I haven't started my own brokerage, but I did build my own team inside of a small brokerage. My business model is very different from the norm, as my team only works with investors. I was a successful solo agent first, and basically created a team with the intention of training other agents to do the same thing. I had a ton of business already, and lots of clients to hand over to new agents. Despite that, recruiting was hard.

Now I have a few agents working for me, and I'm only looking for a couple more. My splits are higher, but my agents do very well if they follow my system. They're getting a smaller percent of a larger pie. The whole 70% of a watermelon is worth more than 100% of a grape thing. It sounds like you're trying to do the opposite, so you'll need a ton of agents to make it work.

Was your solo agent business doing well before you opened your own brokerage? If so, what were you doing differently that you're not doing now? If not, were you hoping the changes you made in the business model would be the difference? I've seen a ton of new brokerage models come and go over the years. I think it takes a lot more time and money than people expect to educate the public about what makes your deal different.

I only had to go through a few agents before I found one who worked well for my business model, but then it took a while to find another. If you're trying to do something different, then your recruiting will also have to look different. For me, I realized training brand new agents was the way to go.

I'm curious what differentiating around transparency looks like to potential customers. It's hard to imagine how you're working that into your marketing in a way that feels like a significant benefit to a typical homeowner. I think most people are simply choosing someone the like and trust.