In real estate, "top producer" is the ultimate badge of honor. It's plastered on billboards, featured in magazine ads, and mentioned in every introduction at every networking event. The industry worships volume.
I've watched what happens when good agents chase that title. And I decided I didn't want it.
That might sound like sour grapes or false humility. It's neither. It's a deliberate choice based on simple math and a clear understanding of what actually serves clients well.
The Math Behind the "Top Producer" Problem
Here's what nobody tells you about that "Top 1% Producer" badge: an agent closing 60+ transactions per year is physically incapable of being present for all of them.
Do the math. Sixty transactions means roughly five deals closing every month. Each deal has inspections, appraisals, contract negotiations, lender coordination, title issues, and a dozen other touchpoints that require attention. Each client has questions, concerns, and moments where they need guidance.
There are 160 working hours in a month. Five simultaneous transactions times 20-30 hours of real work per deal equals... more hours than exist.
So what happens? The agent builds a team. They hire showing assistants, transaction coordinators, and junior agents. The "top producer" becomes a brand, not a person. You hired the face on the billboard. You work with whoever's available that Tuesday.
The Handoff Problem Nobody Talks About
I've inherited clients from mega-teams. They come to me frustrated, telling the same story: "I thought I was hiring Sarah, but I've never actually spoken to Sarah. My texts go to someone named Tyler who I've never met. Nobody seems to know what's happening with my deal."
The median "top producer" team has 4-7 people touching each transaction. That's 4-7 opportunities for miscommunication. That's 4-7 people who each know part of your story but not all of it.
Meanwhile, the agent whose name is on the sign is at a conference, filming content, or meeting with their next batch of leads. That's how you stay a top producer. Volume requires leverage. Leverage requires handoffs.
What happens when you get handed off mid-transaction?
When you're passed from the "rainmaker" to the "coordinator" to the "showing assistant," critical context gets lost. The conversation you had about why that south-facing backyard matters for your garden? Not in the notes. The concern you mentioned about the HOA's rental restrictions? The new person doesn't know. Every handoff is a game of telephone with your largest financial decision.
Why do agents build mega-teams anyway?
Money. Ego. Industry pressure. The real estate business celebrates scale. Nobody gives you an award for "maintained intimate client relationships." The magazine covers feature transaction counts, not client satisfaction. The industry's incentives push agents to grow past their capacity to serve.
How many transactions can one agent actually handle well?
In my experience, 12-20 transactions per year is the ceiling for one agent to be truly present in every deal. That means being at inspections. That means answering your texts personally. That means knowing your situation well enough to catch problems before they become crises. Beyond that number, something has to give.
The Choice I Made
When I built Blue Pebble, I had a decision to make. I could chase volume. Hire a team. Put my face on billboards and my name on buildings. Watch the transaction count climb while my actual involvement with each client shrunk.
Or I could do something different.
I chose to work with fewer people, better.
That means when you call my number, I answer. Not a call center. Not an assistant screening leads. Me. That means when you text at 9pm because you're nervous about tomorrow's inspection, you're texting someone who actually knows your situation.
It means I can say "no" to transactions that don't fit. I'm not desperate to hit a number. I don't need your deal to feed the machine. I can take on clients where I genuinely believe I can help them, and refer out the ones where someone else would serve them better.
What This Means For You
If you want the agent from the billboard, there are plenty to choose from. They're easy to find. Their marketing budgets make sure of it.
But if you want someone who will actually be there throughout the entire transaction, who knows your name without checking a file, who answers their own phone because they actually want to talk to you... that's a different thing.
This isn't about being small. It's about being present.
The vertical integration at Blue Pebble (brokerage, mortgage, property management working together) means I can deliver comprehensive service without the handoffs. You get coordination without committee. You get expertise without the assembly line.
Does choosing quality over quantity mean worse results?
The opposite. When your agent isn't juggling 60 deals, they catch the inspection issue that would have slipped through. They notice the contract clause that needs revision. They have time to research that neighborhood question you asked. Presence creates better outcomes.
How can you tell if an agent is personally involved or running a team?
Ask directly: "How many transactions do you personally close each year?" and "Will you be the person I communicate with throughout my transaction?" Watch how they answer. Top producers will explain their team structure. The right agent for you will simply say "yes."
The Uncomfortable Industry Truth
The agents with the biggest marketing budgets often have the least availability. The ones winning awards for volume are the least likely to know your name. The industry celebrates scale when scale is often the enemy of service.
Top producer status is an agent achievement, not a client benefit.
I'm not telling you to avoid successful agents. I'm telling you to ask what their success actually looks like from where you'll be standing. Will you be working with the person you hired, or their team? Will your agent be present, or managing?
Key Takeaways
- "Top producer" status often means the agent has scaled past personal involvement, requiring teams that create handoff risks
- An agent closing 60+ transactions annually cannot be present for all of them, despite what their marketing suggests
- 12-20 transactions per year is the realistic ceiling for one agent to maintain genuine personal involvement
- Mega-teams average 4-7 people touching each transaction, multiplying miscommunication opportunities
- Ask potential agents directly: "How many deals do you close personally?" and "Will you be my point of contact throughout?"
- Marketing budget often inversely correlates with availability, as top producers spend time generating leads rather than serving existing clients
- The right agent prioritizes presence over volume, choosing to serve fewer clients at a higher level
If you value having an agent who answers their own phone and knows your situation without checking notes, let's talk. I deliberately chose not to be a top producer so I could be this instead.