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CHECKLIST

How to switch brokerages: a step by step checklist

Short answer

Start with your current agreement and a list of every pending deal and listing. Pick a move date around your closings. Then sign with the new brokerage, move your license through your state regulator, transfer your MLS and board, and update your marketing. Most of the work is paperwork. The timing is what matters.

The checklist

  1. 01

    Read your current agreement

    Find the notice period, what happens to listings and pending deals, any fees you'd owe, and any rules about clients or other agents. Follow it. If something is unclear, ask a lawyer. This guide doesn't give advice on getting out of a contract.

  2. 02

    List your pending deals and listings

    Write down every deal under contract, every listing and every buyer agreement, with dates. This list drives your timing.

  3. 03

    Check your state's rule for pending deals

    Some states require pending deals to pass through your old brokerage, some don't allow it, and some don't require it. Real publishes a state by state list (link below).

  4. 04

    Pick your move date

    Plan around closings, open houses and your license renewal date. Avoid moving in the middle of a busy week if you can.

  5. 05

    Apply and sign with the new brokerage

    Read the full agreement before you sign, including fees, team terms and anything you can't change later. At Real, your sponsor choice is permanent once you sign.

  6. 06

    Transfer your license

    Your state regulator runs this. Some states need your old managing broker to release your license first. The new brokerage then accepts it.

  7. 07

    Move your MLS, board and association

    These are separate from your license and often have their own forms and fees. At Real you must join a board and MLS within 30 days of signing, and Real doesn't cover those costs.

  8. 08

    Update your marketing

    Put the new brokerage name on your website, social profiles, email signature, signs, business cards, MLS profile and third party sites like Zillow and Realtor.com. Use your state's required brokerage name and disclosures.

  9. 09

    Set up pay and insurance

    Add your bank and tax information so you can get paid. Check whether your state needs extra E&O coverage on top of the brokerage's policy.

Listings and pending deals

Your old brokerage's agreement controls your listings and buyer agreements. Some firms release a listing so you can relist it, some charge a fee to transfer it, and some keep it. Real's policy is that it can't step in on those decisions.

Pending deals depend on your state. Real's list shows passthrough required in California, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Washington, plus Manitoba and Saskatchewan in Canada. In those places, the old brokerage stays on the deal and pays your commission through the new one. If your state isn't on Real's list, ask the onboarding team.

How long it takes

It depends on your state and how fast you finish the paperwork. Real says its onboarding team reaches out within 48 hours of your application with next steps. If your license has to be released by your old brokerage first, Real waits for that before it accepts the license.

Telling your current broker

Keep it short, professional and in writing. Give the notice your agreement asks for. Thank them, confirm how your pending deals and listings will be handled, and don't take anything your agreement says belongs to the firm.

Move a Washington licenseState guidesYour first 30 days at Real

FAQ

Common questions

Not usually, but your old agreement and your state's rules decide how they are paid. In passthrough states the old brokerage stays on the deal.

Only if your current brokerage agrees. Some release listings, some charge a fee, and some keep them.

No. They are separate. Plan to submit their forms and pay any fees yourself.

It varies by state. Real's onboarding team reaches out within 48 hours of your application with next steps.

Not at Real. Real doesn't accept cap progress from a prior brokerage, and you can't prepay your cap.

Sources

Last checked October 2, 2026. Companies can change their fees and policies at any time.

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