RE/MAX often praises the knowledge and productivity of its agents, 135 of whom make RealTrends Verified + Tom Ferry The Thousand for 2024 – more than any other brokerage. By 2025, however, the real estate franchisor is looking to welcome and promote the next generation of top agents.
According to the The National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) NAR Member Profile 2024, the average age of a real estate agent is 55, which for RE/MAX President Amy Lessinger is a clear sign that it’s time for new talent to enter the industry.
“We have to stay focused on the demographic changes that are happening,” Lessinger said in an interview with HousingWire. “We have to stay focused on attracting Millennial and Gen Z agents and I think that will include things like providing new tools and providing a complete ecosystem for agents to run their businesses.”
Lessinger said RE/MAX continues to focus on making it easier for agents to work through different technology tools.
“Incorporating tools like AI into our offerings for agents and buyers so they can improve lead generation, communication activities and achieve overall efficiency in their business is essential,” he said. “Consumer expectations are rising and being the easiest to do business with requires technology that makes every interaction seamless and efficient.”
The importance of being able to appear quickly and helpfully to agents is a lesson Lessinger says he and RE/MAX are taking from 2024.
“Fundamentally, I think adaptation has been a big lesson in 2024,” Lessinger said. “The industry has gone through many changes from settlement, to market volatility and I think looking at those changes just highlighted the importance of this industry always changing. The market is constantly changing and it is very important for us and our agents to embrace uncertainty and stay active.”
Lessinger believes this “flexibility mindset” was the key to the success of RE/MAX and its agents this past year, but it wasn’t the only thing. In order to properly prepare agents, brokers and franchisees to perform at their highest level in an unpredictable year, Lessinger said the company is focusing heavily on education.
“Education is actually a fundamental piece of our backbone. We want our agents to be the most trusted, most productive professionals and to do that we need to make sure we’re always empowering our agents with the knowledge to navigate whatever the market throws at them.”
RE/MAX hopes that its focus on empowering agents with educational tools and technology will help attract more agents to the brand, especially those new to the business.
“If we want to attract the next generation of agents coming into the industry, we have to strengthen how they come up to speed and transform their ability to find a place in the industry quickly and with great success,” Lessinger said. “Ensuring that the education we have has proven results is what we are focusing on in 2025. We want agents who can join RE/MAX with confidence and understand that if they rely on the tools, education, technology and support, then they are in a good position to build a successful business. ”
In addition to working to attract younger agents, Lessinger said RE/MAX is also working on ways to ensure its agents attract a new generation of home buyers.
“There’s a big transfer of manufacturing wealth coming up, so we have to stay focused on that change. “Millennials are now the largest home buying generation and they have different preferences than previous generations,” said Lessinger. “They want a technology-driven search process. Therefore, I think agents who use technology and pay attention to consumer information will connect more effectively and be better able to serve Millennial consumers. “
While Lessinger admits that 2025 will have its fair share of surprises and challenges, he is confident that RE/MAX is on the right track for success in the coming year.
“RE/MAX is a strong brand with proven programs, making it an attractive option for independent brokerages who may find it difficult to continue to support their agents’ needs for technology, education and support,” said Lessinger. “I also think that the groups will continue to grow and attract new agents, eventually having a larger market share. I think we are in a position to capitalize on this trend through the support we will continue to provide to agents, teams, dealers and franchisees.”
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