Full recruiting and retention benchmarks
Broker & Owner research | July 2026
We listened
Everyone's chasing recruits. The bigger number is the agents you already have.
Lone Wolf and Inman surveyed brokers and owners nationwide on recruiting, retention, and where AI fits next. Here's a first look — the full survey is one form away.
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A PREVIEW OF THE FINDINGS
The gap between what brokers value and what they track.
98%
of brokerages don't yet treat retention as a named, deliberate strategy
$18K
average total cost of losing one productive agent
74%
rate the value of retention an 8, 9, or 10 out of 10
19%
using AI for retention today, vs. 91% who expect AI to be standard within 3 years
The Answer flips
Brokers rate retention as more valuable than recruiting — by a wide margin.
Asked to weigh retaining an agent against recruiting a new one, the average response leaned decisively toward retention. Yet most brokerage budgets still say otherwise.
"Recruiting refills the funnel. Retention protects everything you already built."
— Survey respondent, independent broker/owner
8.17 / 10 average value placed on retention
What's inside
Every question. Every cut.
The full Inman x Lone Wolf 2026 Broker Survey breaks results out by franchise vs. independent vs. managing broker, so you can see where your brokerage stands against your specific peer set.
Recruiting spend and priorities
Where brokerages are putting budget and headcount in 2026.
The true cost of turnover
Full breakdown of the $18K figure, plus ramp-up time to full productivity.
How brokerages track flight risk today
And why 43% confidence still means most get caught off guard.
Where AI is already working
And where brokers agree it's headed next, from marketing to retention.
Segment cuts
Franchise, independent, and managing broker results, side by side.
Download the complete 2026 Broker Survey.
The full PDF includes every question and every cut of the data, presented at Inman Connect San Diego.
Franchise vs. independent vs. managing broker cuts
Where brokers are placing AI investment next