Simplifying Expansion into Different Brokerages

📦 Systemizing Brokerage Expansion Without Dropping the Ball

If you work on the operations side of a real estate team, you know that expanding into new brokerages is no small task. Each brokerage has its own systems—different compliance processes, unique checklists, varying commission disbursement rules, and their own preferences for how things should be done. When you join a new brokerage, you’re stepping into their house. That means adapting to their systems, not changing them—while still maintaining the high standards and consistency of your existing operations.

The onboarding process can be time-consuming and meticulous. Compliance, in particular, is a detailed and high-stakes component of our work—mistakes can have legal implications, and we owe our agents and clients clarity, consistency, and professionalism at every step. On top of that, our team can’t afford to lose focus on the brokerages we already support. Expansion has to feel like an upgrade, not a disruption.

That’s where systems come in.

Strong systems create structure, clarity, and confidence. They help us manage timelines, define our needs, and adapt quickly. And once built, they allow us to expand again and again without starting from scratch. As a team of 30+ agents across 6+ brokerages, we’ve fine-tuned our expansion playbook to make onboarding smooth and scalable.

Here’s what works for us:

🔧 Why Systems Matter

Well-designed systems create clarity, save time, and allow you to scale without starting from scratch every time. They also make your processes repeatable, so each new brokerage becomes more seamless than the last.

As a team of 30+ agents across 6+ brokerages, we’ve developed an onboarding framework that helps us expand efficiently—without sacrificing the client or agent experience. Here’s what works for us:

1. 📬 Build Early Relationships with Key Office Contacts

Begin by reaching out to the individuals you’ll work most closely with—usually the broker, compliance officer, and MCA. A brief introduction email outlining your role and how you’ll be supporting transactions is a simple yet impactful way to establish rapport.

Once you’ve made contact, store their names, roles, and contact details in your CRM. This ensures they can be easily looped into any transaction-related communication down the line.

2. 📄 Secure (or Create) a Compliance Checklist

In most cases, the compliance officer will provide a PDF checklist for their office. However, if that’s not available, be proactive—create a test transaction in their compliance portal, select the appropriate checklist, and document it yourself.

All checklists are then saved in a shared Google Drive folder labeled “Compliance Checklists” so they’re accessible for future reference. This helps create consistency across transactions while respecting each brokerage’s unique requirements.

3. ⚙️ Update Auto-Plans to Reflect Brokerage-Specific Needs

Our team uses Brivity auto-plans to stay on top of transaction tasks and compliance. Within those auto-plans, we’ve built flexible triggers to account for brokerage-specific differences.

Here’s how we do it:

• The foundational structure of each auto-plan includes shared requirements across brokerages (especially those under the same brand umbrella).

• For any brokerage-specific documents, we add a task like: “✅ Check this task if [Brokerage Name] transaction.” That checkbox acts as a trigger to generate additional, relevant tasks—such as uploading brokerage-specific disclosures—on the appropriate timeline.

• For procedural differences (e.g., how a CDA is submitted), we add those details to the Instructions section of the task, ensuring whoever completes it knows exactly what’s required.

This structure makes it easy to adapt the plan without duplicating efforts.

4. 🗂 Keep Your Internal Resources Current

We maintain an “Admin Cheat Sheet” with an overview of each brokerage we support. This includes:

• Brokerage name, address, license number, and Tax ID (especially useful for referrals)

• Contact information for key office personnel

• Special instructions or notes (e.g., "Send CIs to a different email than the broker’s primary contact")

Keeping this document updated ensures your team can move quickly and accurately when questions arise.

5. 🤝 Set the Stage for Long-Term Success

Once you’ve made contact, customized your checklists, updated your auto-plans, and refreshed your internal resources—you’ve built the infrastructure needed to support agents confidently in the new brokerage.

You’ll also be in a better position to problem-solve. You know who to contact, they know who you are, and the relationship has already been established.

Final Thoughts 💭

Brokerage expansion doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With the right systems in place, your team can grow without losing momentum. With the right systems in place, we can ensure seamless transitions, protect compliance integrity, and continue delivering exceptional support to our team and clients. When your operations run smoothly, agents stay focused, clients remain informed, and compliance stays on track—no matter how many brokerages you join.

Smart systems aren’t just efficient—they’re empowering. 🧩