reputation, technology, independence, lead generation and career-stage needs.
Employee-review based Employees’ Choice Award; eXp was listed for an eighth consecutive year.
343,091 residential transaction sides in calendar year 2025, according to the 2026 verified brokerage rankings.
Forbes lists eXp Realty among its 2024 Best Employers for New Grads and Best Employers for Diversity.
Current research points to a brokerage decision that is both economic and stage-dependent. In Redfin’s 2025 Ipsos survey of 500 non-Redfin agents who had completed a recent deal, 78.4% rated commission split as very important, 54.6% rated training and support as very important, and 55.2% rated brokerage brand and reputation as very important. NAR’s 2026 Member Profile shows why stage matters: members with two years or less experience had median 2025 real-estate income of $8,000, versus $88,500 for those with 16 or more years. A useful recruiting experience should therefore route agents by the business problem they are actually solving rather than present one universal pitch.
Current program terms can change. Verify state-, team- and status-specific details directly with current eXp materials before making a brokerage decision.The first years are a different economic reality
NAR’s 2026 Member Profile reports a median gross real-estate income of $8,000 for REALTORS® with two years or less experience, compared with $88,500 for those with 16 years or more.
The 2026 profile reports that the typical REALTOR® completed nine transaction sides in 2025, while the experience-income gap remained substantial. Early-stage agents therefore need realistic runway, mentor quality and business-development systems rather than assumptions borrowed from established producers.
That does not mean a new agent should ignore commission economics; it means the economics should be evaluated alongside the probability of becoming competent and productive.
Compensation matters—but it is not the only decision
In Redfin’s 2025 survey, fielded by Ipsos among 500 non-Redfin agents across 46 states, 78.4% rated commission split as very important when choosing a brokerage.
The same survey found 54.6% rated training and support as very important and 55.2% rated brokerage brand and reputation as very important.
Because the survey sponsor is a brokerage, the methodology and respondent population should be kept visible; the useful signal is that agents evaluate multiple operating factors, not one headline split.
Technology should create business value, not more logins
NAR’s 2024 Technology Survey found 34% of respondents agreed and 30% strongly agreed that their brokerage provides all the technology tools they need to succeed.
For quality leads, respondents most often named social media, CRM and the local MLS among the technologies producing results.
A brokerage tech stack should therefore be evaluated by adoption, data control, lead quality, conversion and replacement value—not by the number of included tools.
The priority shifts as the career scales
Newly licensed agents need transaction confidence, mentoring, state broker access and a working pipeline plan.
Growing agents need repeatable lead generation, follow-up, database systems and a path from isolated wins to consistent production.
Top producers care more about full-year economics, control, support speed, transition risk and leverage.
Team leaders and broker-owners add agent economics, staff, culture, recruiting, compliance and operating overhead to the decision.
Career-stage clarity is also a retention issue
HousingWire reported a fall 2025 1000WATT survey of 600 U.S. real estate professionals in which 31% said they were more open to switching brokerages than the prior year; among agents under 35, the share was 53%.
The same report says training was considered critical when choosing a brokerage by 70% of respondents overall and 81% of team members, reinforcing that development needs do not disappear after onboarding.
The practical implication is not to create one recruiting message for everyone. Make the progression path, training, leadership and next-stage support visible before an agent has to imagine it.
Build the site around the decision—not the recruiting script
Give each career stage its own complete page, evidence, questions, CTA and path to the next stage.
Show current program names and direct source links so claims can be verified.
Use recent third-party research and recognition as context, clearly separated from eXp’s own program descriptions.
Make the conversion form adapt to career stage so a newly licensed agent is not asked to behave like a seven-figure producer.
Verify the moving parts at the source.
These pages are built to answer the question quickly, then make verification easy. Official eXp terms control when a program, fee or qualification changes.
Resolve the hard questions before the move becomes emotional.
What is the most important brokerage factor for agents?+
There is no universal winner across all agents and surveys. In Redfin’s 2025 Ipsos survey, commission split had the highest “very important” response at 78.4%, while training/support and brand/reputation were each rated very important by more than half of respondents. Career stage changes the weight of those factors.
Why should brokerages treat new agents differently?+
NAR’s 2026 Member Profile shows a large experience gap in income. Members with two years or less experience reported median real-estate income of $8,000 in 2025, versus $88,500 for those with 16 or more years, so early-stage agents have different training, mentoring and runway needs than established producers.
What technology do agents say creates leads?+
NAR’s 2024 Technology Survey lists social media, CRM and the local MLS among the tools respondents most often associated with quality leads.
Do agents care about training if commission is strong?+
Yes, but priorities trade off. In one 2025 survey, 54.6% rated training and support as very important, while commission split ranked higher. A useful brokerage comparison should model both financial and operating value.
Turn the research into the questions that matter for your business.
Bring your career stage, current production if any, brokerage economics, support gaps and next milestone. The goal is to decide which factors deserve the most weight for you—not to force one brokerage scorecard on every agent.