This May marks Inman’s sixth annual Agent Appreciation Month. Look for profiles of top producers, opinions on the current state of the industry and tangible takeaways you can implement in your career today. Plus, the prestigious Future Leaders of Real Estate return this month, too.
“I feel like I’m everyone’s go-to … but when I need help, I don’t ask because I don’t want to seem weak.” — Anonymous
This top producer (who shall remain nameless) didn’t say it for drama. She wasn’t looking for attention. She said it quietly, with a soft smile that suggested this wasn’t a new feeling. She is one of the most successful agents in her market, maybe even in our industry. Everyone relied on her. Everyone praised her. But no one really checked in.
And she was closing in on burnout.
This is not an uncommon story. After years of working with top producers across North America, spanning boutique brokerages, large franchises and rapidly growing real estate tech firms, I can tell you that many of the highest achievers are also carrying the heaviest invisible loads; what the outside world sees as confidence is often careful containment. What looks like “having it all together” is often someone doing everything in their power to keep from falling apart.
What these top producers need isn’t more praise. It’s relief. It’s support. And more than anything, it’s to be recognized for who they truly are, not just what they produce.
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Why traditional recognition isn’t enough
Most brokerages have a playbook for recognition; they give the top 10 a trophy, feature them in a slideshow, then send off a branded water bottle or two. These gestures can be nice, but they rarely make a lasting emotional impact. They’re surface-level acknowledgments of performance, not meaningful reflections of contribution or care.
The truth is, people remember how you made them feel, not what branded swag you gave them.
Real recognition is intentional. It looks like taking the time to understand what truly matters to your top producers and finding ways to support their growth, reduce their friction and elevate their impact. It’s personal. It’s specific. And yes, it takes more effort than a leaderboard graphic alone, but the big picture results are worth it.
What top producers are really telling us
Let’s revisit the agent who felt like everyone’s default emergency contact, but never felt she could ask for help herself.
She went back to working with a coach, and together they identified what was draining her behind the scenes. It wasn’t the clients or the deals. It was the constant availability, the lack of boundaries and the quiet resentment of always being “on.” Once they had clarity, they made a plan.
They put systems in place to protect her personal time.
They trained on her brokerage’s provided tech tools that streamlined her open house prep, transaction workflows and communications with her team. She learned to delegate the proper tasks to the right people and finally leaned into her robust tech platform that helped her lead without micromanaging.
What changed? She didn’t lose her momentum. She gained mental space. She reclaimed joy in her work.
Here are a few more real-world examples I’ve witnessed firsthand.
‘I’m great with clients, but hiring feels like throwing darts blindfolded.’
With the help of his business coach, this agent clarified the kind of support he actually needed as a team lead. From there, his leadership team helped implement a structured onboarding flow and integrated recruiting tech to automate the busywork. He filled the role with the right hire, fast. His team’s production didn’t just stay consistent as a result; it grew.
‘I know I need to be on social, but it’s exhausting trying to figure out what to say.’
She attended a mastermind and worked with her team to outline a few content themes that felt authentic. Then, her marketing manager started leaning into their brokerage tools that made scheduling and repurposing content easier. It didn’t feel like work anymore. Her online visibility increased, and so did inbound referrals — without sacrificing her sanity.
‘I’ve built a successful business, but I’m not sure what comes next.’
This producer had done everything right by industry standards. He had a thriving team, repeat clients and financial success. But he wanted more meaning. Through guided vision planning and support from his elite coach, he began mentoring newer agents, speaking at events and contributing to company masterminds.
Tools were no longer optional, but instead became a cultural expectation. By drawing the line and leading by example, he was now set up to manage his day-to-day life while giving him space to expand into the leadership role he was craving.
Each of these stories reflects the same truth. Top producers want to grow, but not at the cost of their well-being. They want to be supported in ways that reflect their individuality. And they want to know that someone is paying attention to what they need, not just what they deliver.
5 practical ways to show your top producers they matter
If you’re a broker, team leader or industry executive, here are a few ways to support your high performers in a way that goes beyond generic praise.
1. Ask deeper questions
Start with “How’s business?” but don’t stop there. Follow up with, “What’s been weighing on you lately?” or “What’s something you’d hand off tomorrow if you could?” The second question is often where the real conversation begins.
2. Streamline what slows them down
Find out which parts of their day feel like bottlenecks. Are they spending too much time creating social content? Show them how to use tools that batch and automate. Is lead routing slowing them down? Help them refine their system. Is their recruiting strategy all manual follow-up? Build a smarter flow. Small changes in systems make a massive difference in energy and time.
3. Celebrate the support staff, too
The best top producers are rarely operating alone. Their success depends on transaction coordinators, marketing assistants, buyer agents and operations pros. Recognize the people around your top producers, too — and do it publicly. This reinforces that leadership sees the whole ecosystem, not just the rainmaker.
Bonus points: The team leader feels more connected to you because you loved on their people, which helps their overall retention big picture.
4. Make mentorship and legacy part of the path
Many high achievers begin craving a next chapter that includes teaching or elevating others. Offer them structured opportunities to mentor new agents, host masterminds or contribute to company initiatives. Help them see how their wisdom can live beyond the next deal and that you’d be honored to contribute in whatever ways you can, even if that means sitting in as a student instead of needing to be the one front and center.
5. Remove the pressure to perform at all costs
The people who look the strongest are often carrying the most burden. Create a culture where they can be honest about burnout, doubt or even boredom without fear of judgment. Maybe consider less focus on hustle culture and fist pumps and offer more eye-contact chats instead. Rest and recalibration should be just as normal as production targets.
What industry leaders know
Erik Carlson, CEO of RE/MAX Holdings, recently emphasized the foundational role of people and culture in building lasting success: “It always starts with people. If you have a strong culture with the right vision, team and motivation, you can accomplish almost anything.”
His words ring especially true in today’s environment, where agents are looking for more than just tools; they’re looking for alignment, support and a company that sees them as more than a number.
Keith Robinson, co-CEO of NextHome, also emphasizes the importance of strategic and human-centered leadership. Known for balancing strategic clarity with human-centered wisdom, he shared, “In this shifting market, hope isn’t a strategy; but a strategy gives everyone hope.”
In another post, he brought attention to something often overlooked in high-performance cultures: “I want to address something that’s often overlooked: self-care. In the hustle and grind of real estate, we forget to take care of ourselves. But burnout is real, and it creeps up on the best of us.”
These reminders are critical for leaders to hear, especially when their highest-performing people may be the least likely to say they’re struggling.
I was recently in a broker’s advisory group with Katie Stephans, vice president of Enterprise Applications at HomeServices of America, and our chat reminded me of what matters most when building strong teams.
While technical experience matters, the rest often falls flat if someone can’t connect with others. It was a powerful reminder that in both tech and real estate, relational intelligence drives results more than any skill set ever will. A strong reminder that people need to feel connected, heard and humanized within their environment, whether they’re working on the backend or driving sales. Communication and emotional intelligence will consistently outperform performance alone.
Each of these leaders underscores similar themes from different vantage points. The cultures that retain and elevate their top producers are the ones where people feel supported, protected and purposefully seen.
Leading with intention
Creating an environment where top producers feel valued does not require massive overhauls or deep pockets. It requires care. It requires leadership that is emotionally intelligent and operationally aware.
- It means noticing when the hardest-working person in the room starts to pull back.
- It means making sure they’re not only excelling in metrics, but also actually enjoying the life they’ve built.
- It means understanding that what motivates someone in Year 2 of their career is rarely what sustains them in Year 10.
- If we want to build businesses that last, we need to make sure the people building them aren’t quietly crumbling.
Quick thought: What if, as an industry, we were to normalize asking what top producers need to feel whole, not just what they need to close more deals?
Let’s build cultures that protect joy, promote clarity and value contribution in all its forms. That’s not just smart business. That’s leadership.
Author Stacey Soleil is the SVP Community & Engagement at Inside Real Estate, an Inman contributing writer and national speaker.
