NAR Library & Archives has already done the research for you. References (formerly Field Guides) offer links to articles, eBooks, websites, statistics, and more to provide a comprehensive overview of perspectives. EBSCO articles (E) are available only to NAR members and require the member's nar.realtor login.
From the REALTOR® Store
Real Estate Brokerage Essentials® - Real Estate Brokerage Essentials®: Navigating Legal Risks and Managing a Successful Brokerage, Fourth Edition is the most comprehensive business tool for brokers to run their offices efficiently and minimize their risk for legal liability. This is a must-have for all Brokers! (Item 126-359)
Broker Management - A compilation of all the resources for brokers from the REALTOR® Store. “Discover essential strategies and tools for hiring, training, and managing a high-performing team of REALTORS®.”
Striking Out on Your Own
Making the Transition From Top Producer to Broker-owner (NAR REALTOR® News, Mar. 13, 2025)
“Many real estate professionals are hardworking, ambitious and goal oriented. No matter where they are in their career, it's only natural for them to be thinking about what comes next. They want to be in control, have a grasp of their destiny and create a plan to get there. For those who have reached the pinnacle of success by hitting their sales goals year-in and year-out and wish to continue making a difference in the real estate industry, they may conclude it’s time to look for a new challenge. For many, the next logical step was to become a broker-owner and manage their own shop.”
How to Start a Real Estate Brokerage (Placester, Sep. 23, 2024)
Depending on the type of real estate brokerage you want to start, you’re looking at startup costs of at least $10,000. And that’s if you’re bootstrapping it and jumping in with the bare essentials. Thinking about opening up a brokerage under a franchise? Costs can easily hit $200,000, and that doesn’t include the ongoing fees you’ll be liable for like license renewals.
How to Start Your Own Real Estate Business (US Chamber of Commerce, Feb. 25, 2025)
“As sales prices and market demands continue to grow, so do the opportunities for professionals looking to take their careers to the next level.” Learn from the US Chamber of Commerce about finding your niche, developing an business plan and setting financial goals, building a professional network, and developing a brand.
Everything You Need to Know About Starting Your Own Real Estate Brokerage (The CE Shop)
“If you’re an agent working under a licensed broker, there are many reasons to start a brokerage of your own. As a real estate brokerage owner, you will get opportunities to increase your profit potential, explore new business ideas, and enjoy the flexibility of running your own business operations. This guide will cover everything you need in order to plan, start, and grow a successful real estate brokerage business.”
Creating a Business Plan and Choosing a Brokerage Model
What Are the Different Brokerage Models an Agent Can Choose From? (PropStream, Jan. 4, 2023)
Taking a cue from popular subscription-based businesses in other industries (like Netflix and Spotify), subscription-based brokerages usually offer agents monthly or yearly service plans.
Agents can often choose from multiple pricing tiers based on their needs. For example, you might pay a base fee for using the brokerage as a storefront and co-working space (where you can meet clients) and a higher fee for additional access to marketing software, training, and other tools and resources.
Write Your Business Plan (Small Business Administration)
Most business plans fall into one of two common categories: traditional or lean startup. Traditional business plans are more common, use a standard structure, and encourage you to go into detail in each section. They tend to require more work upfront and can be dozens of pages long. Lean startup business plans are less common but still use a standard structure. They focus on summarizing only the most important points of the key elements of your plan. They can take as little as one hour to make and are typically only one page.
Even in an Era of Big Mergers, Real Estate is Still a Local Business (NAR REALTOR® News, Dec. 18, 2025)
“The residential real estate industry is in one of its most uncertain periods in years. Rising costs, tighter margins and shifting consumer behavior have sparked rounds of speculation about whether large firms will start combining in search of scale. Headlines and group chats are filled with predictions about what consolidation—real or anticipated—might mean for the balance of power in brokerage. Some agents worry about how the rise of “mega brokerages” will change the nature of the industry. Others fear that independent agencies could lose ground to organizations with broader reach and larger data sets.
Those reactions are understandable. The fear that bigger players will crowd out everyone else doesn’t hold up under scrutiny. Nationally, no merger in recent years has come close to creating anything resembling dominance. Even when you consider the combined presence of the largest firms, their share of residential brokerage activity tends to fall in the 15%–20% range nationally. That’s a meaningful slice, but still far from the 70%–80% threshold economists associate with market control. Real estate remains one of the most decentralized industries in the country, with influence spread across thousands of companies and millions of individual client relationships.”
8 Steps to Creating a Real Estate Business Plan (HouingWire, Aug. 20, 2025)
“The agents who put in the work and plan ahead are the ones who stay in business. Your notebook full of random thoughts jotted down isn’t going to cut it. You have to create a roadmap that reflects where you are now and where you want to go. A business plan provides an agent direction to make better decisions, use your time more intentionally and grow through purpose. We’ll walk through each part of the real estate business planning process step by step, from defining your mission to setting financial goals and everything in between. To make it even easier, we’ve included a free downloadable real estate business plan template you can start using today. Let’s work together to build a plan of action that actually works.”
Real Estate Commissions, Brokerage Models, and the Consumer (HouingWire, Jun. 18, 2024)
Brokerage models can generally be divided into the broad categories of traditional-split models versus the newer flat-fee models, with structures as far apart as the east is from the west. The fee-based model is the only model that allows the consumer to choose exactly how much, when, and what level of service that individual consumer desires/needs, and then pay a corresponding fee for the delivery of that service. All of it negotiated directly and transparently between the agent and the client with zero interference from the brokerage. In the end, the fee-based model is the finest example of genuine free enterprise existent in any industry that I know, bearing precious little resemblance to the traditional-split model.”
Useful Websites
U.S. Small Business Administration — This website should be the first stop for anyone wanting to start a business. Topics covered include startup basics, writing a business plan, financing, marketing, employment, and tax topics. This site also has special areas for women business owners, veterans, minorities, Native Americans and young entrepreneurs. You can also find a local SBA office for further assistance.
SCORE Association — SCORE, the nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors, is dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals. Since 1964, we have provided education and mentorship to more than 11 million entrepreneurs.
Entrepreneur Magazine — From choosing a business structure to naming your business, this website highlights the nitty-gritty basics of business star-ups. How-to guides, online newsletters and a resource center of articles provide helpful information for your start-up.
America’s Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) — America’s SBDC represents America’s nationwide network of Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) – the most comprehensive small business assistance network in the United States and its territories. There are nearly 1,000 local centers available to provide no-cost business consulting and low-cost training to new and existing businesses. Small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs can go to their local SBDCs for FREE face-to-face business consulting and at-cost training on a variety of topics.
Minority Business Development Agency - MBDA is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce that promotes the growth of minority-owned businesses through the mobilization and advancement of public and private sector programs, policy, and research.
National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) — NAWBO is the only dues-based organization representing the interests of all women entrepreneurs across all industries; and with chapters across the country. With far-reaching clout and impact, NAWBO is a one-stop resource to propelling women business owners into greater economic, social and political spheres of power worldwide.
Books, eBooks & Other Resources
eBooks.realtor.org
The following eBooks and digital audiobooks are available to NAR members:
18 Steps for Starting Your Business (eBook)
The Accidental Startup (eBook)
Business Made Simple (Audiobook)
Business Plans Kit for Dummies (eBook)
Business Plans That Work: A Guide for Small Business (eBook)
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting Your Own Business (eBook)
The Fearless Woman's Guide to Starting a Business (Audiobook)
How to Grow Your Small Business (Audiobook)
How to Write a Business Plan (eBook)
Launching While Female (eBook)
The Real Estate Entrepreneur: Everything You Need to Know to Grow Your Own Brokerage (eBook)
Six Steps to Small Business Success (eBook)
Start a New Real Estate Brokerage, Economically! (eBook)
Starting a Business for Dummies (eBook)
Write Your Business Plan (eBook)
Your First Business Plan (eBook)
Books, Videos, Research Reports & More
As a member benefit, the following resources and more are available for loan through the NAR Library. Items will be mailed directly to you or made available for pickup at the REALTOR® Building in Chicago.
Real Estate Brokerage: A Management Guide (Chicago: Dearborn, 2004) HF 1375 C99 Ed. 6
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The inclusion of links on this page does not imply endorsement by the National Association of REALTORS®. NAR makes no representations about whether the content of any external sites which may be linked in this page complies with state or federal laws or regulations or with applicable NAR policies. These links are provided for your convenience only and you rely on them at your own risk.
