Real Estate News & Market Insights:
Key observations from May
• Post-peak season decline: Rather than plateauing after March and April, agent mobility appears to be falling further. The May index suggests that the traditional spring momentum is not just delayed — it has likely already passed, and at levels far below normal.
• Continued weakness in raw mobility: The raw (non adjusted) monthly AMI (Agent Movement Index) also declined from April, reinforcing the trend of declining movement despite the historically active recruiting season. This shift comes as a growing number of brokerages report softer pipelines and longer decision cycles from experienced agents.
• Active agent count holds steady: The number of active agents — those with a closing in the past 12 months — remained relatively stable, suggesting that while agents are staying put, they haven’t exited the industry at scale in recent months.
“We’ve exited the peak recruiting window, and this year it arrived softer and ended faster than we’ve seen in years,” said Rob Keefe, Founder of Relitix. “What stands out is not just the low level of switching activity, but how sharply it’s dropped from last year. Brokerages should interpret this as a structural slowdown in recruiting momentum, particularly heading into the summer months. Retention and internal engagement need to be front and center.”
These observations build directly upon Relitix’s reports from recent months, which have consistently highlighted a pattern of restrained agent mobility, marked particularly by weak seasonal rebounds in traditionally active recruiting periods such as March and February.
Strategic insights for brokerage leaders and recruiters
• Prepare for a quiet summer: Agent movement typically slows in the summer, but this year’s decline suggests that activity may be even quieter than usual. Recruiting teams should recalibrate expectations for near-term gains.
• Double down on retention: With fewer agents on the move, brokerage value propositions — coaching, culture, lead generation, and support — will be critical not just for attracting new agents but retaining current ones.
• Watch for delayed movement: If movement is being delayed rather than foregone entirely, late summer or early fall may bring renewed opportunity. Monitoring for shifts in the trend will be essential in planning outreach efforts.
These findings build on April’s release, which already showed a lower-than-expected spring surge. The May numbers confirm that the traditional recruiting season peaked early—and at a significantly reduced level compared to year’s past.
Rob Keefe is the president Relitix.
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