📌 TL;DR: Key Takeaways

Looking to recruit real estate agents in 2025? This guide breaks down everything brokerages need to know to attract, engage, and retain top talent in today’s competitive market.

🧠 What You’ll Learn:

• Why traditional real estate recruitment tactics no longer work
• What modern agents are really looking for in a brokerage
• How to build a recruitment funnel that runs on autopilot
• SEO and content strategies that attract agents organically
• How to use AI and automation to scale your recruitment
• The key metrics every brokerage should track
• Real-world strategies from Stu Hill, CEO of MNKY.agency, with 20+ years of experience in real estate marketing and agent recruitment

Whether you’re a broker-owner, recruiter, or marketing director, this guide will help you build a recruitment engine that consistently brings in the right agents.

About the Author

J. Stuart Hill is the founder and CEO of MNKY.agency — a performance marketing firm that helps real estate brokerages grow through smarter real estate agent recruiting, better employing broker branding, and scalable systems.

Over the past decade, I’ve worked with everyone from solo brokers to international franchises, helping them attract top-producing agents and build teams that actually stick. I’ve seen firsthand what works — and what doesn’t — when it comes to recruiting in a market that’s more competitive, more digital, and more agent-driven than ever before.

I wrote this guide because the old playbook is broken. And too many great leaders are still relying on outdated tactics that just don’t cut it in 2025. This is the framework we use every day at MNKY.agency for brokers in our Real Estate Agent Recruiting Partnership Program— and now, it’s yours.

👉 Connect with me on LinkedIn

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The Ultimate Guide to Real Estate Agent Recruitment in 2025

🧭 Table of Contents

1. Introduction: Why Real Estate Agent Recruitment Needs a Rethink in 2025
2. Why Real Estate Agent Recruitment Has Changed
3. Understanding Agent Search Intent in 2025
4. SEO & Content Strategy for Real Estate Agent Recruitment
5. Recruitment Tactics That Actually Work in 2025
6. Leveraging AI and Automation in Recruitment
7. Metrics That Matter: How to Measure Recruitment Success
8. Topic Clusters to Build Authority & Internal Linking Strategy
9. FAQs for Agents (Optimized for AI & Voice Search)
10. Conclusion & Call to Action

🏡 Introduction: Why Real Estate Agent Recruitment Needs a Rethink in 2025

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in over two decades of working in real estate marketing and recruitment, it’s this: the game is always changing—but the fundamentals never do.

Back in the early 2000s, I was helping a boutique brokerage in Southern California that was struggling to attract agents. They had a great culture, solid commission splits, and a beautiful office—but no one was biting. Why? Because they were invisible online. No digital presence, no recruitment funnel, no strategy. That experience lit a fire under me. I realized that recruiting agents isn’t just about offering a desk and a split—it’s about building a brand agents want to be part of.

Fast forward to today, and the landscape is even more complex. Agents are savvier. They’re not just looking for a brokerage—they’re looking for a platform. A place that supports their personal brand, gives them tech tools to scale, and helps them stand out in a crowded market. And if your recruitment strategy hasn’t evolved to meet those expectations, you’re going to lose out to the brokerages that have.

At MNKY.agency, we’ve helped dozens of brokerages—from indie startups to national franchises—build recruitment systems that don’t just attract agents, but attract the right agents. And in this guide, I’m going to share everything I’ve learned about what works in 2025.

Whether you’re a broker-owner trying to scale your team, a recruiter tasked with hitting aggressive growth targets, or a marketing director looking to align your brand with top talent, this post is for you.

We’ll cover:

• Why traditional recruitment tactics are failing
• What today’s agents are really looking for
• How to build a recruitment engine that runs on autopilot
• And how to position your brokerage as the obvious choice in your market

This isn’t theory. It’s what we do every day at MNKY.agency. And I’m going to walk you through it, step by step.

Let’s dive in.

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🔄 Why Real Estate Agent Recruitment Has Changed

When I first started working with brokerages on recruitment strategies, the playbook was simple: run a few classified ads, host a wine-and-cheese mixer, and hope the agents showed up. And for a while, that worked. But the industry has changed—and so have the agents.

📱 Agents Are Digital-First

Today’s agents are digital natives. They’re researching brokerages the same way buyers research homes: online, anonymously, and with high expectations. If your online presence doesn’t reflect a modern, agent-centric brand, you’re not even in the running.

I remember working with a brokerage in Austin a few years ago. They had a killer value proposition—great splits, mentorship, tech—but their website looked like it hadn’t been updated since 2009. We rebuilt their recruitment funnel, optimized their content for search, and within 90 days, they were getting inbound applications from agents who had never even heard of them before. That’s the power of meeting agents where they are: online.

🧠 Agents Want More Than Money

Commission splits still matter—but they’re not the only thing that matters. Agents today are looking for:

• Personal brand support
• Lead generation tools
• Training and mentorship
• Work-life balance
• A sense of community

In fact, one of the most successful campaigns we ran last year didn’t even mention commission. It focused entirely on the brokerage’s culture, tech stack, and agent success stories. The result? A 3x increase in qualified leads.

🧳 The Rise of the Independent Agent

Another shift I’ve seen is the rise of the independent, entrepreneurial agent. These are agents who don’t want to be micromanaged. They want freedom, flexibility, and the ability to build their own brand under your umbrella. If your brokerage model doesn’t support that, you’re going to struggle to attract top talent.

🤖 Technology Is the New Differentiator

Let’s be honest—most brokerages offer similar splits and support. What sets you apart in 2025 is your technology stack. Agents want to know:

• What CRM do you use?
• Do you provide automated marketing?
• Can they manage transactions from their phone?

If you can’t answer those questions confidently, you’re going to lose agents to brokerages that can.

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🔍 Understanding Agent Search Intent in 2025

One of the biggest mistakes I see brokerages make is assuming they know what agents want—without ever looking at the data. But if you want to recruit effectively in 2025, you need to understand how agents are searching, what they’re searching for, and why.

🧠 What Agents Are Really Searching For

Agents don’t just Google “real estate jobs.” Their searches are far more specific—and often emotionally driven. Here are some of the most common search queries we’ve seen in our keyword research:

• “Best brokerage for new agents in [city]”
• “Real estate companies with best commission splits”
• “Brokerage with marketing support”
• “How to switch brokerages as a real estate agent”
• “Real estate brokerages that help with leads”

These aren’t just keywords—they’re pain points. And if your content doesn’t speak directly to those pain points, you’re invisible.

I remember working with a brokerage in Denver that was struggling to attract experienced agents. We did a deep dive into their local search data and found that agents were searching for “brokerages with better tech support” and “real estate companies that help agents build a brand.” Their current messaging was all about culture and community—great stuff, but not what agents were actively looking for. We pivoted the messaging, optimized their content, and within weeks, they started getting inbound leads from agents who said, “I found you on Google, and this is exactly what I’ve been looking for.”

🔑 The Power of Long-Tail Keywords

In 2025, long-tail keywords are more important than ever. These are specific, low-competition phrases that reflect real-world intent. For example:

• “Best 100% commission brokerage in Tampa for solo agents”
• “Brokerage with mentorship for new real estate agents in Phoenix”
• “Real estate company with CRM and lead gen tools included”

These kinds of queries are gold. They’re specific, they’re actionable, and they signal a high level of intent. If your blog content, landing pages, and recruitment funnels aren’t optimized for these kinds of searches, you’re missing out on the agents who are actively looking to make a move.

🗺️ Localized Search Is Critical

Real estate is hyper-local—and so is agent recruitment. That’s why local SEO is a must. Agents want to know what brokerages are doing in their market. That means:

• Creating city-specific landing pages
• Including local testimonials and success stories
• Optimizing your Google Business Profile
• Getting listed in local directories and real estate boards

When we helped a brokerage in Miami build out a localized content strategy, we created individual landing pages for each neighborhood they served. Each page included agent testimonials, market-specific data, and a clear CTA. The result? A 40% increase in organic traffic and a 25% bump in agent applications—just from local search.

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📈 SEO & Content Strategy for Real Estate Agent Recruitment

If you’re not showing up when agents search for brokerages in your area, you’re not even in the conversation. And in 2025, SEO isn’t just about keywords—it’s about intent, structure, and trust.

At MNKY.agency, we’ve built recruitment funnels that generate hundreds of qualified leads per month for brokerages across the U.S., and every one of them starts with a solid SEO foundation.

🧱 Build a Recruitment Content Hub

One of the most effective strategies we use is the topic cluster model. Instead of writing random blog posts, we build a central pillar page—like “How to Choose the Right Real Estate Brokerage in [City]”—and then create supporting content that links back to it.

Here’s what that might look like:

• Pillar Page: “The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Real Estate Brokerage in Miami”
• Cluster Posts:
  • “Top 5 Brokerages for New Agents in Miami”
  • “What Commission Splits to Expect in South Florida”
  • “How to Switch Brokerages Without Losing Clients”
  • “Best Brokerages for Luxury Agents in Brickell”

This structure helps Google understand your site’s authority on the topic—and it keeps agents clicking through your content.

🧠 Optimize for Generative Search & AI

With the rise of AI-powered search tools like Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) and ChatGPT plugins, your content needs to be structured for machines and humans.

Here’s how:

• Answer questions directly at the top of your posts.
• Use FAQ schema to help your content appear in AI-generated answers.
• Include clear headings, bullet points, and summaries.
• Write in a conversational tone—just like this post.

I’ve seen posts we wrote for clients get picked up in AI summaries within weeks of publishing, simply because we structured the content to be scannable and helpful.

🏷️ Use the Right Keywords (But Don’t Overdo It)

Yes, keywords still matter—but stuffing your content with “real estate agent recruitment” 37 times isn’t going to help. Instead, focus on:

• Primary keywords: “real estate agent recruitment,” “recruiting real estate agents,” “brokerage hiring agents”
• Long-tail keywords: “best brokerage for new agents in [city],” “how to recruit top-producing agents”
• Semantic keywords: “commission splits,” “CRM tools,” “agent onboarding,” “brokerage culture”

We use tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs to find these keywords, but you can also get great insights just by typing your topic into Google and looking at the “People Also Ask” section.

🔗 Internal Linking & Authority Building

Google wants to see that your site is a trusted source. That means:onbo

• Linking to other relevant blog posts and landing pages
• Citing reputable sources (NAR, Inman, Zillow, etc.)
• Including outbound links to tools or resources agents actually use

And don’t forget to link back to your recruitment page in every post. That’s your conversion point.

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🚀 Recruitment Tactics That Actually Work in 2025

Let’s be honest—most brokerages are still using outdated tactics to recruit agents. Cold calls, generic job ads, and “we’re hiring” posts on social media just don’t cut it anymore. If you want to attract top talent in 2025, you need to think like a marketer, act like a brand, and recruit like a tech company.

Here’s what’s working right now.

🎯 1. Build a Recruitment Funnel (Not Just a Job Posting)

Recruiting agents is a sales process—and like any good sales process, it needs a funnel. At MNKY.agency, we build funnels that guide agents from awareness to application, step by step:

1. Attract: Blog content, SEO, social media, and paid ads
2. Engage: Landing pages, lead magnets, and email nurturing
3. Convert: Personalized follow-ups, discovery calls, and onboarding

I worked with a brokerage in Scottsdale that was spending thousands on Indeed ads with almost no ROI. We replaced that with a recruitment funnel that included a lead magnet (“Top 10 Questions to Ask Before Joining a Brokerage”), a follow-up email sequence, and a personalized video from the broker. Within 60 days, they had tripled their monthly agent inquiries—and cut their ad spend in half.

📹 2. Use Video to Build Trust

Agents want to know who they’re joining. A well-produced video can do more than any job description ever could. Consider creating:

• A “Why Join Us” video featuring your leadership team
• Agent testimonials sharing real success stories
• A day-in-the-life video showing your culture and tools

One of our clients in Atlanta saw a 40% increase in applications after adding a 90-second video to their recruitment page. Why? Because video builds connection—and connection builds trust.

🧲 3. Create a Lead Magnet for Agents

Most brokerages don’t think about lead magnets for recruitment—but they should. Offer something valuable in exchange for an agent’s contact info, like:

• A downloadable commission split comparison guide
• A brokerage evaluation checklist
• A quiz: “Which Brokerage Model Is Right for You?”

These tools not only generate leads—they position you as a helpful, knowledgeable resource.

🤝 4. Host Virtual Info Sessions

In-person events still have value, but virtual info sessions are scalable, low-cost, and effective. Use Zoom or a webinar platform to host:

• Monthly “Ask the Broker” sessions
• Live Q&As with top-performing agents
• Walkthroughs of your tech stack and support systems

We helped a brokerage in Chicago launch a monthly webinar series, and within three months, they were converting 1 in 5 attendees into active recruits.

📬 5. Nurture with Email (But Make It Personal)

Most agents won’t join your brokerage the first time they hear about you. That’s why email nurturing is so important. But here’s the key: it has to feel personal.

We use segmented email sequences that speak to:

• New agents looking for training
• Mid-level agents looking for better support
• Top producers looking for more freedom

Each sequence includes value-driven content, success stories, and soft CTAs. And we always include a personal note from the broker or team leader—because people join people, not companies.

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🤖 Leveraging AI and Automation in Recruitment

If you’re still manually following up with every agent lead, you’re already behind. In 2025, the most successful brokerages are using AI and automation to create scalable, personalized agent recruitment systems that run 24/7.

At MNKY.agency, we’ve helped brokerages implement AI tools that not only save time—but actually increase conversion rates. Here’s how.

💬 1. Use AI Chatbots to Qualify Leads

Agents don’t want to fill out long forms or wait days for a response. That’s where AI chatbots come in. We’ve built bots that:

• Answer FAQs about commission splits, onboarding, and training
• Qualify leads based on experience level and goals
• Schedule discovery calls automatically

One of our clients in Dallas added a chatbot to their recruitment page and saw a 60% increase in lead engagement—just by being available 24/7.

📧 2. Automate Your Follow-Up Sequences

Most agents need multiple touchpoints before they’re ready to switch brokerages. But following up manually is time-consuming—and inconsistent. That’s why we build automated email and SMS sequences that:

• Deliver value over time (e.g., tips, testimonials, market insights)
• Personalize based on agent type (new, mid-level, top producer)
• Include soft CTAs like “Let’s chat” or “See how we compare”

I once worked with a brokerage that had over 300 cold leads sitting in a spreadsheet. We built a re-engagement sequence using their CRM, and within two weeks, they had booked 17 calls with agents who had previously gone dark.

🔍 3. Use Predictive Analytics to Spot “Movers”

This is where things get really interesting. With the right data, you can predict which agents are most likely to switch brokerages—before they even start looking.

We use tools that analyze:

• Listing activity (agents with declining volume)
• Online behavior (visits to your recruitment pages)
• Engagement with your content (email opens, webinar attendance)

This allows you to focus your efforts on the agents who are most likely to convert—saving time and increasing ROI.

🧠 4. AI-Powered Content Creation (With a Human Touch)

AI can also help you scale your content—if you use it wisely. We use AI to:

• Generate blog post drafts (like this one!)
• Create personalized email copy
• Repurpose long-form content into social posts

But here’s the key: you still need a human voice. That’s why everything we create at MNKY.agency is reviewed, edited, and infused with real-world experience—so it feels authentic, not robotic.

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📊 Metrics That Matter: How to Measure Recruitment Success

You can’t improve what you don’t measure. And yet, I’ve worked with brokerages that spend thousands on recruitment marketing without tracking a single KPI. That’s like running a listing campaign without knowing how many leads you’re getting.

At MNKY.agency, we treat recruitment like a performance marketing campaign. Every click, call, and conversion is tracked—and optimized. Here’s what you should be measuring.

📥 1. Lead Volume (But Not Just Any Leads)

Start by tracking how many agent leads you’re generating each month. But don’t stop there—segment them by:

• Experience level (new, mid-level, top producer)
• Source (organic, paid, referral, social)
• Intent (cold, warm, hot)

This helps you understand not just how many leads you’re getting—but how qualified they are.

💡 Pro Tip: We use lead scoring models to prioritize follow-up. A top producer who watched your webinar and downloaded your commission guide? That’s a hot lead.

📈 2. Conversion Rates at Each Stage

Your recruitment funnel should have clear stages:

1. Page views (traffic to your recruitment content)
2. Lead capture (form fills, chatbot interactions)
3. Engagement (email opens, webinar attendance)
4. Application or call booking
5. Signed agent

Track conversion rates at each step. If you’re getting traffic but no leads, your offer might be weak. If you’re getting leads but no calls, your follow-up might need work.

🧪 3. Cost Per Acquisition (CPA)

If you’re running paid campaigns, you need to know your cost per agent recruited. This includes:

• Ad spend
• Creative production
• Software/tools
• Time spent on follow-up

Compare this to the lifetime value of an agent (based on average production and retention). If your CPA is higher than your LTV, it’s time to optimize.

🔁 4. Retention & Onboarding Success

Recruitment doesn’t end when the agent signs. Track:

• 30/60/90-day onboarding & retention
• Onboarding completion rates
• Time to first transaction

We helped a brokerage in San Diego discover that 40% of their new agents were dropping off within 60 days. The issue? A clunky onboarding process. We streamlined it with automated checklists and welcome videos—and their retention jumped by 25%.

There are so many AVOIDABLE ways that I see brokers lose agents, often before they are even onboarded, or shortly after. Check out my recent blog post: Top Onboarding Mistakes Brokers Made In 2025 That Drove Agents Away That Drive Agents Away in 2025 — and don’t make the same mistakes!

📊 5. Channel Performance

Know which channels are driving results:

• SEO: Are your blog posts converting?
• Social: Which platforms bring in the most leads?
• Email: What’s your open and click-through rate?
• Paid: Which campaigns have the best ROI?

Use tools like Google Analytics, HubSpot, or even a simple spreadsheet to track this. The goal is to double down on what’s working—and cut what’s not.

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🧩 Topic Clusters to Build Authority & Internal Linking Strategy

If you want to dominate search results for real estate agent recruitment, you can’t rely on one blog post to do all the heavy lifting. You need a content ecosystem—a network of related articles that reinforce your authority and guide agents deeper into your funnel.

This is where topic clusters come in.

🕸️ What Is a Topic Cluster?

A topic cluster is a group of related content pieces that all link back to a central pillar page. Think of it like a spider web: the pillar is the center, and the cluster posts are the threads that connect and support it.

For example, if your pillar page is:

“The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Real Estate Brokerage in [City]”

Your cluster posts might include:

• “Top 5 Brokerages for New Agents in [City]”
• “What to Look for in a Real Estate Brokerage in 2025”
• “How to Switch Brokerages Without Losing Clients”
• “Best Brokerages for Work-Life Balance in [City]”
• “What Commission Splits Really Mean (And What to Watch Out For)”

Each of these posts targets a specific long-tail keyword and links back to the pillar page—boosting its authority and helping Google understand the depth of your content.

🔗 Internal Linking: The Secret Weapon

Internal linking isn’t just good for SEO—it’s good for user experience. When an agent lands on one of your blog posts, you want to guide them to the next logical step:

• From a blog post to your recruitment landing page
• From a testimonial to your application form
• From a FAQ to your “Why Join Us” video

We helped a brokerage in Seattle restructure their blog using this model. Before, their posts were isolated and hard to navigate. After implementing topic clusters and internal links, their average time on site doubled—and their bounce rate dropped by 35%.

🧠 Bonus Tip: Use Anchor Text Strategically

When linking between posts, use descriptive anchor text that matches your keywords. Instead of “click here,” use:

• “Learn more about our commission structure”
• “See how we support new agents”
• “Explore our onboarding process”

This helps both users and search engines understand what the link is about—and improves your chances of ranking for those terms.

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❓ FAQs for Agents (Optimized for AI & Voice Search)

In 2025, more and more agents are using voice assistants and AI-powered search tools to find answers quickly. That means your content needs to be structured to answer questions clearly, concisely, and conversationally.

At MNKY.agency, we always include a robust FAQ section in our recruitment content—not just for SEO, but because it builds trust. Here are some of the most common questions agents are asking (and how to answer them):

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🤔 What should I look for in a real estate brokerage?

When choosing a brokerage, look beyond the commission split. Consider:

• Training and mentorship opportunities
• Marketing and tech support
• Culture and leadership style
• Flexibility and autonomy
• Lead generation systems

The best brokerage is the one that aligns with your goals—not just your wallet.

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💼 What’s the best brokerage for new real estate agents?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but new agents typically thrive in brokerages that offer:

• Hands-on training and onboarding
• Access to a mentor or coach
• Marketing templates and CRM tools
• A supportive team environment

If you’re just starting out, prioritize support over split. You’ll make more in the long run.

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🔄 How do I switch brokerages as a licensed agent?

Switching brokerages is easier than you think. Here’s a quick overview:

1. Review your current contract and obligations
2. Notify your broker (professionally and in writing)
3. Transfer your license through your state’s real estate commission
4. Update your MLS, signage, and marketing materials

We recommend having a transition plan in place before making the move.

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💰 What commission split should I expect in 2025?

Commission splits vary widely depending on your market, experience, and brokerage model. In 2025, we’re seeing:

• Traditional brokerages: 60/40 to 80/20 splits
• 100% commission models: Flat monthly fees + transaction fees
• Team-based models: Lower splits but higher lead volume

The key is to look at the total value—not just the split. What are you getting in return?

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🧰 What kind of support should a brokerage offer?

Top brokerages in 2025 typically provide:

• CRM and marketing automation tools
• Transaction coordination
• Listing and buyer presentation templates
• Social media and branding support
• Regular training and masterminds

If a brokerage isn’t helping you grow, it’s holding you back.

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These FAQs not only help agents get quick answers—they also position your brokerage as transparent, helpful, and knowledgeable. And when structured properly (with schema markup), they can help your content appear in AI-generated answers and voice search resuts.

You may also be interested in learning the answers to some of the questions brokers most frequently ask us about recruiting real estate agents, (and our answers).

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🧭 Conclusion & Call to Action

Recruiting real estate agents in 2025 isn’t about casting the widest net—it’s about building the right system to attract the right agents at the right time.

Over the past 20+ years, I’ve seen this industry evolve in ways I never could’ve predicted. But one thing has remained constant: agents want to feel supported, empowered, and understood. If your brokerage can deliver that—and communicate it clearly—you’ll never have to chase agents again. They’ll come to you.

At MNKY.agency, we’ve helped brokerages across the U.S. and beyond build recruitment engines that work. Not just flashy websites or one-off campaigns—but full-funnel systems that attract, nurture, and convert agents consistently.

If you’re ready to stop guessing and start growing, I’d love to help.

👉 Let’s talk about your recruitment goals.
Schedule a free strategy session with me and let’s build something that works.

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🔗 Ready to Attract the Right Agents?

Click below to book a call or explore our recruitment marketing services:

Book a Strategy Call | Explore MNKY.agency Real Estate Recruiting Partnership Program

Top 10 FAQs Brokers Ask About Recruiting Real Estate Agents

Recruiting real estate agents is one of the most important—and often most challenging—tasks for brokerage growth. Over the years, we’ve spoken with hundreds of brokers, and the same key questions come up time and time again. Whether you’re building a team from scratch or scaling an established brokerage, these are the top 10 questions we hear most often—along with insights to help you recruit smarter in 2025 and beyond.

You may also be interested in our Complete list of 100+ real estate recruiting FAQs