There’s no shortage of real estate teams in Quebec willing to take you on. The harder problem is figuring out which one is actually worth joining — and which ones will cost you more than they give you.
This guide is for licensed courtiers (real estate brokers) who are considering joining a team for the first time, or switching from a team that hasn’t delivered. We’ll talk about what to look for, what to avoid, and the specific questions you should be asking before you sign anything.
Quick note on terminology: in Quebec, we call them courtiers immobiliers — real estate brokers — not agents. The OACIQ (Organisme d’autoréglementation du courtage immobilier du Québec) is the regulatory body that licenses and oversees real estate practice in the province. Any team you join must operate under a certified agency and comply with OACIQ regulations. Keep that in mind as you evaluate your options.
Most teams will tell you they offer “leads, training, and culture.” That’s table stakes — and it tells you nothing about quality. Here’s how to evaluate each dimension properly.
The first question to ask isn’t “how many leads will I get?” It’s “what’s your conversion rate?” Any team can buy cheap leads and hand them out. The question is whether those leads are workable, how they’re distributed, and what happens after the first contact.
A good team will:
Ask to see the CRM in a demo. Ask what the process looks like when a lead comes in. Ask what percentage of leads convert to a first appointment. If they can’t answer those questions, the “lead gen” they’re offering is probably not worth much.
There’s a difference between a team that does occasional training calls and a team that has a real, recurring training program. Weekly or twice-weekly sessions are the minimum standard for a high-performance team.
What to look for:
Ask to sit in on a training session before you commit. Any decent team will let you do that. If they won’t, that’s a red flag.
This is where a lot of agents get burned. A team quotes you a split that sounds reasonable, and then you discover the desk fees, the franchise fees, the transaction fees, and the marketing charges that come off the top before your split is even calculated.
When evaluating splits, get the full picture:
The last point matters a lot. Many teams pay you a lower split on leads they generate for you (which is fair — they’re doing the prospecting) and a higher split on clients you bring yourself. Make sure you understand both numbers, and make sure the economics make sense before you join.
Culture is the hardest thing to evaluate from the outside, but it’s one of the most important factors in whether you’ll actually be happy and productive.
Some things to look for:
Don’t skip the reference check. Ask the team leader if you can speak with two or three current agents on the team. If they’re reluctant to let you do that, ask yourself why.
Real estate runs on tech now. The teams that are winning are using it well. The ones falling behind are still managing leads in spreadsheets and doing marketing by hand.
When you’re evaluating a team, ask about:
A team running Follow Up Boss, proper listing marketing systems, and structured transaction management is operating at a different level than one that’s cobbled together a set of free tools and hoping for the best.
Here are the things that should make you pause — or run.
High desk fees with no clear value. Some teams charge desk fees that rival traditional brokerages and offer nothing in return. If you’re paying $500-$1,000+ per month to be on a team, the lead gen, training, and support better be exceptional. If they can’t articulate what you’re getting for that fee, the fee is the point.
Vague training promises. “We offer training” is a useless statement. If they can’t tell you exactly how often, in what format, covering what topics, and run by whom — assume it doesn’t exist in any meaningful form.
No accountability system. Teams with no accountability structure tend to be clusters of solo agents sharing a brand name, not real teams. Without accountability, you’re on your own — just paying a higher split for the privilege of using their logo.
Bait-and-switch splits. You hear one number, then discover the real number after you factor in all the fees. Always ask for the total cost breakdown in writing before you sign.
No CRM or a bad one. If the team is still managing leads in a spreadsheet or doesn’t have a real follow-up system, their lead gen is basically decorative. You’ll receive leads, they’ll go cold, and you’ll wonder why you joined.
Team leader who’s hard to reach. Some team leaders recruit hard and then disappear once you’ve signed. Ask specifically: how often do you meet with agents one-on-one? What does that look like? How do you handle it when an agent is struggling?
High turnover. Ask how many agents have left the team in the past 12-24 months and why. Some turnover is normal. High turnover is a sign that the promise doesn’t match the reality.
Take these into your conversation with any team leader:
A good team leader will answer all of these questions directly and without getting defensive. Vague answers or deflection are signals.
Let’s run the numbers honestly, because this is where most agents make their decision on bad information.
Going solo means you keep a higher split — often 75-90% at a traditional brokerage. But you’re also paying for everything yourself: desk fees, marketing, leads, tech tools, E&O insurance, OACIQ dues, and your own time doing admin. You’re generating all of your own business, which for most agents means spending significant time and money on prospecting that may or may not convert.
A solo agent doing 10 transactions at an average gross commission of $12,000 earns $120,000 gross. After fees and business costs — which easily run $20,000-$30,000 per year for a working agent — you’re at $90,000-$100,000 net before taxes.
On a team, you’re likely taking a lower split — say 50-70% depending on the team and deal structure. But the team provides leads, CRM, training, marketing support, and administrative help. If being on the team allows you to close 18-20 transactions instead of 10 (which is very realistic with a proper lead system), the math looks completely different.
18 transactions at $12,000 gross, 60% split = $129,600. With significantly lower personal business costs, because the team is absorbing the lead gen and marketing overhead.
The split isn’t the number that matters. Volume is the number that matters. Teams that generate real leads, train you to convert them, and hold you accountable will almost always produce more income than going solo — especially in your first few years.
Quebec operates differently from the rest of Canada in a few important ways that affect how teams are structured.
In Quebec, real estate practitioners are courtiers immobiliers (real estate brokers) — not agents. You’re licensed directly by OACIQ, and you operate with a degree of independence that’s different from provinces where agents work under a broker. This means team structures in Quebec need to accommodate broker autonomy while still providing a genuine team experience.
Teams operating under major banners like eXp Realty have adapted well to this structure. eXp operates as a cloud brokerage, which means each courtier maintains their independence while benefiting from the team infrastructure. It’s a model that works well with Quebec’s regulatory framework.
When evaluating a team, confirm that they’re properly structured under OACIQ regulations and that the arrangement doesn’t create any conflict with your obligations as a licensed courtier. A legitimate team will be transparent about this.
There’s no perfect team. There are teams that are right for where you are in your career and teams that aren’t. The mistake most agents make is joining a team based on a good pitch instead of good evidence.
Ask the hard questions. Get the numbers in writing. Talk to people who are already on the team. Sit in on training. Look at the CRM.
If you’re exploring your options in the Montreal area and want to see what a serious team structure looks like in practice, we’d invite you to learn more about joining Elite Real Estate Group. No pressure pitch — just a direct conversation about whether it makes sense.