Let’s address a belief that refuses to die in real estate:
“If I join your team or brokerage, you should provide me leads.”
I’ve never believed this.
I don’t believe it now.
And in 2026, it’s not just wrong, it’s dangerous.
If the primary value you offer agents is “we give leads,” you haven’t built leadership.
You’ve built dependency.
And dependency is not a business model.
Consumers don’t choose brokerages. They choose agents.
Despite how much money the industry pours into lead generation platforms, one truth remains unchanged:
Clients don’t hire brands. They hire people.
Buyers and sellers still overwhelmingly use agents — but they choose based on:
- trust
- competence
- visibility
- proof of results
Referrals, repeat relationships, and online research now work together. The modern consumer is informed, skeptical, and comparison-driven. They are not asking, “Which brokerage should I call?”
They are asking, “Who is the best agent for me?”
Brokerages don’t own trust.
Agents earn it.
So when an agent says, “My brokerage should give me leads,” what they’re often really saying is:
“I don’t yet have a reliable way to create or convert business on my own.”
That’s not a brokerage failure.
That’s a leadership and training opportunity.
What a brokerage is responsible for in 2026
A brokerage’s role is not prospecting for agents.
It is professional infrastructure.
A strong brokerage should provide:
- Leadership and standards
- Compliance and risk management
- Clear training pathways (new agent → mastery)
- Systems, tech stacks, and operating standards
- Community, accountability, and professional development
Notice what’s missing.
Brokerages that sell “leads” as their core value often create agents who:
- never build a database
- blame lead quality instead of improving skill
- lack follow-up discipline
- leave the moment someone promises “better leads”
That’s not retention.
That’s renting agents.
Teams are different, but the answer is still no
A team exists for one reason only: leverage through a shared growth engine.
And in 2026, that engine is still one thing:
Listings create:
- inbound buyer inquiries
- open house traffic
- sign calls and online leads
- content, visibility, and proof
- leverage with both buyers and sellers
Here’s the part many people don’t want to hear:
If you don’t have listings, you don’t have a lead engine. And if you don’t have a lead engine, you don’t have a team.
You have a logo and a group chat.
A real team owner’s responsibility is not to hand out leads.
It’s to build listings, and teach agents how to convert everything that flows from them.
The biggest lie in real estate recruiting
“Join us. We provide leads.”
No.
You provide opportunities.
The agent provides conversion.
And in today’s market, conversion is the entire game.
Leads don’t solve skill gaps.
They expose them.
What great teams actually build
The strongest teams I work with don’t promise leads. They promise competence.
They build:
- Listing-first business models
- Open house systems with scripts and follow-up
- Speed-to-lead and inquiry handling standards
- Content systems that turn listings into authority
- CRM workflows that convert attention into relationships
- Skill development around pricing, objections, and negotiation
That’s leadership.
That’s a real team.
The standard I believe team owners should set:
If you want a recruiting message that actually means something, try this:
“We don’t provide leads.
We build producers.
We give you training, systems, and listing-based opportunities, and we expect you to learn how to convert them.
If you want to be carried, we’re not your place.
If you want to become dangerous in this business, welcome.”
Because the goal is not to create agents who need you.
The goal is to create agents who stay because of who they’ve become.
Final word
Brokerages don’t owe agents leads.
Teams don’t owe agents leads.
Leaders owe agents a path.
A path to competence.
A path to confidence.
A path to sustainable production.
And if you’re running a team without listings, and without a system to teach agents how to generate business from those listings, you don’t need more leads.
You need a rebuild.
Mary – Anne – Gillespie, CEO RED APPLE COACHING
BUZZ BUZZ MEDIA INC., COACHING COLUMNIST
To learn more, vist RED APPLE COACHING
