They join teams because of the leader , with two exceptions.
To grow your team, become a better leader.
“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” – John Maxwell
Your team will rise and fall with your leadership.
In real estate, your title as “Team Leader” doesn’t automatically grant you influence. In John Maxwell’s 5 Levels of Leadership, the first level is Position,authority given by title only.
It’s the weakest form of leadership, because people follow you because they have to, not because they want to.
At the start, you may have sales success that gives you some credibility and social proof. But in order to recruit and retain talent, you must create a more powerful form of proof,taking an inexperienced agent and developing them into a professional who produces results.
Stage 1: You Are the Training Program
Your first move is to recruit a newly licensed agent and train them from the ground up.
At this stage, onboarding doesn’t need to be fancy,it’s you. You are a walking, talking, breathing training department. They don’t “shadow” you; they are your shadow.
If you go on a listing appointment, they go. If you make calls, they make calls. If you write an offer, they watch every click. You lead by example, breaking down each action so they understand not only the “how” but also the “why.”
And here’s the secret: Don’t split commissions for this stage. Their payment is the experience.
When I was a young pilot, I paid veteran pilots just for the privilege of sitting beside them in the cockpit. That experience was worth more than any paycheck.
If your desk has two chairs in front of it, they should be filled with two agents, two laptops, and two phones,working side-by-side with you every day.
“Leaders become great not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others.” – John Maxwell
Stage 2: Building Scalable Training
Soon, you’ll reach a point where you can’t be everywhere with every agent.
This is where Level 3 Leadership in Maxwell’s framework,Production,comes into play. You begin producing results through others.
You formalize your training schedule. For example, at The Reside Platform, we plug team agents into three live training sessions a week,covering CRM mastery, lead generation, lead conversion, scripting, role-play, the buyer process, and the listing process.
This allows team leaders to scale training instantly while still producing in their own business.
Stage 3: Hiring a Wise Broker
The next level is to bring in a full-time broker or mentor whose sole job is to teach agents professional standards,contracts, forms, compliance, and procedures.
This is not a sales coach; this is your “broker of record” archetype, someone who raises the floor of professionalism across your team.
You’ll notice in Maxwell’s model, this shifts you toward Level 4 Leadership,People Development. You’re no longer just producing agents; you’re producing professionals.
Stage 4: Leaders Who Make Leaders
The final stage is multiplying leadership.
Your role is no longer to produce sales or even to train agents,it’s to develop leaders who develop other leaders.
This is Maxwell’s Level 5,The Pinnacle. At this point, your influence is exponential. Your leaders replicate your vision, values, and standards throughout the organization.
And here’s the truth,agents don’t join your team because of your brokerage name, your logo, or your brand colors.
They join because they see a leader they trust, respect, and believe will take them further than they could go alone.
“The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.” – John Maxwell
Nick McLean
Founder – The Reside Platform
