The Attrition Constants

by | Jun 22, 2026

Next to recruiting, the retention of profitable agents is something that exasperates every real estate leader.

It’s difficult and expensive to recruit, train, mentor, and coach an agent.

Seeing your investment walk out the door is heartbreaking—and bottom line-breaking.

So, what causes your agents to leave?

According to researchers at Gartner, the most common reasons people leave their jobs has remained surprisingly consistent over many years.

It’s so consistent, the reasons are often called the Attrition Constants. Here’s a prioritized list on why workers defect to their competitors:

They don’t like their bosses (especially their first-level managers).

They don’t see opportunities for promotion and growth.

They are proactively offered a better gig (higher pay, more support, better tech, engaging peers, etc.).

If you’re not focusing most of your retention effort on these issues, you’ll miss the mark.

If you’re not focusing most of your recruiting effort on exploiting these weaknesses among your competitors, you’re missing the best opportunities.

 

The Simple Psychology of Real Estate Recruiting [2nd Edition]

Unlock the secrets of effective real estate recruiting. Revised to include actionable frameworks for sharper execution and to help you turn psychological theory into a repeatable recruiting system.

The Persistence Mindset

The Persistence Mindset

A leader equipped with this mindset can have a profound effect on the life and career of each individual they engage. It works because an agent is getting a real-time glimpse of what it would be like to work on your team. But it only becomes believable when it is persistently applied over time.