Title: 
Team Leader
Company: 
Keller Williams Mobile
Location: 
Mobile, Ala.

Team volume: $21 million
Team sides: 114
Individual volume: $9 million
Individual sides: 50

Teaming Up

"I started my team because I hated teams," Emily Tidwell, 28, says with a laugh. While this might sound like an oxymoron, Tidwell wanted a structure where she could be a leader—but not the boss. "Today, my team is like a family. There’s loyalty and a real bond."

That camaraderie stems from Tidwell’s desire to "create top producers and minimize drama." She works toward this goal by training her team to work with both buyers and sellers and giving the agents the opportunity to cap and earn 100% of their commission.

Building the right team is everything, says Tidwell, who believes that "people are unique" and replacing someone isn’t easy. "I don’t believe that you can just ‘find another one’ if you fail to recruit the right agent," she says. "I remember meeting someone I wanted to have on my team early on. I had no idea what I could offer her, but I knew talent doesn’t wait. I took the leap of faith to form my team, and she’s been with me ever since."