Leaving a Large NYC Brokerage: What to Check Before You Switch and Where to Go
Leaving a big-name brokerage feels like a career move and a legal exercise at the same time. The logo, the office, and the lead flow all stay behind. Your license and your reputation go with you.
The agents who switch well do their homework before they resign. They know what their contract says, who owns each client relationship, and what a new brokerage really costs. The agents who struggle usually skip those checks and learn the rules afterward.
This guide walks through the steps in order. First comes what to check at your current firm, then how to compare where to go next.
Everything here applies to agents working in the five boroughs and across New York State.
Step 1: Read your independent contractor agreement line by line
Your independent contractor agreement is the document that governs your exit. The Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors says it governs your split and your rights if you leave with deals pending. It should also cover returning keys, supplies, access, and signage.
Pull it out and mark every clause that touches money or timing. Here is what to look for:
- Split schedule: the tiers, the benchmark, and whether the year resets each January or rolls over 365 days.
- Hold period: how long after closing before you are paid.
- Fees: desk fees, per-deal fees, errors and omissions (E&O) charges, and technology costs.
- Notice: how much warning you must give before leaving.
- Pending deals: what you are paid on deals that close after you go.
- Marketing assets: who owns the photos, websites, and materials your budget paid for.
StreetEasy’s agent guide explains why these details matter. Splits often rise as your gross commission grows. Its example is 40% on the first $50,000 and 50% on the next $50,000.
Benchmarks change the picture too. A calendar-year firm resets your total each January. A rolling firm counts the last 365 days, which can be worth more if you leave mid-year.
Pay special attention to any clause that limits contacting clients after you leave. Rules like this vary from firm to firm. If you find one, get an attorney’s read before you rely on your sphere list.
Write down the split you actually earned over the last twelve months. You will need that number in Step 6.
Step 2: Sort your pipeline into three buckets
Not every client relationship is equal when you leave. Sort yours into three buckets before you tell anyone anything. Each bucket has different rules.
Bucket one is listings. Listings belong to the broker, not the agent, says the Hudson Gateway Association. You cannot move one without your broker’s permission. The broker can keep it and reassign the MLS credit.
Bucket two is signed clients. That includes sellers, landlords, and buyers with a written agreement. Since 17 August 2024, buyer agents need one before touring a home, per New York State REALTOR magazine. Those agreements generally sit with your brokerage, not you.
Bucket three is your sphere. This is past clients, friends, family, and referral partners with no active agreement. Most of them are free to call you wherever you work. This bucket is where your long-term income lives.
Spend your energy on bucket three. Build the list now, with names, emails, and phone numbers you are entitled to keep. Check your agreement for any limit on how you use client data from the firm’s systems.
Step 3: Plan for pending deals and commission timing
Pending deals are a common place to lose money. The rule is simple. Under Real Property Law section 442-a, a New York salesperson can only be paid by their associated broker.
A 2016 case shows how strict that is. In a Commercial Division ruling, the court said an agent could pursue only the broker. The agent could not go after the client.
That means your commission on a pending deal flows through your old broker. What you receive depends on your agreement. It may be full, reduced, or nothing at all, according to the Hudson Gateway Association.
Here is how to protect yourself:
- List every deal in contract, in negotiation, or in a lease-up stage.
- Ask what you are owed on each one if you leave on a given date.
- Consider timing your resignation after your biggest closings.
- Get any agreement on pending commissions in writing.
None of this means you should stay forever. It means you should choose your exit date on purpose.
Step 4: Understand how the license actually moves
The license transfer is sequential, and your old broker goes first. Per the New York Department of State, the existing principal broker must terminate your association online in eAccessNY. There is no fee for that step.
Your new principal broker then files a change of association online. That step costs $20. The Department says it aims to process a termination within five days from the date you leave.
Two cautions apply. First, a submission is not an approval, so you need to wait for the Department to process it. Second, you should not do any real estate business between brokerages.
What if your old broker drags their feet? The Hudson Gateway Association notes that a broker must notify the Department “forthwith” under Real Property Law section 442-b.
A broker who delays out of spite may face discipline and damages. Housekeeping issues like keys or paperwork are not a valid reason to hold your license.
Build the timeline backward from your start date. Allow a few days for the termination and more for the new association. Ask your new broker when they typically file.
Step 5: Keep your exit clean
How you leave matters as much as where you go. A messy exit can cost you referrals, and in some cases it can cost you money. Keep these rules in mind.
Do not encourage clients under contract to leave before you do. The Hudson Gateway Association warns this can breach your duty to your broker. It can also leave the client owing two commissions and may draw a complaint to the Department of State.
You can tell clients where you are going. If they choose to follow you once their agreement ends or is released, that is their call. Be factual and be brief.
Stop all marketing that connects you to your former firm. That covers ads, mailings, social media, signage, and business cards. Update your website and email signature on the day your license moves, not before.
Finally, return everything you owe. Keys, supplies, and access cards are easy to forget. Leaving them behind gives a former broker a reason to complain.
Step 6: Run the real numbers on your split
Now you can compare. Focusing only on the headline split is a mistake, because total cost also includes fees, caps, and support.
Large brokerages rarely publish their terms. We checked the recruiting pages of eight large NYC firms on 5 October 2026. None published a split, cap, or fee.
They were Douglas Elliman, Brown Harris Stevens, Corcoran, Sotheby’s, Keller Williams NYC, The Agency, Nest Seekers, and SERHANT. StreetEasy says the same: many firms keep split schedules confidential, so you have to ask.
That makes your own earnings history the best benchmark. Compare the split you earned with a flat-fee model.
The table below uses SPiRALNY’s published plan prices. It shows the gross commission at which each plan beats your current split.
| Your current split | 90% plan ($179/month) wins above | 100% plan ($479/month) wins above |
|---|---|---|
| 50/50 | about $5,400 a year | about $11,500 a year |
| 60/40 | about $7,200 a year | about $14,400 a year |
| 70/30 | about $10,700 a year | about $19,200 a year |
The $179 is $99 plus $25 for E&O and $55 for technology. The $479 is $399 plus the same $25 and $55.
This is our arithmetic. It uses only the monthly plan prices. It ignores the $250 onboarding fee, the 4% checkout fee, and any fees at your current firm.
If your current firm charges desk fees or per-deal fees, your real break-even is lower. Add those to your own version of the table. Then run the same exercise for every option you consider.
Be careful with 100% claims, because StreetEasy notes these firms charge fees instead of taking a split. Its example is a $3,000 transaction fee on a $45,000 commission. Fixed monthly costs also continue during dry spells.
Step 7: Decide what you would really lose
A split is not the only thing you give up. Large firms sell a brand, an office, a marketing machine, and a referral network. Some of that has real value, and some of it you may never use.
Make an honest list. Ask yourself which of these you used in the last year:
- Brand name on your listings and your cards.
- Office space and meeting rooms.
- In-house marketing, photography, or PR.
- Company-sourced leads or internal referrals.
- Training, mentorship, or a broker you call every week.
- Team or mentor splits on shared deals.
Cross off anything you did not touch. What is left is the support you need to replace. This list becomes your shopping list for the next brokerage.
Industry consolidation is also worth knowing about. According to Inman’s reporting, Compass acquired Anywhere Real Estate for $1.6 billion in January 2026.
Brands now under Compass International Holdings include Compass, Corcoran, and Sotheby’s International Realty. If you work for one of these names, check whether your agent terms are changing.
Step 8: Choose where to go
You have four realistic paths. Each fits a different agent. Compare them against your Step 7 list, not just your split.
| Option | How you pay | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Stay and renegotiate | A split, often tiered | Your exact schedule, plus fees and caps |
| Another traditional firm | A split, sometimes with a franchise royalty | Written terms, since most are unpublished |
| A flat-fee or high-split firm | Monthly or annual fees, plus a smaller split | Transaction fees, caps, E&O, and notice periods |
| A support-focused 90% or 100% brokerage | A monthly fee, plus 0% or 10% | What the fee includes, and what is conditional |
Staying put and asking for more
Sometimes the cheapest switch is no switch. Bring your twelve-month earnings and your best offer from another firm. A fair broker will at least explain the split schedule in writing.
If nothing changes, you have lost nothing. You will also know exactly what you are leaving.
Another traditional firm
Moving to another large brokerage keeps the brand and office model. It also keeps a split.
Ask for the schedule, the benchmark method, the hold period, and any franchise royalty in writing. Do not accept a verbal answer.
Flat-fee and high-split firms
This group trades a brand for a bigger share of each deal. We took these figures from each firm’s own pages, read between 2 and 15 October 2026. Confirm every number before you act, because pages change.
McKee Realty is based in Brooklyn. It lists $140 a month for 100%, $50 for 90/10, and a free 85/15 starter plan.
All carry a one-time $200 fee. Its plans page says there are no transaction fees and E&O is included.
Mont Sky Real Estate lists 100% for $399 a month and 75% for $129 a month, with E&O included. Its page lists no startup, desk, software, or transaction fees.
Switching plans requires six months’ written notice. Its recruiting page was last modified on 12 March 2025, so check that it is current.
Krieger Real Estate advertises a 90% split with no desk fees and no monthly fees. It serves New York, Pennsylvania, and Florida.
Onboarding fees, transaction fees, and caps are not stated on its pages. As read on 2 October 2026, they say E&O and legal oversight are handled.
Royalux Realty uses annual fees of $1,500 to $7,500. A $10,000 cap applies to its two lower plans. Its own pages are inconsistent, and they do not state E&O, onboarding, or transaction fees.
Here is what each plan’s cost includes, as published:
| Platform | Plan compared | Recurring cost | One-time fee | Transaction fees | Cap | E&O | Technology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPiRALNY | 90% plan | $179/month ($99 base), plus 4% at checkout | $250 | Not published | Not published | $25 (in the $179) | $55 (in the $179) |
| SPiRALNY | 100% plan | $479/month ($399 base), plus 4% at checkout | $250 | Not published | Not published | $25 (in the $479) | $55 (in the $479) |
| McKee Realty | 100% plan | $140/month | $200 | None, per its page | Not stated | Included | No other fees, per its page |
| McKee Realty | 90/10 plan | $50/month | $200 | None, per its page | Not stated | Included | No other fees, per its page |
| Mont Sky Real Estate | 100% plan | $399/month | None listed | None listed | Not stated | Included | No software fees listed |
| Krieger Real Estate | 90/10 split | $0/month | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Handled, per its 2 Oct 2026 page | No technology charges, per its 2 Oct 2026 page |
| Royalux Realty | Plan A, 90/10 | $1,500/year | Not stated | Not stated | $10,000 | Not stated | Not stated |
| Royalux Realty | Plan C, 100% | $7,500/year | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Their entry plans cost less than SPiRALNY’s 90% plan on published fees. McKee and Krieger publish little about training or mentorship. That is the trade-off to weigh.
A support-focused 90% or 100% brokerage
Disclosure: SPiRALNY is our product, so we are not neutral. We have still tried to describe it, and its price, fairly.
SPiRALNY runs a 90% plan and a 100% plan, and it pitches the combination of economics, support, infrastructure, and flexibility. The 90% plan is $179 a month: $99 base, $25 E&O, and $55 technology.
The 100% plan is $479 a month on the same breakdown, for a flat monthly brokerage fee. Both add a one-time $250 onboarding fee and a 4% fee at checkout.
Support is the same on both plans. It covers transaction guidance, compliance oversight, marketing and operational help, direct broker access, mentorship, and weekly training. You can read more in the post on agent training and mentorship.
Leads are part of the offer, but distribution varies by plan, production, and availability.
Both plans are month to month with no long-term contract. Transaction fees and caps are not published, so ask to see the agreement.
Agents can move from parking to 90% to 100% inside one brokerage. Switching between the 90% and 100% plans is subject to eligibility and brokerage approval.
Among the firms above, SPiRALNY has the highest published 90% price. On the 100% plan, only Royalux’s Plan C costs more per year. Against a traditional split, both plans are far cheaper for an agent with real volume.
For existing licensees, the sign-up is fully digital and takes about five minutes. You can join through the website or schedule a call. Your old broker still has to release your license first.
Questions to ask any new broker
Interviewing a new brokerage is a two-way conversation. You are evaluating them as much as they are evaluating you. Treat it like due diligence, and write down the answers.
Start with money. Ask for the full cost in writing, including every recurring and one-time fee. Ask whether there are per-transaction charges, a cap, or any fee that applies only at checkout.
Then ask about the exit. Find out how much notice you must give and what happens to pending deals if you leave. Ask whether plans can be switched freely. Mont Sky’s six-month notice for plan changes is a good example of a detail that is easy to miss.
Here is a short list to take into every meeting:
- What is the total monthly and one-time cost, and what does it include?
- Are there transaction fees, caps, or technology charges on top?
- Who pays for E&O insurance, and how much does it cost?
- How much notice do I need to leave or change plans?
- How fast do you file the change of association in eAccessNY?
- How and when are commissions paid after closing?
- What training and broker access do I get, and is any of it conditional?
- Which board and MLS fees apply in my area?
Board and MLS dues are separate from brokerage fees, and they vary by region.
Do not assume your new firm covers them. Do not assume they match across the boroughs, Long Island, Westchester, and upstate. Ask for the specifics for your market.
Finally, ask to see the agreement before you resign. A firm that is confident in its terms will share them. A firm that stalls is telling you something.
Your pre-resignation checklist
Before you send that resignation email, make sure each of these is done:
- You have read your independent contractor agreement end to end.
- You have sorted listings, signed clients, and your sphere into three lists.
- You know what you are owed on every pending deal.
- You have your trailing twelve-month earnings and your real split.
- You have compared at least three options on total cost, not headline split.
- You have asked each new broker about transaction fees, caps, and notice periods.
- You have a plan for the license release and a start date.
- You have a clean-exit plan for marketing, keys, and client communication.
Common questions
Can I take my active listings with me?
Usually not. Listings belong to your broker, and you need permission to move them. Ask for a written release before you resign, and confirm what happens to your commission on each one.
How long does the license move take?
The Department of State aims to process a termination within five days of you leaving. Your new broker then files the change of association for $20. Add a buffer, because a submission is not an approval.
Will my clients follow me?
Clients with no active agreement are free to follow you, especially if you stay in touch. Clients under a signed agreement are bound to it. Do not push them to break it, because they could owe two commissions.
Are 100% commission brokerages always cheaper?
No. They replace a split with fixed fees, and some add per-deal charges. A 100% plan costs more per month than a 90% plan, so it only pays off above a certain volume. Our own break-even for SPiRALNY’s two plans is $36,000 in gross commission a year, before onboarding and card fees.
What if I am not ready to sell at a new firm?
A New York salesperson needs a sponsoring broker to renew, per the Department of State. A parking plan keeps your license active while you step back. SPiRALNY’s costs $69 a month plus a 4% checkout fee.
There is no setup fee, no minimum commitment, and you can cancel anytime. Parked agents can earn referral fees, and SPiRALNY covers CE license renewal at no cost. Ask how referral payments are made, since those terms are not published.
Do I need an attorney?
If you have a large pending pipeline, a non-solicit clause, or a dispute over commissions, yes. This guide is general information, not legal advice. An attorney can read your agreement and tell you what it means for you.
Conclusion: switch on your terms, not your broker’s
Leaving a large NYC brokerage is rarely about one number. It is about knowing what you own, what you owe, and what you will pay next. The agents who do this well move with a plan and keep their relationships intact.
Start with your contract and your pending deals. Then price out your options on total cost and on the support you really use. If you want a higher split with mentorship and month-to-month terms, see the plan details.
Ready to compare your current split with a 90% or 100% plan? Bring your twelve-month earnings and your agreement to a call with the SPiRALNY team. Then work through the numbers together before you give notice.
