Recruiting survey v1: understand brokerage fit
Ask agents about brokerage fit when you want to understand how they evaluate a working arrangement. Focus on the support they use, the responsibilities they value and the tradeoffs they would consider. A ranking of competing offices tells you less about those choices than a specific example.
This illustrative survey is a conversation guide, not a validated assessment or a representative study. Use your approved contact process. Identify the sponsoring company, explain the purpose and make participation optional.
Explain why you are asking
“Hi [name], I’m [your name] with [company]. We’re reviewing how our brokerage supports agents and asking about what makes a working arrangement useful. I also handle recruiting and may offer a separate discussion about our company. You can take part without considering a move. Would you be willing to answer a few questions?”
Explain whether you will take notes and how the answers will be used. Do not call the survey independent, anonymous or confidential unless that description is accurate. Let the agent decline or skip a question.
Explore the arrangement
- When you chose your current brokerage, what mattered most to you?
- Which parts of the arrangement do you use regularly?
- Can you describe a time when the support worked particularly well, without sharing client information?
- What would you keep if you were designing an ideal working arrangement?
- What would you change, and why would that matter to your work?
- What information would you need to compare an alternative fairly?
Ask for clarification without implying that the current company has failed. If the agent is satisfied, record that answer. Do not force the discussion toward a move or request a list of competitors they might join.
Use the answers honestly
Look for questions your own offering needs to answer. For example, an agent who values accessible support may need to understand who is available, when and for what work. That answer requires an operating arrangement, not a claim that your culture is better.
When you have finished the survey, ask separately whether a discussion is wanted.
“Thank you for walking through that. If it would be useful, I can explain our current arrangement and answer questions. Would you like that, or shall we leave it with the survey?”
Respect the choice. Share results only if you actually plan to prepare them and the participant wants to receive them. Describe the sample and its limits rather than presenting these conversations as a market-wide finding.
For questions about immediate operating needs, use the business-challenges version.
Current download
Download the current recruiting guide (PDF, 2 pages). This September 2026 edition contains the guidance on this page.
Historical download
The original survey v1 PDF remains available for historical reference. It has not been revised with the current article.
If you want to make your brokerage’s working arrangement easier to explain and deliver, Talk through your next move.