Three quarters of prime agents say they'd move firms if their network moved with them

The latest survey of UK prime residential agents by AgentWise has found that three quarters would be more likely to move firms if they could take their professional network, industry relationships and deal history with them, highlighting what many believe to be one of the biggest barriers to career mobility within the agency sector.

The findings come as AgentWise launches its new collaboration platform, designed to allow agents to build, manage and maintain professional relationships independently of any single brokerage, portal or CRM provider.

AgentWise surveyed its member agents operating within the UK's prime residential market to understand how professional relationships and collaboration influence the way modern agents build and grow their businesses.*

The survey found that 75% of respondents would change firms more easily if their professional network and deal history moved with them, compared to just 14% who said it would make no difference. A further 11% were unsure.

The findings reflect a wider shift within the agency sector, where individual agents are increasingly building their own brands, referral networks and professional relationships, often spanning multiple markets and countries.

At the same time, AgentWise believes the traditional systems used by many firms have failed to evolve alongside this change, leaving agents heavily reliant on fragmented databases, internal CRMs and disconnected communication channels.

Founder of AgentWise, Eric Corsaletti, commented:

"For many agents, their professional network is their most valuable asset. It's built over years of introductions, transactions, referrals and trusted relationships.

What our survey highlights is that many agents feel those relationships should move with them throughout their career, rather than being tied to a particular firm or system."

Corsaletti added:

"The industry has become increasingly collaborative, relationship-led and international. Agents are no longer defined solely by the company they work for, but by the quality of the network they build around them.

That's one of the reasons we launched AgentWise. We wanted to create a neutral environment where agents can build relationships, collaborate on opportunities and maintain their professional network regardless of where they work.

The network should belong to the agent, not the system."

The launch marks the next phase of growth for AgentWise, which began in December 2024 as a curated WhatsApp community connecting agents across London's prime residential market before expanding internationally.

Today, the network spans more than 1,200 verified agents across 22 countries, with dozens of cross-firm transactions completed through relationships established within the community.

The newly launched platform includes verified member profiles, a global agent directory, collaboration communities, referral tracking, intelligent matching and deal-sharing functionality.