Where Brokers Go Wrong (And Where Agents Do Too)

A note before we start: this episode was recorded as 222 but Alissa told our editor it was 223. We held a spot. It got complicated. We're all fine.

Brokers — this one is for you. But agents, don't skip it, because the second half is for you too.

Katy has been at four different brokerages. Alissa has been at exactly one her whole career and considers herself a bit of an anomaly. Together they asked their listeners where brokers go wrong — and got a flood of responses. This episode is the honest, kind, constructive, and occasionally very cathartic result of all of that.

And yes, they also turned it around at the end and talked about where agents go wrong and how they think of their brokers.

Here's what we cover in this episode:

- How to choose a broker (Episode 194) and whether to switch (Episode 56) — go there first if you're in that situation - What brokers do wrong in the interview: overpromising, misleading with hype, failing to get to know who you actually are - Why quantity-over-quality recruiting is a real business model — and the financial incentive behind it that finally made sense to Katy after reading an Inman article - The training firehose: why a wall of online self-led classes is not the same as a success path - What Alissa wanted in a brokerage when she was brand new — and what she actually found - The power of a clear success pathway vs. "here are 400 classes, good luck" - Brokers who are so focused on recruiting they forget to pour into the agents already there - The problem with brokers who are also top producers and what happens when your broker is also your competition - What Connie (Alissa's broker) does differently: early morning availability, reading purchase agreements, Monday morning meetings, Fall Fest, and line dancing classes taught by Alissa in the lead-up to the Christmas party - Why fostering community in a real estate office is hard — and how routine and consistency make it happen anyway - The new agent who was handed training coordinator duties instead of being trained herself — and why that burned her out and she left - The big disconnect in team-based brokerage structures: when the team lead replaces the broker entirely - What real broker supervision actually looks like — Connie as a bulldog in arbitration vs. brokers who don't know their agents' names - The Inman quote that said everything: "Behind every poor or marginal agent, there is a marginal, greedy, or incompetent real estate broker" - Mentorship programs that brokers should be fostering — and how veteran agents who want to teach could fill the gap - The listener email: seven years at the same brokerage, a $30,000+ commission gap, an MLS fine she was never reimbursed for, and a broker who still hadn't responded - Where agents go wrong: believing the broker is responsible for their business, over-asking without exhausting resources first, asking the same question to every person in the office, and not respecting their broker's boundaries

Referenced episodes:

- Episode 56: Should You Change Brokers? - Episode 194: How to Choose a Broker - Episodes 1–3: Coffee Dates and Getting Started

Toast of the week goes to Nancy Rio with Repeat Realty in Lewisville, Texas, toasted by her brother Eric Stowe. Nancy sold his home and helped him buy his current one during the 2021 market craziness, had a backup buyer ready when the first fell through, and survived being his realtor — which he admits makes her very good at her job. Cheers to Nancy!

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