In real estate, there’s a massive difference between an agent who just completes tasks and one who takes full ownership of their business.

✅ One follows instructions and waits for leads.
✅ The other thinks like a business owner, takes initiative, and drives their own success.

As a real estate team leader or broker, your biggest challenge isn’t just recruiting agents—it’s getting them to care about their own success as much as you do.

So how do you shift from agents who do the minimum to agents who take ownership, close more deals, and build long-term success?

Let’s break it down. 👇

🚨 Why Your Agents Aren’t Taking Ownership (and How to Fix It)

1️⃣ Lack of Clarity = Lack of Ownership 🤷‍♂️
If your agents don’t fully understand their role, goals, or how success is measured, they’ll hesitate to take initiative. Instead, they’ll just wait for direction.

🔹 Fix it:
✅ Set clear expectations for their production goals, lead generation, and client interactions.
✅ Make sure every agent understands how their role contributes to the team’s success.
✅ Use KPIs beyond just closings (appointments set, offers written, etc.).

👉 Example: Instead of saying, “Go find leads,” say, “Your goal is 10 quality conversations per day. Here’s how to track it.”

2️⃣ No Room for Decision-Making 🚫
If agents feel like they have no say in how they work, they won’t exceed the minimum requirements.

🔹 Fix it:
✅ Give them ownership over their schedule, lead generation, and marketing.
✅ Ask their input: “What’s your best strategy for lead follow-up?”
✅ Allow them to test new ideas and run with what works.

👉 Example: Instead of giving them a script and saying, “Say this,” say, “How would you tweak this to feel more natural?”

3️⃣ Fear of Failure Kills Initiative 😨
If agents feel like making a mistake = getting scolded, they’ll play it safe. Fear kills ownership.

🔹 Fix it:
✅ Normalize mistakes as part of growth. Make failure a learning opportunity, not a punishment.
✅ Shift the mindset from “failure is bad” to “failure is data.”
✅ When an agent struggles, ask: “What can we learn from this?” instead of just pointing out what went wrong.

👉 Example: Instead of, “Why didn’t you close that lead?” say, “What do you think could have changed the outcome?”

🔥 How to Build a Culture of Ownership

1️⃣ Involve Agents in Goal-Setting 🎯
People commit more to goals they help create.

🚫 Top-down approach: “Your goal is 20 deals this year.”
✅ Collaborative approach: “How many deals do you want to close? What steps will get you there?”

👉 Hold quarterly goal-setting meetings where agents define their own targets, and help them reverse-engineer their success.

2️⃣ Let Agents Own Their Process 🏆
Micromanagement kills motivation. Instead of dictating every detail, focus on the outcome.

🚫 Old way: “Call 50 people per day.”
✅ Ownership approach: “What lead gen strategy plays to your strengths?”

👉 Give them control. If an agent thrives on video marketing, let them go all-in. If they love door-knocking, encourage it. Different agents, different strategies!

3️⃣ Hold Them Accountable (In a Positive Way) 🔄
Accountability shouldn’t feel like punishment—it should feel like progress tracking.

🚫 “Why haven’t you hit your lead gen numbers?”
✅ “What roadblocks are slowing you down?”

👉 Use weekly check-ins to focus on strategy adjustments, not just status updates.

4️⃣ Recognize & Reward Ownership 👏
People repeat what gets recognized. If you only reward closed deals, agents will only focus on the end result. But if you reward initiative and accountability, they’ll take more ownership.

✅ Shout out agents who take the lead on something.
✅ Highlight wins in team meetings.
✅ Reward behaviors, not just results: “I love how you took ownership of that listing presentation—it made a big impact.”

🚀 Bottom Line: Agents Who Take Ownership Close More Deals

If you want agents who perform like top producers, stop treating them like employees. Give them the structure, freedom, and support to take ownership.

🔹 Define clear roles & expectations.
🔹 Give them decision-making power.
🔹 Build a culture where failure = learning.
🔹 Reward initiative, not just results.

📩 Want to learn how to build an elite real estate team? Check out my coaching program HERE.