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Changing brokerages
Switching real estate brokerages: the checklist Don't leave
a check behind.
Updated
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.
No card. Nobody calls you unless you ask. Your license stays where it is until you decide.
- 1Before noticeContract + open files
- 2Deals + listingsPendings, releases
- 3License + day oneTransfer, MLS, signs
- Read your contractor agreementNotice, exit fee, pay after you leave
- List every open fileListings, buyers, deals under contract
- Get the new fee schedule in writingSplit or flat fee, cap, every fee
- Save your own contactsYour sphere, from your own phone and email
- 4 before notice
- 5 on day one
- $0 on released pendings at AXEN
01Before notice
Before you tell anyone
Four things, done quietly, before you give notice.
-
1
Read your independent contractor agreement.
Your notice period, any exit or termination fee, and how deals that close after you leave are paid.
-
2
List every open file.
Active listings, buyers under agreement, and every deal under contract with its closing date.
-
3
Get the new brokerage's full fee schedule in writing.
Split or flat fee, cap, and every monthly and per-file fee.
-
4
Save your own contacts.
Export your sphere from your own phone and email. Leave company leads and data where they are.
02Pending deals
If you have deals under contract
They usually close with your old brokerage.
Most deals
The deal stays
- It closes with your old brokerageThe brokerage is party to the agreement, not you.
- Your contract decides how you are paid
- Time your moveMany agents time a move so their pending deals close first.
If your old broker agrees
The deal is released
- Both brokers and the client usually have to agree
- $0 at AXENA pending deal your old brokerage releases costs you $0: no file fee, no split.
Get it in writing before your last day: which deals stay with your old brokerage, the split on each one, and when you will be paid.
03Listings
Your listings
The listing belongs to the brokerage, not to you.
Why you need both
A listing agreement is a contract between the seller and the brokerage. So you need both: the release and the seller.
Do it the right way
Ask for the release in writing, and never pressure a seller to break their contract.
04License and day one
Moving your license
The transfer takes days in most states. Pendings and listings can take longer. Every state does it a little differently:
- 1Who files
- 2The form
- 3The fee
- 4Must your old broker sign?
In many states you cannot do any real estate work until the board shows your new brokerage. Find your state in our license transfer guide.
Find your stateDay one at the new brokerage
Five things to tick off in your first week.
- Move your MLS and REALTOR® association membership to the new office.
- Update your signs, website, email signature, social profiles and business cards. State ad rules require your brokerage's name.
- Set up your CRM, e-sign and transaction system.
- Tell your sphere where you are now.
- Book time with your new broker to learn how files are submitted and paid.
05If you are looking
How AXEN does it
No split. You keep 100% and pay a flat fee per closing that stops at a yearly cap.
Every AXEN fee rule, in fullFile fees, small sales, leases, admin and platform, and more.
- File fee: $500 a closing on Pro, capped at $6,000 a year. $1,000 on Elite, capped at $12,000. After the cap it is $0 until your AXEN anniversary.
- Small sales: under $2,500 of commission, the file fee is 10% of it instead. A $2,000 check pays $200.
- Leases, rentals and referrals: 10% of the commission, never more than $500 on Pro or $1,000 on Elite, plus a $50 admin fee.
- $295 admin fee on every sale, even after the cap. Most of it pays your Deal Desk coordinator and state broker. Many agents pass it to the client.
- Platform fee: $50 a month, $500 a year, or $600 taken from your first closing.
- Released pendings: if your old brokerage releases a pending deal to AXEN, AXEN charges $0 on it. No file fee, no split.
- Elite reverse sign-on: AXEN credits what you already paid toward your old brokerage's cap this year.
Every file fee counts toward the same cap. AXEN is not the cheapest for every agent: see the math. Moving a team? See team plans. Married to an agent? Share one cap.
06Straight answers
Questions agents ask
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.
What does AXEN charge on a pending deal my old brokerage releases?
Nothing. If your old brokerage releases a pending deal to AXEN, AXEN charges $0 on it: no file fee and no split. Deals your old brokerage keeps close there under your old agreement.
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.
Keep reading
More for agents
Guides
Make the move in order.
Look inside before you decide.
Costs only, not an earnings claim. Your income depends on your own sales. AXEN fees as of October 2026. Confirm every fee in writing before you sign.