Why Firing Agents Could Be the Best Move for Your Brokerage

As a brokerage owner and team leader, I have a question for you: when’s the last time you fired someone?

That’s a big one, isn’t it? Have you ever actually fired someone, or do they just leave on their own? A lot of brokerage owners and team leaders don’t have the strength to say, “This person isn’t working here anymore.” But avoiding that creates roadblocks for recruiting.

Sometimes one agent creates what I call the “bad apple syndrome.” They’re so difficult—dramatic, gossipy, toxic—that potential recruits won’t join your company because they don’t want to work with them.

Think about your roster right now. Maybe everyone is fantastic. But maybe not. Maybe you’ve got someone with barnacles—someone others don’t want to work with.

And here’s another question: how many people on your roster haven’t closed a deal in the last year? You might have five, six, eight, even ten agents producing nothing. Why are they still on your roster? They’re dragging down your company’s production numbers and making your top agents look less impressive.

Does that mean you should walk in and fire everyone? No. But you do need to have real conversations.

If they’re not producing, it’s easy: “You haven’t closed anything in a while. Let’s talk about how we can turn that around—or whether this is the right industry for you.”

The harder conversation is with someone whose reputation is hurting your recruiting. You might say: “I’m struggling to recruit because of your reputation in the market. I don’t know if we can fix it, but it’s an issue. We can either work on it together, or we can part ways. What do you think?”

Be honest about what you’re hearing: people say they’re difficult, not communicating, or hard to work with. It’s uncomfortable, but they usually know who they are.

If they get angry, you can part company and say: “I think you’d be better served at another firm.”

But some will say, “No, I want to change.” That’s great. Work with them. Help them communicate better, negotiate without being adversarial, and elevate how they interact with others. Just make it clear: they can’t continue as they are.

And here’s what happens when you let someone go. The rest of your agents thank you the same day. They’ll say, “I was thinking about leaving. That person didn’t fit.”

Your morale will go up. And for the agents on the bubble, it sends a message: this isn’t a charity. They can’t just sit there. They need to produce.

So don’t be afraid of letting people go. It’s one of the strongest things you can do as a leader, and it can actually attract better agents to your firm.

If you want more strategies like this, sign up for a discovery call—I’d love to talk about how we can elevate your company, help you recruit experienced agents, and build profit.

Click the link below:

https://www.erealestatecoach2.com/path-coaching-sign-up-thank-you

Have a great day. And good selling.