Departing Agent Exit Interview Checklist

Process a brokerage's exit workflow when an agent or staff member leaves — license transfer, MLS and lockbox deactivation, pipeline reassignment, final commission reconciliation, and exit interview. Run by the broker-in-charge or office ...

Use this workflow
1

Departure Intake

  1. Capture the agent's profile and last day

    • Record full legal name, license number, team, hire date, and confirmed last working day. The license number drives the state commission license-transfer filing later in the workflow, so verify it against the state license lookup rather than trusting the CRM record.

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  2. Confirm voluntary or involuntary separation

    • Voluntary departures follow the standard timeline; involuntary separations trigger faster access revocation and a documented termination memo for the file. Note any non-compete or non-solicitation language in the independent contractor agreement that may affect lead handling.

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  3. Update forwarding contact information

    • Get the agent's personal email, mailing address, and phone for 1099 delivery, post-closing commission disbursements, and any state commission correspondence that arrives after departure.

2

Active Pipeline Reassignment

  1. Inventory active listings and pending contracts

    • Pull the agent's full pipeline from Dotloop or SkySlope: active listings, listings under contract, buyer-side ratified contracts, buyer rep agreements, and any expired/withdrawn listings within the brokerage's reactivation window. Note inspection deadlines, financing contingency dates, and scheduled closings.

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  2. Confirm whether the agent has open transactions

    • If the agent has no active business, the workflow can skip reassignment and seller/buyer notifications. Otherwise the broker-in-charge owns each file until reassigned in writing.

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  3. Reassign listings and buyers to covering agents

    • Match each file to a covering agent based on price point, geography, and existing client rapport. Update the listing agent of record in the MLS, the buyer agent of record on ratified contracts, and the agent assignment in the CRM (Follow Up Boss, kvCORE, or BoldTrail).

  4. Notify sellers and buyers in writing

    • Send a brokerage letter (not a personal note from the departing agent) introducing the new point of contact and confirming the listing agreement or buyer rep agreement remains with the brokerage. Skipping the written notice is the most common reason clients try to follow the agent to a new firm mid-transaction.

  5. Document co-broke and referral splits

    • Memorialize the post-departure split between the departing agent and the covering agent on each pending file. Standard practice is a written addendum to the independent contractor agreement specifying the percentage to each side at closing — undocumented splits are the source of most post-departure commission disputes.

3

License and MLS Transfer

  1. File the license transfer with the state commission

    • Submit the brokerage release or termination form through the state commission portal (CA DRE, FL DBPR, TX TREC, or your state's equivalent). Most states require the broker to file within a set window after separation; missing it is a license law violation citable on the next audit.

  2. Remove the agent from local board and MLS roster

    • Notify the local REALTOR board to drop the agent from the brokerage roster, which stops monthly MLS dues from accruing on the brokerage's invoice. Confirm the MLS subscription is closed in Bright, Stellar, or your regional MLS — not just paused.

  3. Deactivate Supra and ShowingTime credentials

    • Revoke Supra eKEY access and remove the agent from ShowingTime (or BrokerBay / Aligned Showings). Lockbox access lingering after departure is a security incident waiting to happen — the seller's home is still being shown by someone no longer affiliated with the brokerage.

  4. Retrieve lockboxes from active and recent listings

    • Walk the agent's listing inventory — active, pending, and recently closed — and recover every brokerage lockbox. Lost Supra boxes get billed back to the brokerage at replacement cost and the serial numbers stay flagged until returned.

4

Systems and Brand Access

  1. Disable email, CRM, and transaction-management logins

    • Revoke Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, the team CRM (Follow Up Boss, BoldTrail, BoomTown), Dotloop or SkySlope, and DocuSign. For involuntary separations do this on day one; for voluntary departures coordinate with the handoff so transactions don't stall.

  2. Export client and lead data to brokerage ownership

    • Per the independent contractor agreement, the brokerage owns leads sourced from Zillow Premier Agent, Realtor.com Connections, brokerage IDX, and any company-paid sources. Export and reassign these in the CRM before disabling the agent's account, and document the export so the agent cannot later claim the leads were personal.

  3. Set an email auto-reply with the new contact

    • Configure the agent's mailbox to auto-reply for 60-90 days directing inbound clients and cooperating brokers to the covering agent. Forwarding rules to a personal address violate most brokerage agreements and are not a substitute.

  4. Take down brokerage signage and marketing

    • Pull yard signs from any reassigned listings, remove the agent from the brokerage website and team roster, and update Zillow / Realtor.com / Homes.com profiles. State advertising rules prohibit a former agent from continuing to appear under the brokerage name.

5

Final Commission and Compliance

  1. Reconcile pending commissions and cap status

    • Run the agent's ledger in Brokermint or Lone Wolf back office. Confirm year-to-date GCI, cap status, mentor splits, transaction fees, and any owed referral fees. Identify deals expected to close after the last working day so the disbursement schedule is set in writing.

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  2. Audit transaction files for compliance gaps

    • Review every file in the agent's pipeline for the standard completeness checklist: signed agency disclosure, fair housing acknowledgment, lead-based paint disclosure on pre-1978 homes, seller's property disclosure, and wire-fraud advisory. Anything missing must be cured before the file moves to the covering agent.

  3. Confirm 1099 delivery for year-end

    • Flag the bookkeeper to issue a final 1099-NEC to the forwarding address captured at intake. Most departing agents forget to update their address with the brokerage's accounting system, which is the single most common reason 1099s bounce back in late January.

6

Exit Interview and Documentation

  1. Schedule the exit interview with the broker

    • Block 45 minutes with the managing broker, ideally in person and before the last working day. Avoid having the team leader run the interview if there's any chance team dynamics contributed to the departure — candor drops sharply.

  2. Walk through the exit interview script

    • Cover the standard topics: reason for leaving, training and mentorship experience, lead quality and ROI, technology stack, commission structure feedback, and destination brokerage if known. Document specifics — "the Zillow leads weren't converting" is more useful than "lead generation needs work."

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  3. Sign the brokerage release and final acknowledgment

    • Both the departing agent and the broker-in-charge sign the brokerage release acknowledging the license transfer, the post-departure commission schedule, and any non-solicitation terms from the original independent contractor agreement. File in the agent's personnel folder for the state-required retention period.

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