How Real Estate Teams Should Plan Their Year: Leadership and Budget First, Then the Whole Team
Short answer: A real estate team's annual business plan should start with the owners and leadership, not with a big group event. Sit down with leadership, dig into the budget and the numbers, and decide what next year needs to look like. Then turn that into a team-facing plan and bring everyone together to kick off the year.
It's that time of year. We're planning all things 2027 with our clients right now, and I love it. But larger teams can't plan their year the way solo agents do. Here's how we approach it.
Why Larger Teams Need a Different Planning Process
Solo agents and smaller teams can get a lot out of a group planning event. In fact, that's exactly what our Vision to Victory event is for.
Larger teams function differently. There's more budget, more people and more moving parts, and the decisions have to be made from the numbers. That kind of planning needs to go deep, into the budget, the P&L and the structure of the team, before anything gets rolled out to the agents.
So for larger teams, I come to them. I meet with the leadership team first, and together we decide what the next year is going to look like.
Our 4-Step Team Planning Process
Step 1: Start with the owners and leadership
Before anything else, I meet with the team owners and leadership. This is where we get honest about how this year actually went and where they want to go next.
Step 2: Dig into the budget and the numbers
This is where the real decisions get made. We look at:
What came in. GCI, volume and transactions, by buyers vs. sellers.
What went out. Every expense line on the P&L.
What you actually kept. Your true net, not just your gross.
What's in the pipeline for the first months of next year.
Where your business came from. Lead sources that actually closed vs. ones that just felt busy.
If you don't have these numbers at your fingertips, start there. Our Transaction Tracker is built for exactly this: income, pipeline, commissions and lead sources in one place.
Here's why this step matters so much. One of our Strategist members joined us in February 2026. By October, they had already surpassed their entire 2025 revenue, and not just in revenue but in profit. Their net income went from about $60,000 in 2025 to $225,000 in 2026 as of October, with three months still to go. In 2025 they were keeping about 34 cents of every dollar they brought in. In 2026 they're keeping about 60 cents.
Don't get me wrong: they did the hard work. We just helped them see their numbers clearly enough, combined with the strategy to keep more money in their pocket.
Step 3: Decide what next year looks like, then make it team-facing
Once leadership feels good about the plan, we translate it into a plan the whole team can see and get behind: goals, priorities, expectations and how everyone's role fits in.
A plan that only lives in the owner's head isn't a plan. A plan that's handed to the team before leadership agrees on it isn't one either.
Step 4: Bring the whole team together
Then we plan a whole-team "advance," a session that moves everyone into the new year together, aligned on the same plan. Team advances, workshops and strategic planning sessions are part of what our memberships offer teams.
How Solo Agents and Smaller Teams Should Plan 2027
If you're a solo agent or a smaller team, you can absolutely use the same thinking on a smaller scale:
Know your 2026 numbers. Start with your GCI for the year. If you need help calculating it, ask us.
Get clear on your dreams and vision for 2027. Not just the business goal, but the life you want it to support.
Build the budget before the goal. What will it cost to get there, and where should your money be going?
Bring an open mindset. The plan should challenge you.
And if the goal feels far away, adjust the plan, not the goal. Where you are now isn't where you have to stay.
Make the Plan Stick: Review It All Year
A plan only works if you look at it. For our membership clients, depending on the level, that means a monthly or quarterly profit and loss, regular strategy sessions, and planning sessions built into the year. I pull their numbers and we ask:
How much income is coming in vs. expenses?
How many deals need to go under contract to break even, or to hit the goals you set?
That's how a January plan turns into a December result.
Victory Year: Start 2027 with the Books Done and the Plan Built
Want your 2027 to look like that client's 2026? We're doing something new. Instead of onboarding membership clients throughout the year, we're onboarding everyone at the same time, January 1, and we're calling it Victory Year. Memberships are an all-inclusive approach to your business, including marketing, financials and strategy. You start the year with your books done, your budget built and your plan in place.
Spots are limited. You can find the details on our membership page.
Practical Takeaways
Plan with leadership first, then the team.
Start from the budget and the P&L, not just a GCI goal.
Make it team-facing once leadership agrees.
Kick off together with a team advance.
Review it monthly or quarterly. Pipeline vs. expenses vs. goal.
Adjust the plan, not the goal.
FAQ
How should a real estate team create a business plan for 2027?
Start with the owners and leadership team. Review this year's numbers, budget and pipeline, and decide what next year needs to look like. Then build a team-facing version of the plan and bring the whole team together to kick it off. Review progress monthly or quarterly.
What numbers do I need for real estate business planning?
At minimum: your GCI, volume and transaction count for the year (split by buyers and sellers), your expenses and true net income, your current pipeline, and which lead sources actually closed. Those numbers tell you what's realistic and where to spend.
Should a real estate team hold a planning retreat?
A whole-team kickoff is powerful, but it should come after leadership has agreed on the plan and the budget. Otherwise you're asking the team to rally around something that isn't decided yet.
Can someone help my team plan our year in Jacksonville?
Yes. We work with teams across Jacksonville and Northeast Florida on annual planning, starting with leadership and the budget, and through our memberships we help keep the plan on track all year.
Planning 2027 for your team? I'd love to be another set of eyes. I'll bring the coffee. ☕ Learn more about our memberships, coaching and consulting and bookkeeping, or reach out to us here to get your planning session on the calendar.
