For years, the real estate industry has treated agent churn as a recruiting problem. That view is too narrow and, in 2026, increasingly too costly.
The movement we are seeing among mid-level agents is often less about chasing a bigger split and more about searching for a business environment that feels clearer, more stable and more responsive to their needs.
Learning signals a need for direction
Inside ERA Real Estate, we have been watching that pattern closely through our learning programs, including work with more than 7,000 agents who have participated in Coached Up — our exclusive yearly coaching program for affiliated agents and leaders — since 2024. The signal is difficult to ignore.
According to our internal data, agents who engage in at least one learning experience show 92 percent retention, 16 points higher than those who do not. They also take 12 percent more listings.
At ERA, participation in training programs has grown fivefold since 2024. To me, those numbers do not simply show demand for classes. They show a hunger for direction and resources that support their growth both personally and professionally.
That is why I believe the central issue behind today’s churn is not talent. It is not even compensation, at least not primarily.
Real estate professionals — especially those producing roughly $1 million to $5 million in annual volume — are asking a practical question: “If I stay here, what does next year look like?”
When a brokerage cannot answer that with specificity, movement becomes much more likely.
Coaching turns ambition into structure
That view is consistent with how ERA President Alex Vidal has publicly framed coaching and leadership. In commentary across industry outlets, he has repeatedly emphasized that agents do their best work when leaders pair ambition with structure: a plan, accountability, coaching and support that extend beyond motivation.
Our argument is simple but important: Agents generally want to accomplish big things, but they need a plan and a coach. And if leaders want greater loyalty, they need to guide their people in a way that helps them build deeper relationships, better habits and clearer business discipline.
The broader market data in 2026 reinforces the point. Recruiting Insight’s 2026 Agent Migration and Brokerage Model Performance Report found that agent mobility accelerated sharply this year, with external moves up 25 percent quarter over quarter in Q1 and roughly 50,000 brokerage changes projected nationally for 2026.
Just as notable, the report found that internal office-to-office transfers rose 38 percent year over year, suggesting that many agents are not simply trying to leave organizations; they are trying to find a better fit, better support and less friction.
The same research argues that leader execution matters more than brokerage-model labels, and that internal movers often outperform external recruits in both retention and productivity.
What brokerage leaders must do differently
That should be a wake-up call for brokerage leaders. In a market where productive agents are constantly assessing alignment, brokerages cannot rely on recruiting efforts alone.
They need a strong vision and a culture that aligns with what their agents want. They need onboarding and training that accelerates confidence. They need coaching that is reinforced locally, not delivered once and forgotten. And they need to make the value of staying more visible than the promise of leaving.
Here’s what that could look like in your brokerage.
- Establish a regular and reliable in-person learning cadence.
- Share wins publicly to create a supportive, collegial environment.
- Create and communicate recommended self-directed learning courses aligned to key goals.
- Make annual business planning table stakes for every agent.
- Help agents build a plan that aligns to their goals and check in with them quarterly to discuss progress.
- Encourage agents to develop peer-to-peer mentoring relationships.
If we continue to interpret churn as a pure recruiting contest, we will miss what many agents are really telling us. They are not looking for a new logo or more leads. They are looking for a path forward. If there is one lesson we’ve learned through Coached Up and thousands of coaching conversations, it’s this: Agents don’t simply want a place to work. They want a place to grow.
We call this the raving fan philosophy. Ultimately, our agents are the experts. If we want to retain their expertise, let’s inspire them to move from good to great.
The brokerages that win in 2026 (and beyond) will be the ones that make growth feel less ambiguous and success feel more repeatable.
Gino Caropreso is Vice President of Learning at ERA Real Estate. Get connected on LinkedIn.
