How to Build a Boutique Real Estate Team: A Team Leader’s Step-by-Step Guide

When Corinne Defilippis first started in real estate, she was determined to master her craft as a solo agent. She focused on listing properties, perfecting her scripts, and building systems that would help her scale. Little did she know that her success would quickly lead to a new challenge.

“I had a good-slash-bad problem,” recalls Corinne. “I finally had systems in place like ISAs and a VA, and suddenly I had 20 listings at a time. Managing that many listings is a lot for your own peace of mind.”

That pivotal moment forced Corinne to make a crucial decision: continue stacking more listings solo and risk burnout, or build a boutique real estate team that could help her fulfill what she now saw as her true purpose—developing other agents into leaders.

In This Guide, You’ll Learn:

• How to identify the perfect timing to start your real estate team
• The most common mistakes new team leaders make (and how to avoid them)
• Effective training systems that develop leaders, not just assistants
• Team culture strategies that naturally attract top talent
• Compensation structures that work specifically for boutique teams
• Tools and systems that streamline team operations

Looking for more data on team profitability and ROI? Check out our comprehensive guide on How to Build a Profitable Real Estate Team and Get Out of Production.

When to Start a Real Estate Team: Signs You’re Ready to Build

Many agents jump into team building too early, before they’ve mastered the fundamentals of the business themselves. Others wait too long, burning out from trying to handle everything solo.

How do you know when the timing is right? For Corinne, it happened around early 2023:

“I was super excited to get into 2024 after taking 50 listings and closing $25 million in sales the previous year. But my ISAs were booking leads left and right, and I had too many listings to manage effectively. I decided I could either continue to get more listings and stack them all myself, or I could fulfill my purpose, which I felt wasn’t actually being a realtor. I needed to be a realtor first to be a better team leader.”

Signs you’re ready to start a real estate team:

• You’re consistently at capacity with clients and turning away business
• Your systems are firmly established and can be taught to others
• You have a clear vision for what your team culture would look like
• You’ve mastered the skills you want your team members to learn
• You’re thinking more about developing others than growing your own production

Recent REDX survey data indicates the average real estate team leader has at least 5-7 years of experience as a solo agent before successfully transitioning to team leadership. This experience provides the foundation needed to guide others effectively.

“If you haven’t done what you’re going to teach someone how to do, you won’t be able to teach effectively. How do you expect them to get to 10 million if you haven’t been in the trenches and done it yourself?” – Corinne Defilippis

The #1 Mistake New Real Estate Team Leaders Make

When Corinne launched the Be Infinite Group (B.I.G.), she initially positioned herself as the team’s closer. Her agents would set up opportunities, and she would step in to close the deals.

It seemed like a perfect setup—until she found herself on calls with 40-50 sellers a month with no time to eat or breathe.

“I realized I was doing one of the biggest deterrents I could do for a team, which is creating a team of assistants and ISAs and not a team of leaders,” explains Corinne. “When I started my team, I had a vision for agents to be infinite—to have an abundance mindset and be leaders. I wasn’t creating that version by doing all the closing.”

Her solution? A complete reset.

“I called all the agents and took responsibility as a team leader, saying this is not the way we’re going to move forward. I want you to feel confident being a closer. I want you to build a skillset that no one can take away from you.”

Avoiding the top team leadership mistakes can dramatically increase your success rate and agent retention.

Real Estate Team Training Systems That Build Leaders

For any team to thrive, consistent training is essential. However, many team leaders either overwhelm their agents with excessive training or provide too little guidance.

Corinne found that three hours of weekly training hits the sweet spot:

“If you have 10 hours worth of training, agents won’t be able to fit that into their schedule. I have two days a week for prep calls where we do phone calls, role-play, or objection handling together. Then we have one team meeting per week. That’s three hours of training weekly.”

This structured approach ensures agents get the skills they need without training becoming a full-time job that takes away from production.

Training components that work:

• Role-playing sessions to practice scripts and objections
• Live call reviews where the team can learn together
• Weekly team meetings for updates and knowledge sharing
• One-on-one coaching to address individual needs (Corinne schedules 15-minute check-ins with each agent every Monday)

Sample Weekly Training Schedule for Real Estate Teams:

Beyond formal training, Corinne emphasizes the importance of culture. “At least once a month, we’re going out and doing something fun together that’s not about work.”

These activities build the bonds that keep a team united and motivated.

Building Real Estate Team Culture That Attracts Top Talent

Unlike many team leaders who actively recruit agents, Corinne takes a different approach: attraction through results and culture.

“I have never advertised my team once, and I have never recruited to the team. I believe in attraction,” she explains. “Every person who’s become a beautiful member of my group has been attracted into the team.”

Her first agent was someone she knew who wasn’t thriving in her current situation. Corinne invited her to be a “guinea pig” for her new team model, and within a month, the agent had four closings in one week. Another agent Corinne met on a train, while yet another heard her on a podcast.

When agents on her team began promoting their success on social media, more talent was naturally drawn to the vision.

How to create an attractive team culture:

• Showcase your team’s success authentically on social media
• Create memorable experiences that agents want to be part of
• Invest in your agents’ growth beyond just real estate skills
• Be selective about who joins your team
• Clearly communicate your values and what makes your team different

Creating distinctive team experiences builds loyalty and attracts like-minded professionals to your vision.

Finding Your Real Estate Team’s Ideal Avatar

Build your own with this Canva template.

Not every agent will thrive on your team, and that’s by design. Corinne is very selective about who she brings on, focusing on core values alignment rather than just production:

“I know my avatar very well. I heard this saying that you’re the most qualified to help the version of yourself you used to be, and that makes so much sense why I attracted these people to my team.”

For Corinne, hunger is the non-negotiable quality she looks for:

“Hunger is hands down one of the biggest value adds I look for. Even if you’ve never done it before, I could teach you, as long as I saw hunger—that they had a will, that they wanted to become the best version of themselves.”

The ideal team member profile:

• Hunger for growth and willingness to learn
• Alignment with your team’s core values (for Corinne: kindness, humility, authenticity, integrity)
• Coachability and openness to feedback
• Work ethic that matches the team’s standards
• Cultural fit with the existing team

By being selective about who joins your team, you create a more unified culture and higher per-agent production.

“It’s a boutique, intimate team. I’m not looking to build a 100-agent team. It’s not just for everyone,” Corinne explains.

To help your agent become that ideal avatar, you will need to be able to get into the weeds with your agents. Observe how they prospect, how often, and their conversion rates. With REDX Teams, our built in whisper feature allows you to listen to your agents calls and offer real time insights on how they can prospect better. Listen to Kent Brown explain more…

To get started with REDX Teams, click here to schedule a demo.

Real Estate Team Compensation Structure That Works

One of the most challenging aspects of team building is creating a fair compensation structure that motivates agents while ensuring team profitability.

Corinne runs a 50/50 split for her listing-focused team, with a clear growth path:

“I believe that new levels require changes. I don’t want you on my team forever giving me 50% forever. I want you to grow yearly, and I have a 3-5 year plan for agents to either go off and become their own rockstar single agents or become team leaders.”

Her structure includes:

• Base split of 50/50 for team-generated leads
• Different split for sphere leads (agents fill out a form to verify these are truly sphere connections)
• Annual bonus opportunities to increase agent earnings by 10% each year
• Decreasing team support as agents earn higher splits and become more independent

Boutique Real Estate Team Compensation Models

What the team provides for the split:

• REDX platform access for lead generation
• Virtual assistant support for listing input and photo arrangement
• Listing photos budget (with limits per property)
• Team culture events and trips
• Coaching and training including access to a relationship/manifestation coach
• ISA support for lead qualification
• CRM access (Commission Inc) with team-wide lead sharing
• Marketing materials, email templates, and documentation

The key is transparency about what agents receive for their split and clear pathways for growth.

“I have a specific growth plan for them because I don’t want to keep you on my team forever just giving me 50%,” Corinne emphasizes.

Setting Boundaries as a Real Estate Team Leader

A common pitfall for team leaders is being constantly available, which leads to burnout and prevents agents from developing self-sufficiency.

Corinne is deliberate about setting clear boundaries:

“I set very clear boundaries on access. Just like with your clients—are you available 24/7? The answer is no. I have morning times you can talk to me, nighttime times you can talk to me. Do we make exceptions? Yes. But those are the expectations.”

Notably, Corinne maintains these boundaries even while building a successful team:

“I am not working on weekends, believe it or not. Now agents have to mirror having their own expectations with their clients, themselves, and their families.”

Healthy boundary-setting practices:

• Clear communication windows when you’re available to agents
• Emergency protocols for truly urgent matters
• Documented systems so agents can find answers without always asking you
• Gradual autonomy as agents develop their skills
• Modeling work-life balance for your team to follow

These boundaries don’t just protect the team leader—they create more capable, independent agents who can eventually lead their own teams. But be careful… these 5 essential practices for setting healthy boundaries in a team go hand-in-hand.

Real Estate Team Accountability Systems That Drive Results

Weekly check-ins form the backbone of Corinne’s accountability system. Every Monday, she conducts what she calls “audits” with each agent:

“I call and audit the team every Monday with 15-minute calls. We check who their MLCs (Most Likely to Converts) are for the week, how their daily habits are going, their morning and nighttime routines.”

These calls focus on:

• Most likely to convert leads and listing opportunities
• Daily prospecting activity and call numbers
• Personal development practices and mindset
• Weekly goals and progress tracking

Implementing structured accountability systems creates clarity and consistent performance across your team.

“I believe everything’s a numbers game,” Corinne explains. “If you’re not making your calls, clearly you’re not going to have a productive week. If your calls are good but you’re not converting, then we know what to train on.”

These regular check-ins aren’t about micromanagement but about ensuring agents stay focused on high-leverage activities and maintain the right mindset for success.

The Vision That Drives Your Real Estate Team’s Growth

Before starting a team, you need a clear vision of what you’re building and why. For Corinne, the vision came when she realized her true purpose:

“I had a vision for creating agents who had an abundance mindset, who built a listing-based business to be able to leverage, scale, change their lives, change families’ lives, change consumers’ lives. That was my vision.”

This vision shapes everything from who she recruits to how she structures the team:

“I knew from the second I started the team I didn’t want a 100-agent team. I wanted a very boutique, intimate team. At most, I might get to 20 down the road when it’s self-sufficient and everyone’s leveled up.”

Boutique vs. Large Real Estate Teams: A Comparison

Creating your team vision:

• Define what success looks like for both you and your agents
• Clarify the team size that aligns with your goals and management style
• Establish your team identity and what makes you different
• Determine your exit strategy (Will you stay in production? Move to pure leadership?)
• Identify your team’s specialization (Listings, buyers, geographic focus, etc.)

Your vision gives potential team members something to connect with beyond just commissions. It’s what attracts the right people and repels those who wouldn’t thrive in your culture.

Tools and Systems for Real Estate Team Success

For Corinne’s team, certain tools and systems have been game-changers:

1. REDX Teams Platform: “I’m so grateful for REDX and the team platform. It’s been a game-changer because it simplifies everything and is cost-effective. It’s literally an infinite amount of leads daily that agents aren’t individually picking.”
2. Virtual Assistant Support: “One of my best things was my VA. They were inputting my listings at one point. That took too much of my time and was taking away from my dollar-per-hour amount.“
3. Commission Inc CRM: “CommissionInc is an amazing platform if you run a team because you’re able to put everything into a pond. With six agents, I have a six times chance that lead’s going to be converted.“
4. Documentation Systems: From scripts to marketing materials to email templates, having documented processes makes training and onboarding efficient.
5. Accountability Tracking: Regular check-ins with agents to monitor their most likely to convert leads and prospecting activities. With REDX Teams, you can track calls, appointments and more so you can always keep your team accountable.

Essential Real Estate Team Technology Stack

Pro Tip: With REDX Teams, agents get full access to Expireds, FSBOs, FRBOs, Pre-Foreclosures, and GeoLeads daily, ensuring every team member can generate business from day one.

From Solo Agent to Real Estate Team Leader: Your Action Plan

If you’re considering starting your own team, here’s a roadmap based on Corinne’s experience:

1. Master your craft first: Become highly proficient at the business before attempting to teach others.
2. Document your systems: Create step-by-step processes for everything from lead generation to transaction management.
3. Clarify your vision: Define what kind of team you want to build and why.
4. Start small: Begin with one or two agents and perfect your systems before expanding.
5. Invest in the right tools: Platforms like REDX Teams provide the foundation for efficient lead distribution and team management.
6. Establish clear expectations: From splits to training to communication, make sure everyone understands what’s expected.
7. Create a development path: Show agents how they can grow within your team or eventually branch out on their own.

“Vision is so important,” emphasizes Corinne. “Anyone who starts a team or a new business venture should have a three to five-year plan. Will that vision change as time goes on? Will things trial and error? Absolutely. But at least if you had a vision, you have something to work toward.”

But it you need a more comprehive action plan to get everything moving, consider reading our newest Real Estate Team Leaders Playbook covering everything you need to as a team leader in todays market. Get the FREE Real Estate Team Leaders Playbook

Final Thoughts

Building a successful real estate team isn’t about creating extensions of yourself or maximizing your split. It’s about developing leaders who can eventually stand on their own while creating a culture that attracts the right people.

As Corinne’s journey shows, the most successful team leaders aren’t those who do everything themselves, but those who:

• Know when to step back and let agents develop their own skills
• Create systems that scale without requiring their constant involvement
• Build a distinctive team culture that attracts the right talent
• Set clear boundaries that protect their energy and time
• Maintain a growth mindset for themselves and their agents

By focusing on these principles and leveraging the right tools like REDX Teams, you can build a boutique real estate team that not only increases your production but also creates a lasting impact through the leaders you develop.