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The latest update to the Relitix Agent Movement Index™ (AMI) through May 31, 2025, shows that agent movement continues to decelerate sharply as the industry exits the spring recruiting window. Despite May traditionally being a strong month for agent switching activity, this year’s readings signal that the expected seasonal strength failed to materialize—intensifying concerns about the sluggish recruiting landscape already noted in recent AMI releases.
KEY OBSERVATIONS FROM MAY 2025
- Sharp Drop in Monthly Index:
The seasonally adjusted AMI fell to 87.5 in May, down from 94.5 in April and significantly below the 107.6 recorded one year ago. This marks a 19% decline year-over-year and the lowest May reading since the index began tracking post-2015 market behavior (excluding the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic year). - Post-Peak Season Decline:
Rather than plateauing after March and April, agent mobility appears to be falling further. The May index suggests that the traditional spring momentum is not just delayed—it has likely already passed, and at levels far below normal. - Continued Weakness in Raw Mobility:
The raw (non-adjusted) monthly AMI also declined from April, reinforcing the trend of declining movement despite the historically active recruiting season. This shift comes as a growing number of brokerages report softer pipelines and longer decision cycles from experienced agents. - Active Agent Count Holds Steady:
The number of active agents—those with a closing in the past 12 months—remained relatively stable, suggesting that while agents are staying put, they haven’t exited the industry at scale in recent months.
“We’ve exited the peak recruiting window, and this year it arrived softer and ended faster than we’ve seen in years,” said Rob Keefe, Founder of Relitix. “What stands out is not just the low level of switching activity, but how sharply it’s dropped from last year. Brokerages should interpret this as a structural slowdown in recruiting momentum, particularly heading into the summer months. Retention and internal engagement need to be front and center.”
These observations build directly upon Relitix’s reports from recent months, which have consistently highlighted a pattern of restrained agent mobility, marked particularly by weak seasonal rebounds in traditionally active recruiting periods such as March and February.
STRATEGIC INSIGHTS FOR BROKERAGE LEADERS AND RECRUITERS:
- Prepare for a Quiet Summer:
Agent movement typically slows in the summer, but this year’s decline suggests that activity may be even quieter than usual. Recruiting teams should recalibrate expectations for near-term gains. - Double Down on Retention:
With fewer agents on the move, brokerage value propositions—coaching, culture, lead generation, and support—will be critical not just for attracting new agents but retaining current ones. - Watch for Delayed Movement:
If movement is being delayed rather than foregone entirely, late summer or early fall may bring renewed opportunity. Monitoring for shifts in the trend will be essential in planning outreach efforts.
These findings build on April’s release, which already showed a lower-than-expected spring surge. The May numbers confirm that the traditional recruiting season peaked early—and at a significantly reduced level compared to years past.
About the agent movement index: The agent movement reflects the relative mobility of experienced agents between brokerages. The score is computed by estimating the number of agents who changed brokerages in a given month. To be counted the agent must be a member of one of the analyzed MLS’s and change to a substantially different office name at a different address. M&A-driven activity and reflags are excluded as are new agents and agents who leave real estate. Efforts are made to exclude out of market agents and those which are MLS system artifacts. The number of agents changing offices is divided by the number of agents active in the past 12 months in the analyzed market areas. This percentage is normalized to reflect a value of 100 at the level of movement in January 2016 (0.7313%). The seasonally adjusted value divides the monthly result by the average of the same month in prior years.
Analyzed MLS’s represent over 800,000 members and include: ACTRIS, ARMLS, BAREIS, BeachesMLS, BrightMLS, Canopy, Charleston Trident, CRMLS, GAMLS, GlobalMLS, HAR, LVAR, Metrolist, MLSListings, MLSNow, MLSPIN, MRED, Northstar, NTREIS, NWMLS, OneKey, RealComp, REColorado, SEF, Stellar, Triad, Triangle, and UtahRealEstate.
About Relitix: Relitix provides data-driven decision support for brokerage leaders across the United States. A pioneer in applying AI and data science technology in brokerage management, Relitix profiles over 1.2 million agents in more than 130 markets nationwide to help brokers recruit, coach, and retain agents. Advanced data tools allow unprecedented visibility in agents, offices, and markets for strategic planning and M&A support. Learn more at www.relitix.com.
