The Real Reason Agents Leave Your Team

by | Oct 6, 2025

I recently had a conversation with a client about the frustration she feels when a productive agent leaves her organization.

I never seem to get the honest answer on why they chose to leave.

It’s always something like, “It’s not you, it’s me. I just need to make a change.”   And off they go.

This dialog reminds me of a Forbes article written a few years ago by a consultant who did research on this topic.

Despite what your exiting employees tell you their reason is for leaving, here are reasons they report during anonymous interviews.

More than 40% don’t respect the person they report to.

More than 50% say they have different values than their employer.

More than 60% don’t feel their career goals are aligned with what their employers have to offer.

More than 70% don’t feel appreciated or valued by their employer.

This may seem like a harsh report card, but it’s probably what most agents are experiencing when the thought of changing brokers sprouts in their minds.

It’s a mistake to focus your attention on surface issues (splits, leads, tools, technology, etc.) at the end of the process.

Successful leaders go upstream and address core issues.

They make sure agents are challenged, engaged, valued, and rewarded (emotionally, intellectually, and financially).

Miss any of these critical areas, and it’s only a matter of time until they’ll start thinking of making a move.

 

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The Attrition Variables

The Attrition Variables

While these attrition constants still have the greatest influence, there are some emerging attrition variables worth noting. People also tend to leave companies when: They feel like they’re not doing as well as others in their peer group outside the company. They feel like they’re not as far along as they should be at a certain point in life.

The Attrition Constants

The Attrition Constants

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 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.