Playbook
The Etiquette of Poaching, Updated for 2026
Industry relationships are smaller than the industry. Here's how the recruiters who keep winning manage the line between aggressive and reckless.
By Marcus Hall · Apr 10, 2026 · 6 min read
There's an old line in this business that the real estate industry is a very small town pretending to be a city. It's truer than ever in 2026. The recruiter who burns a competitor today loses the relationship that would have closed three deals next year.
The veteran recruiters we talk to all describe the same internal rules. Lead with value, not vacancies. Never disparage the brokerage the agent is leaving — the agent will remember it as a comment about their own judgment. And never negotiate against an offer you haven't seen.
The harder rule, the one that separates the long-tenure recruiters from the burnouts: time the outreach to the moment of openness. Carpet-bombing inboxes works exactly once. The agents you hit at the wrong time will tag you as the brokerage that doesn't read the room, and they'll say so to peers.
Done right, recruiting builds your brand in the market. Done wrong, it ends careers — sometimes the recruiter's. The recruiters who last understand the difference and operate inside it.
