I recently had a conversation with a client about the frustration she feels when a productive agent leaves her organization. I never seem to get the honest answer on why they chose to leave. It’s always something like: “It’s not you, it’s me. I just need to make a change.” And off they go. This dialog reminds me of an article written in Forbes a few years ago by a consultant who did research on this topic. Despite what your exiting employees tell you their reason for leaving, here are reasons they report during anonymous interviews. More than 40% don’t respect the person they report to. More than 50% say they have different values than their employer. More than 60% don’t feel their career goals are aligned with the plans their employers have for them. More than 70% don’t feel appreciated or valued by their employer. This may seem like a harsh report card, but it’s probably what most agents are experiencing when the thought of changing brokers sprouts in their minds. It’s a mistake to focus on surface issues (splits, leads, tools, technology, etc.) at the end of the process. Successful leaders go upstream and address core issues. They make sure agents are challenged, engaged, valued, and rewarded (emotionally, intellectually & financially) Miss any of these critical areas, and it’s only a matter of time until they’ll start thinking of making a move.