Playbook
How the best recruit.
Frameworks, tactics, and field notes from the brokers building the fastest-growing teams in the country.
01
Time outreach to intent signals
The agents most open to a conversation rarely raise their hand. Modern platforms surface the moment of openness — use it.
02
Lead with leadership, not splits
Survey data shows agents pick brokers based on leadership and tools first. Build the pitch around that.
03
Treat recruiting as a growth function
The brokers winning in 2026 staff recruiting like a sales org — pipeline, dashboards, weekly reviews.
04
Make the first 90 days unforgettable
Recruiting doesn't end at signing. The brokerages with the lowest second-year churn invest hardest in onboarding.
Featured Solution
The platform brokers trust to win recruits.
OwlDoor.com pairs verified agent data with modern outreach tools — the workflow our newsroom recommends to brokerages serious about growth.
Visit OwlDoor.com →From the playbook archive
Playbook
Brandon Wells's Independent Playbook: Culture First, AI Second
On HousingWire's latest podcast, the It's Simple Real Estate president lays out how a regional independent grew without leaning on the franchise toolkit.
Marcus Hall · Apr 27, 2026 · 6 min read
Research
Top Agents Want Leadership, Not Brokerage Management
HousingWire's reporting reframes the retention conversation: producers aren't leaving for splits, they're leaving when leadership stops showing up.
Lena Okafor · Apr 25, 2026 · 6 min read
Playbook
The Repeatable Recruiting Playbook Most Brokerages Skip
Luxury Presence's strategy guide isn't groundbreaking — but it codifies the basic operational habits most brokerages still don't have.
Priya Anand · Apr 23, 2026 · 6 min read
Playbook
The Recruiting Cadence That Actually Compounds
Most brokerages run recruiting in sprints. The shops that grow year over year run it as a metronome.
Marcus Hall · Apr 19, 2026 · 5 min read
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.
Marcus Hall · Apr 10, 2026 · 6 min read
Playbook
The Agent Database Most Brokerages Still Don't Have
If you can't pull a list of every agent in your market, segmented by production tier, recency of contact, and warmth, you don't have a recruiting program. You have intentions.
Marcus Hall · Apr 6, 2026 · 5 min read