When a Real Estate Team Helps Your Career (And When It Might Not)

KEY TAKEAWAYS

– Joining a real estate team makes the most sense at the very beginning or the very end of a career, not during peak earning years

– Team environments offer real benefits including training, emotional support, and coverage for showings and inspections

– Agents should carefully evaluate commission splits before committing to any team structure

THE TEAM QUESTION EVERY AGENT EVENTUALLY ASKS

At some point in nearly every real estate career, the question comes up: should I be on a team, or should I go it alone? Margot Skelley, a Wolfeboro native and luxury waterfront specialist with Compass on Lake Winnipesaukee, has lived on both sides of that divide. She started as a solo agent at a boutique setting, and eventually found her way into a larger corporate team environment. That journey gave her a perspective on team dynamics that most agents only develop through hard experience.

Her take is straightforward and honest in the way that nine years of Lakes Region real estate tends to make a person: teams are valuable, but timing matters enormously.

THE TWO BEST MOMENTS TO JOIN A TEAM

“I think the best time to join a real estate team are two times in your career,” she says. “Right at the beginning and right at the end.”

The logic holds up when you think it through. Early in a career, the support structure of a team can be the difference between making it and washing out. Training is one of the biggest factors. In a larger corporate setting, those educational resources tend to be extensive. As Margot puts it, they are essentially free, though she is quick to point out the fine print: agents pay dues and contribute a portion of their commission on every transaction. The training is bundled into that arrangement rather than offered out of pure generosity. Still, for someone just starting out and trying to build skills, a database, and confidence at the same time, having that infrastructure around you is genuinely valuable.

Later in a career, team membership can serve a different purpose. When an experienced agent is thinking about winding down, scaling back, or simply looking for more flexibility, a team offers a soft landing. Coverage for showings, inspections, and the day-to-day demands of active listings becomes easier to manage when there are colleagues around to share the load. That kind of support is not just logistical. Margot notes that the emotional dimension matters too, especially in a market like Lake Winnipesaukee where transactions can be complex, seasonal, and high stakes.

WATCH OUT FOR THE MIDDLE

Here is where Margot’s advice gets particularly pointed. The years in between, when an agent is in their peak earning phase and operating at full capacity, require a very different calculation.

“When you’re right in the middle in your highest earning status, that’s something you really gotta be careful of,” she says. At that stage, the commission splits that fuel a team’s infrastructure come directly out of an agent’s highest-value transactions. An arrangement that makes sense for a newer agent building momentum can quietly cost a high-producing agent a significant amount of income over time.

Her advice is not to avoid teams during those years at all costs, but to go in with clear eyes. Know your numbers. Understand exactly what you are giving up and what you are getting in return. Make sure the team environment fits not just your business model but your personality and working style.

WHAT TEAMS ACTUALLY OFFER

Margot Skelley represents luxury waterfront homes in Lake Winnipesaukee communities like Wolfeboro, Tuftonboro, and New Durham, where transactions often involve complicated dock rights, water access negotiations, and seasonal timing pressures. In that environment, having people you trust who can step in when you need coverage is not a small thing. A missed showing or a scheduling conflict during the brief New Hampshire selling season can have real consequences.

Margot Skelley specializes in high-end lakefront estates, seasonal properties, and vacation homes with water access and dock rights, and she understands that the work does not pause just because life does. A team, structured well, provides a buffer. It means clients are never left waiting because one agent is stretched too thin.

The key word, though, is structured well. Not every team offers the same value, and not every split is fair.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is it better to start your real estate career on a team or as an independent agent?

For most new agents, starting on a team offers real advantages, especially access to training and mentorship. The learning curve in real estate is steep, and having experienced colleagues around you from day one can accelerate your development significantly.

What should agents look for before joining a real estate team?

Commission splits are the most important number to understand before signing anything. Beyond that, look at the training offered, the team culture, and whether the support structure actually matches what you need at your current stage of your career.

Do team structures work differently in luxury or waterfront markets?

They can. In a specialized market like Lake Winnipesaukee, local expertise and relationships matter more than almost anything else. A team that does not have deep roots in the Lakes Region may not add the kind of value that justifies its costs, even if the brand name is recognizable.