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So, you’re thinking about starting your real estate career on a team. Let me tell you what I’ve seen.

Over the years, I’ve watched agents launch in two ways: Alone, with a license and a lot of hope, or inside a team with structure, coaching and accountability. In my experience, the ones who grew faster, earned more consistently and actually stayed in the business usually had someone show them how to do this business right.

I wish from my heart that when I started, someone had put me on a strong team and said, “Follow our systems. We’ll teach you.”

This is what you should know, good and bad, before you jump in.

What a real estate team really is

Think about this for a second: Your doctor has a team, your dentist has a team and even your insurance agent has a team. Yet in real estate, we often hand someone a license and say, “You’re on your own. Good luck.”

A real estate team, done right, is the opposite of that. It’s not just a big producer with a couple of helpers. It’s a business inside the business. There’s usually a leader who sets the vision and develops people, listing specialists who drive inventory, buyer’s agents who live in the field with clients, and client-care and marketing staff who keep deals and opportunities flowing.

I like to think of them as The Avengers of the housing market. Everybody brings a different superpower, and together they deliver a level of service and consistency that’s hard to match solo.

The upside of starting on a team

Here’s what I really believe: Starting on the right team can shave years off your learning curve. The best teacher of real estate is the game.

You’re not sitting alone wondering what to do each day. You have huddles, scripts to practice, people to role-play with and systems that are already tested. You see how top producers think, how they handle objections, how they recover when a deal goes sideways. That kind of exposure is priceless.

And financially? I’ve learned that a lot of agents actually earn more money on a lower split when they’re on a good team. The team pays for marketing, admin and transaction management. You’re not buried in paperwork and “fake work.” You’re spending your time on real, dollar-productive activities: prospecting, showing homes, writing offers, negotiating.

You may keep a smaller percentage per deal, but you often close more deals, more consistently, with fewer expensive mistakes. The question I ask potential team members is: “What’s more important to you? The split you are on or the amount of money you take home to your family?”

The trade-offs you need to be honest about

Now for the part that doesn’t make the marketing flyer.

Being on a team means following a system, not free-wheeling. You’re likely on a lower split. You’ll have standards to live up to: showing up for huddles, hitting activity goals, following systems.

There will be conflict from time to time because any group of humans working closely together has friction. You’ll also shift from “my brand, my face, my name” to “our brand, our clients, our results.”

And you will depend on others. If the transaction coordinator misses something or marketing is late, you feel it. You don’t get to say, “Well, I did my part, so I’m fine.” You’re part of a whole. Do your due diligence and make sure the team you join has great support systems and staff to handle the volume you are about to bring.

If what you really want is to come and go as you please, never have anyone ask about your numbers and do everything your own way, a real team may not be the right direction. Great teams have winning structure, consistency and teach their team members how to hunt, convert and transact like true professionals.

The hidden danger: Bad teams

Let me be very clear about this: Not all teams are healthy, and starting on the wrong one can actually set your career back.

Over the years, I’ve seen the same breakdown points show up again and again. Patrick Lencioni laid this out beautifully in The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, and in my experience, his framework plays out in real estate almost perfectly. When teams struggle, it’s usually because:

Trust is weak
Hard conversations are avoided
Commitments get fuzzy
Accountability slips
Results stop being the real focus

What does that look like in real life?

Leads don’t get shared fairly.
People stop communicating directly.
Meetings feel safe but unproductive.
Standards exist on paper but not in practice.
And slowly, sometimes quietly, momentum dies.

On the other hand, the healthiest teams we have coached operate very differently.

They become clear about their core values.
They have clearly defined roles and clearly defined goals.
They track what matters.
They talk openly about what’s working and what isn’t.
And the leader doesn’t just give motivational speeches; they model the behavior they expect.

Here’s what I really believe: A team without trust will always struggle, no matter how talented the people are. And a team with strong trust, clear standards and real accountability can outperform almost anyone.

That’s the kind of environment you want to start your career in.

Is starting on a team right for you?

Agents who thrive on teams aren’t always the most talented on Day 1, but they do have the best attitudes and are willing to follow the system.

They’re willing to be coached. Willing to be held accountable to their own goals. Willing to show up, track their activities and be part of something bigger than themselves.

So ask yourself honestly:

“Am I more attached to having a high split, or bringing home a bigger check? Am I willing to be coached, measured, and sometimes uncomfortable if it means I grow faster? Do I want to learn this business the hard way or the smart way?”

If your answer is yes to growth, yes to coaching and yes to being part of a real team, then starting your career on a good team might be one of the best decisions you ever make in real estate.

Verl Workman is the founder and CEO of Workman Success Systems and author of Raving Referrals for Real Estate Agents. Connect with him on LinkedIn or Instagram.

Topics: buyer's agent | listing agent | new agent Show Comments Hide Comments Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments Sign me up By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman. Success! Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines. Read Next real estate agent recruiting

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