I spent decades in the traditional brokerage world. Worked with national brands, regional powerhouses, and boutique firms. Sponsored over 10,000 agents. Built teams, opened offices, did everything the industry says you're supposed to do.
Then I walked away from all of it. Not because I failed, but because I finally understood that the traditional brokerage model is fundamentally broken.
The Promise vs. The Reality
Brokerages sell agents on support, training, leads, and brand recognition. What they actually provide is desk space, minimal compliance oversight, and a brand name that means less every year.
The "support" usually means access to generic training videos and a broker who's too busy managing hundreds of agents to provide meaningful guidance. The "leads" are overpriced internet leads that ten other agents in your office are also buying. The "brand" matters less in an era where consumers research individual agents, not brokerages.
The Economics Don't Work
Traditional brokerages take a significant split of your commission. In exchange, they provide... what exactly? Most successful agents generate their own leads, handle their own marketing, manage their own transactions, and rarely interact with their broker except for required signatures.
You're essentially paying for the privilege of having your license held somewhere. The more successful you become, the worse the deal gets. Top producers subsidize new agents who may never close a deal.
The Compliance Theater
Brokerages claim they provide legal protection and compliance oversight. In reality, most brokers are terrified of liability and create policies that protect the brokerage, not the agent.
I've seen brokerages throw agents under the bus the moment a complaint arrives. The "protection" evaporates when you actually need it. You're on your own anyway, so why pay for the illusion of support?
The Training Myth
Brokerage training is usually either too basic to be useful or too generic to apply to your specific market. The best training comes from experienced agents who are actually successful, not from corporate trainers who haven't closed a deal in years.
When I was training agents at major brokerages, I was constantly frustrated by corporate requirements to teach their systems and methods, even when I knew better approaches. The training wasn't designed to make agents successful. It was designed to create consistency and reduce liability.
Why I Went Rogue
I left because I realized I could provide better guidance, training, and support as an independent consultant than I ever could within a brokerage structure. No corporate policies to follow, no generic training to deliver, no split to justify.
Agents don't need a brokerage. They need expertise, honest advice, and practical systems. I can provide that without the overhead, politics, and limitations of traditional brokerages.
What This Means for You
If you're an experienced agent, seriously evaluate what your brokerage actually provides versus what you pay for it. Many top producers would be better off at a low-cost broker and investing their savings in their own business development.
If you're a new agent, understand that your brokerage probably won't make you successful. Mentorship from a successful agent in your market will do more for your career than any brokerage training program.
The future of real estate is independent agents with strong personal brands, supported by low-cost administrative brokerages and independent consultants who provide actual value. The traditional full-service brokerage model is dying, and good riddance.
The Rogue Path
Going rogue doesn't mean going alone. It means being selective about who you learn from and what you pay for. It means building your own systems instead of relying on corporate ones. It means taking full responsibility for your success instead of hoping your brokerage will support you.
I'm more effective as a rogue consultant than I ever was as a traditional broker. My clients get better guidance because I'm not constrained by corporate policies or worried about liability. I can tell them the truth, even when it's uncomfortable.
That's the value of going rogue: freedom to provide real value without the constraints of a broken system.