How to pick your first real estate brokerage
Your first brokerage matters more than any other. You need someone to answer your questions, check your contracts and help you close your first deals. Low fees matter less in year one than good help. Here is what to look for.
What a new agent needs most
- A person who picks up the phone. Your first contract will raise ten questions. You need a broker or mentor who answers the same day.
- Someone to check your paperwork. A transaction coordinator or broker review catches mistakes before they cost you a deal.
- Training you will actually use. Scripts, contracts, pricing and how to run a showing. Ask to see the schedule.
- Low costs while you have no income. Monthly fees add up before your first check. A fee you pay per closing hurts less than one you pay every month.
- A way to get your first clients. Open houses, leads or a team. Ask how new agents find their first buyer.
What your first year costs
Your license is only the start. Before your first closing you will pay for MLS access, your REALTOR® association if you join, errors and omissions insurance at some brokerages, and your own marketing. These costs are the same wherever you hang your license.
What changes by brokerage is the split, the monthly fee and what you pay per deal. With only a few deals, a split costs you less in dollars than it will later, but a monthly fee costs the same whether you close or not. Put your own numbers in the fee calculator to see both.
Some brokerages also charge new agents more on their first deals. eXp, for example, takes an extra share on a new agent's first three deals for its mentor program. Ask every brokerage what its new-agent program costs.
Questions to ask before you sign
- Who do I call when I have a question on a contract, and how fast do they answer?
- Is there a mentor program? What does it cost, and for how many deals?
- Who checks my paperwork, and who pays for a transaction coordinator?
- What do I pay per month, per deal and per year, in writing?
- How do new agents here get their first clients?
- If I leave, how am I paid on deals that close after I go?
Then compare the answers side by side. Our brokerage fee comparison shows what the big cloud brokerages publish.
Split or flat fee: which is better for a new agent?
A split takes a share of every check, so it costs little when you earn little and more as you grow. A flat fee costs the same per closing, so it is cheaper once your deals get bigger. See how 100% commission brokerages work for the full picture.
Either way, the help you get in year one is worth more than a few hundred dollars in fees. Pick the place that will get you to your tenth deal.
How AXEN does it
No commission split. You keep 100% and pay a flat fee per closing.
AXEN charges a flat fee per closing ($500 on the Pro plan; less on smaller deals) that caps at $6,000 a year, or $12,000 on the Elite plan, plus a $295 per-file admin fee and a $50 a month platform fee. There is no commission split, and a transaction coordinator is included on every file.
AXEN is not the cheapest on fees alone for every agent. See the math against other brokerages, or look inside the AXEN portal for free.
Costs only, not an earnings claim. Your income depends on your own sales. Fees as published September 2026; confirm every fee in writing before you sign.
Questions
What is the best brokerage for a new real estate agent?
The one that answers your questions fast, checks your paperwork, trains you and keeps your costs low until you close. Ask every brokerage the same questions and compare the answers in writing.
Should a new agent join a team or a brokerage?
A team can hand you leads and daily coaching in exchange for a bigger share of each check. A brokerage on its own gives you more freedom. Many new agents start on a team and go solo later.
How much does it cost to be a new real estate agent?
Plan for MLS and association dues, any monthly brokerage fee, your license renewal and marketing before your first check. The brokerage part depends on its split, monthly fee and per-deal fees.
Do new agents need a mentor?
Some brokerages require one for your first few deals, and some charge extra for it. A good mentor can save a deal; ask what it costs and for how long.
Can a new agent join AXEN?
Yes. AXEN takes new agents in every state it operates in. Start at axenrealty.com/join.