Brokerages are investing more than ever in tools, platforms, and promises.
Top producers are asking a simpler question: Does this actually make my business move faster?
In this Luxury Presence panel, Chris Linsell, Director of Content at Luxury Presence, sat down with Lauren Henss of FirstTeam and Ryan “Coyne” Coyne of SERHANT. for a candid conversation about how elite agents evaluate brokerages today, and why many traditional models are starting to show strain.
Here’s what stood out:
1. “Top agents don’t need more tools; they need fewer obstacles between effort and income.”
Coyne opened with a statement that framed the entire discussion. For years, brokerages have competed by adding more technology. His point was that volume is no longer impressive. Velocity is.
Top producers are not overwhelmed by work. They are frustrated by drag. Every extra step between effort and outcome slows momentum.
Agent takeaway: If your brokerage stack adds friction instead of removing it, it is costing you real money.
2. “No matter where you are in your career as an agent… you have the same 7 problems, they just change in scale.”
Coyne’s insight here was not about struggle, but predictability. He identified the seven challenges agents face follow them throughout their careers.
- “Uncertainty about which actions directly drive revenue.”
- “Not knowing what to ask for, how to ask properly, or where to find things, or even forgetting that there’s help or resources available at all.”
- “Difficulty sustaining disciplined routines and being a well-rounded operator with balanced strengths and compensated weaknesses.”
- “Inability to consume relevant training at optimal moments.”
- “Challenges recognizing, accessing, and workflow integrating all the evolving internal and external resources.”
- “Navigating client personalities from first impression through deal close and extreme hesitancy to delegate client interactions to others.”
- “Generalized AI tools that lack personalization or integration of proprietary brokerage data, which makes them limited in usefulness and very high risk of being abandoned in favor of traditional workflows.”
What changes is the cost of leaving those challenges unsolved.
The most effective brokerages are not reactive. They are intentionally designed around these friction points.
Broker takeaway: Elite agents do not have different problems. They have less patience for unsolved ones.
3. “Legacy brands are known, but a modern brand is actually understood.”
Henss drew a sharp distinction between recognition and relevance. Longevity alone no longer persuades top producers or consumers.
Modern brands evolve alongside agents and help them clearly articulate who they are and why they matter.
Agent takeaway: Borrowed brand equity doesn’t substitute for a real value proposition.
4. “Brand is a promise. The experience is the product.”
Coyne used this line to explain why infrastructure alone does not create retention.
Agents do not stay because of tools. They stay because their daily experience makes their business easier, faster, and more effective.
Agent takeaway: If the experience feels heavy, no amount of branding will save it.
5. “The modern agent standard is clarity on day one, momentum by day 30, and compounding advantage by day 90.”
This was one of the most operational insights of the entire conversation. Coyne moved expectations from philosophy to a timeline.
Onboarding is no longer about orientation. It is about acceleration.
Broker takeaway: If you cannot define what an agent gains in their first 90 days, you are already behind.
6. “Top agents… are not joining for tools.”
Henss dismantled a common recruiting myth in one sentence. Technology matters, but it is not why elite agents move.
Top producers are aligning with ambition. They want brokerages that elevate their work, sharpen their positioning, and support long-term growth, not just onboarding.
Broker takeaway: If your recruiting pitch starts with software, you are already missing the point.
7. “One product is not going to be everything to everybody.”
Digital transformation requires operating discipline, not tool accumulation.
Henss explained that FirstTeam built its technology stack only after defining purpose, securing leadership alignment, establishing training, and agreeing on success metrics. Without that foundation, even strong platforms fail to gain adoption.
Broker takeaway: Technology fails when strategy is undefined, not when tools are inadequate.
8. “Talent is mobile. Friction is fatal.”
Coyne used this line to explain why agent churn is rarely about splits or incentives. Top producers move when momentum slows and unnecessary friction piles up in their day-to-day work.
When systems create drag, when support is unclear, or when progress feels harder than it should, mobility becomes the rational choice. High performers will not wait for alignment to improve.
Agent takeaway: If your business feels harder than it should, you are already at risk.
9. “A Swiss Army knife… is a lie. It’s a broken promise of an all-in-one platform that does everything.”
Coyne’s critique here was explicitly about technology strategy. All-in-one platforms promise simplicity but often restrict flexibility.
Top producers will always reach for the best tool for the job. Systems designed around control break the moment speed matters.
Broker takeaway: Flexibility creates loyalty. Containment creates churn.
10. “The brokerage that you join should accelerate your career… It should not be a landlord.”
Henss’ phrasing landed because it named something many agents feel but rarely say. When a brokerage offers little beyond a logo and a split, agents are renting, not building.
Acceleration requires intention, alignment, and accountability.
Agent takeaway: If you are not building equity in your business, you are borrowing someone else’s.
Build for the Agents Who Expect More
Luxury Presence partners with agents, teams, and brokerages to remove friction where it matters most. From high-performance websites to integrated marketing, SEO, and AI-powered tools, we help turn brand clarity into real momentum.
If you are building for the next generation of top producers, not the last one, we would love to show you what that looks like.
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Agents using Luxury Presence grew sales nearly 2x faster than their peers, increased sold listings by 6%, and closed over $300B in transactions. Ready to grow your business? Let us show you how.
