The real reason people leave

In real estate leadership, recruitment often gets all the attention. 

We invest heavily in finding fresh talent, crafting compelling offers, and selling the dream. 

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: even if you’re brilliant at recruitment, if you’re unskilled at retention, you’ve built a revolving door.

People may say they left for more money, but that’s rarely the real reason. 

It’s simply the easiest one to tell you. 

The deeper cause is almost always something missing from their Team Experience or what I call TX.

What is TX?

TX is the sum of how people feel, perform, and grow in your business. 

Just like CX (Customer Experience) drives client loyalty, TX drives team loyalty.

High-TX leaders make it a priority to:

• Build a sense of belonging.
• Remove friction from tools, systems, and processes.
• Recognise and reward contribution.
• Keep promises and commitments.
• Create a psychologically safe space where people can speak up without fear.
• Provide opportunities for growth, both personal and professional.

When these are missing, you create the perfect breeding ground for disengagement, and disengaged people don’t just leave; they stay and erode your culture before they go.

The six retention killers

Apart from unavoidable reasons people move on:  relocation, health, career change, there are six common factors that quietly sabotage retention:

1. Lack of Recognition
   Humans are wired for connection and appreciation. Even elite operators thrive on genuine praise. Recognition isn’t just for rookies; your high performers crave it too, even if they claim they don’t need it.
2. Unfulfilled Promises or Commitments
   Trust is a leader’s currency. Promise training, leads, or support and fail to deliver, and that trust is broken. People remember, and they quietly plan their exit.
3. Broken Systems and Clunky Tech
   Nothing kills morale faster than tools that don’t work. Every time someone has to wrestle with a CRM glitch, a marketing bottleneck, or a slow approvals process, you drain their confidence in the business.
4. Toxic Culture and Lack of Psychological Safety
   If people feel unsafe to speak their mind or raise issues, they won’t innovate or contribute fully. When toxic behaviour is ignored, good people either leave or adapt to survive and become part of the problem.
5. No Sense of Belonging or Purpose
   Real estate is demanding. Without a shared mission and a strong “why,” it becomes a grind. Belonging to something bigger fuels commitment and resilience.
6. No Growth or Career Progression
   The best people want to evolve. If they feel they’ve plateaued, they’ll seek challenges elsewhere. Growth doesn’t always mean a promotion, it can mean new skills, responsibilities, or projects that stretch them.

TX health checklist: how strong is your team experience?

Score yourself 1 to 5 (1 = Poor, 5 = Excellent) on each statement. Anything scoring 3 or below needs attention.

1. Recognition:
   My team members regularly receive genuine praise for their efforts and achievements.
2. Trust & Commitment:
   We always follow through on promises and commitments made during recruitment and beyond.
3. Systems & Tools:
   Our tech, CRM, and processes are efficient, reliable, and help people do their jobs with ease.
4. Culture & Safety:
   Our environment is free from toxicity, and people feel safe to speak up without fear of backlash.
5. Belonging & Purpose:
   Everyone understands and connects with the bigger mission of the business.
6. Growth Opportunities:
   Every team member has clear pathways to grow their skills and career.

Your TX Score:

• 24 – 30: TX is elite: keep refining and recognising.
• 18 – 23: Good but focus on weak spots before they cost you people.
• Below 18: Urgent attention needed, retention risk is high.

Pro Tip: Review your TX score quarterly, just like your sales numbers. Retention is measurable  and manageable. What gets measured get done. What doesn’t get measured doesn’t get done.

From revolving door to velcro culture

High-TX leaders understand that retention is a daily practice, not an annual review. Here are three habits to embed:

1. Run Regular “Stay Interviews”
   Don’t wait for the exit interview to discover what’s broken. Ask what’s working, what’s frustrating, and how you can help your people succeed, then act on it.
2. Track Retention Like You Track Recruitment
   You have KPIs for listings and sales. Why not retention? Measure average tenure, track turnover costs, and celebrate milestones like work anniversaries.
3. Invest in Your Leaders’ TX Skills
   A great recruitment campaign gets people in the door, but only a skilled leader keeps them there. Train managers in recognition, communication, conflict resolution, and coaching.

Just like you can’t “out-train a bad diet, the best recruitment strategy in the world can’t outpace poor retention. 

If you want to build a team that sticks, focus as much on the experience of the people you already have as you do on attracting new ones.

Yes, ABR (always be recruiting). 

Then ensure you equip, support, and inspire them to keep showing up every day. 

That’s leadership. 

That’s TX.