Switching real estate brokerages: the checklist
Moving your license is the easy part. The money is in the details: your contract, your listings and the deals you have under contract. Work through this list in order and you will not leave a check behind.
Before you tell anyone
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Read your independent contractor agreement. Find your notice period, any exit or termination fee, and how deals that close after you leave are paid.
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List every open file. Active listings, buyers under agreement, and every deal under contract with its closing date.
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Get the new brokerage's full fee schedule in writing. Split or flat fee, cap, and every monthly and per-file fee.
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Save your own contacts. Export your personal sphere from your own phone and email. Leave company leads and company data where they are.
If you have deals under contract
Deals under contract usually close with your old brokerage, because the brokerage is party to the agreement, not you. Your contract decides how you are paid on them. Many agents time a move so their pending deals close first.
Get it in writing before your last day: which deals stay, the split on each, and when you will be paid. If your old broker will release a deal to your new brokerage, both brokers and the client usually have to agree.
Your listings
A listing agreement is a contract between the seller and the brokerage. You can only take a listing with your old broker's written release and your seller's agreement. Ask for the release in writing, and never pressure a seller to break their contract.
Moving your license
Every state handles the transfer a little differently: who files, the form, the fee, and whether your old broker must sign. Find your state in our license transfer guide. In many states you cannot do any real estate work until the board shows your new brokerage.
Day one at the new brokerage
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Move your MLS and REALTOR® association membership to the new office.
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Update your signs, website, email signature, social profiles and business cards. State ad rules require your brokerage's name.
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Set up your CRM, e-sign and transaction system.
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Tell your sphere where you are now.
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Book time with your new broker to learn how files are submitted and paid.
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
Can I switch brokerages while I have deals under contract?
Yes. Deals under contract usually close with your old brokerage, and your agreement decides how you are paid. Get the split and payment date on each deal in writing before you leave.
Can I take my listings when I change brokerages?
Only with your old broker's written release and your seller's agreement, because the listing belongs to the brokerage.
How much notice do I have to give my broker?
Your independent contractor agreement sets it. Read it before you tell anyone.
How long does it take to switch brokerages?
The license transfer takes days in most states. Wrapping up pending deals and listings can take longer.
What should I do first when switching brokerages?
Read your current contract for notice, exit fees and post-departure pay, and list every open file.