Can Independent Agents and Teams Both Work at eXp Realty?

One thing I want to clear up early in this series is the difference between joining eXp Realty and joining a team at eXp Realty.

They are not the same decision.

I lead Salt & Soil Realty Group, which is a team brokered by eXp Realty. Naturally, some agents who talk with me about eXp are also interested in what we are building at Salt & Soil.

Others aren't.

And that's completely fine.

You can join eXp as an independent agent, build your own brand, run your own database, and operate your own real estate business without joining my team—or anybody else's team.

At the same time, eXp supports everything from small agent groups to some very large real estate teams. The company maintains dedicated team resources and a Team Leader Academy, and eXp teams continue to show up among some of the largest producing teams in the country.

That flexibility is one of the things I like about the model.

Salt & Soil Realty Group is a real estate brokerage, not a financial advisor, tax preparer, or eXp corporate office. Carroll Harrod is affiliated with eXp Realty and may be eligible to receive sponsorship-related benefits when an agent joins eXp through him. Program terms, fees, and eligibility can change. This series is educational and is not financial, tax, legal, or investment advice. Review current eXp agreements before changing brokerages.

See what eXp is like for agents, the eXp commission split and cap, and is eXp the right brokerage for you.

Carroll Harrod leads Salt & Soil Realty Group in Jacksonville, NC and writes this series from firsthand experience as an eXp agent and team leader.

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You Can Just Be an Independent Agent

There seems to be a misconception sometimes that joining eXp means you need to become part of somebody's downline, join their real estate team, adopt their brand, or start recruiting agents.

You don't.

There is a sponsorship relationship within eXp's revenue-share system, which I covered in the previous article, but sponsorship does not make you an employee or team member of your sponsor.

You can be affiliated directly with eXp and run your own business.

That can make a lot of sense for an established agent who already has a database, systems, branding, lead sources, and a way of doing business that works.

Why tear all of that apart just because you're changing brokerages?

eXp's own current branding resources actually lean into this idea. Their Brand & Marketing toolkit tells agents to build a brand that reflects their own value while remaining compliant with the brokerage.

An important note to be aware of, though, is that naming a sponsor does not cost you anything. The revenue share is distributed from the proceeds of your commission cap, and your cap does not change whether or not you have a sponsor.

Also important to consider is that by naming a sponsor, you give financial incentive to another agent to help you succeed. That can create a powerful ally, and represents an opportunity which should not be ignored.

Teams Can Work Here Too

On the other end of the spectrum, eXp also supports real estate teams.

Current eXp resources include a dedicated Team Resource Guide and Team Leader Academy specifically for agents who are starting, growing, or scaling teams.

Depending on the team's size, production, and structure, there may be different approved arrangements available.

And one of the things I love the most about the eXp model for supporting teams, is the flexibility. They don't just lock you into one model, and they give prodigious flexibility on how to structure and brand your team.

Historically, eXp has used structures such as self-organized groups, standard or traditional teams, larger mega-team structures, and domestic partnerships. Current company recognition continues to include individual agents, teams, and domestic partnerships, while eXp has also highlighted very large multi-market and enterprise teams operating under the brokerage.

I am deliberately not publishing a chart here saying, "This team type requires exactly X transactions and gets exactly Y cap."

Those rules have changed before, and may change again.

eXp's official policies are updated periodically, and the company directs agents to the current policies and agreements for the rules actually in effect.

If you are moving an existing team to eXp, that is one of those situations where I would want the current Team Services documents in front of us before making any assumptions.

A Team Should Actually Provide Something

I probably have a stronger opinion about this part.

I don't think an agent should join a team simply because someone tells them, "You'll get a lower cap."

A lower brokerage cap can certainly matter.

But if you're also giving a percentage of your commission to the team leader, the better question is:

What am I receiving for that money?

Maybe the team provides leads.

Maybe it provides transaction coordination.

Maybe there is administrative support, coaching, accountability, marketing, systems, listing opportunities, training, or a recognizable local brand.

Great.

Those things have real value.

But an agent should understand the exchange.

If you're paying a substantial team split and getting little more than a logo and a group chat, I would have some questions.

The team model has to make sense independently of the brokerage model.

That's How I Think About Salt & Soil

When I built Salt & Soil Realty Group, I didn't want every agent to become a copy of me.

That wouldn't make much sense.

We can share standards without sharing a personality.

Our About page describes the idea as having shared standards with room for individual strengths. Agents are expected to provide a high level of professionalism and customer service, but they also have room to develop a personal brand around the things that make them different.

That's intentional.

One agent may be great with first-time buyers.

Another may develop a niche in new construction.

Someone else may focus on military clients, investment property, land, or a particular community.

I don't think joining a team should require an agent to erase everything that makes them marketable.

At the same time, independence isn't always the right answer either.

A newer agent may benefit enormously from having people close by who can answer questions, help work through problems, and provide a structure for actually building a business.

That's why this decision is personal.

Team Leaders Should Look Beyond the Cap

If you're already leading a team and considering eXp, I would look at more than the commission structure.

I'd want to know:

• Can I keep the brand I've already built?

• How will my agents' caps and splits work?

• What production requirements apply to the team structure I'm considering?

• Who owns our leads and database?

• Can I keep the technology we're already using?

• How does onboarding work if we're moving several agents at once?

• Can the structure grow with us if we expand into additional markets?

• What brokerage responsibilities stay with eXp, and what remains my responsibility as the team leader?

Those questions matter a lot more than whether somebody can fit your team onto an impressive-looking recruiting slide.

eXp clearly has the infrastructure for substantial teams—the company reported both individual agents and major team organizations among its highest-producing groups in 2026—but that does not mean every team should be structured the same way.

Joining eXp Does Not Mean Joining Salt & Soil

I want to keep repeating this because I think agents deserve clarity about it.

If you talk with me about eXp and eventually decide to join the brokerage, you do not have to join Salt & Soil Realty Group.

Maybe my team makes sense for you.

Maybe staying independent makes more sense.

Maybe you're bringing your own team with you.

Those are separate conversations.

What I care about first is understanding what you're trying to build and whether eXp gives you a better platform for building it.

If you want to talk through those options, you can contact me here. We can talk about eXp, Salt & Soil, your existing team, or an independent model without assuming the answer before the conversation starts.

The next article will look at one of the biggest pieces of that independence: what CRM and technology options eXp Realty actually gives agents—and whether you have to use the brokerage's preferred systems.