eXp Realty vs Coldwell Banker: Which Brokerage is Best for Realtors?

Today we’re comparing eXp Realty with one of the biggest names in real estate—Coldwell Banker. Choosing the right brokerage is critical for your career, and you want to make sure you’re getting the best value for your effort. Here’s your handy dandy index:

Why Your Brokerage Choice Matters

Your choice of brokerage isn’t just about your commission split—although, of course, that’s a major factor. But your brokerage also shapes your day-to-day experience, determines how much support you get, and dictates the resources you can access to grow your business. You need to choose a brokerage that helps you succeed while ensuring your bottom line stays healthy.

Today, we’re comparing eXp Realty and Coldwell Banker—two prominent names in real estate. We’ll explore everything from commission splits and fees to the level of training and agent satisfaction at each brokerage.

With eXp Realty, all the information is easily accessible, but with Coldwell Banker, we had to do some digging to find out what agents experience. No worries, we’ve got you covered.

eXp Realty vs Coldwell Banker: Agent Satisfaction

Let’s start by looking at how happy agents are at both brokerages. According to Glassdoor, eXp Realty stands strong with a 4.6-star rating, while Coldwell Banker also holds up well with a 4.3-star rating. These ratings give a snapshot of how agents feel about the support, resources, and overall experience at each company.

And as we all know, agents who are satisfied with their brokerage tend to be more successful.  If you’re curious about how the top real estate firms stack up, check out our blog “12 Insider Picks for the Best Real Estate Brokerage in 2024!”. Spoiler alert: eXp Realty ranks #1 on Glassdoor.

eXp Realty vs Coldwell Banker: Brokerage Profitability

Why should you care if your brokerage is making money? Because a profitable brokerage has the financial stability to offer better tools, resources, and fewer surprise changes that could hurt you or your clients.

Coldwell Banker is part of Anywhere Real Estate, which also owns big names like Sotheby’s, Better Homes & Gardens, Century 21, and Corcoran. Anywhere has posted 20 quarters of earnings, with 8 unprofitable quarters. That gives it a 60% profitability rate—not bad, but there’s definitely room for improvement.

Now let’s look at eXp Realty. They’ve posted 20 quarters of earnings, and 15 of those have been profitable, giving them a 75% profitability rate. What’s more, eXp Realty is the only publicly traded brokerage that’s been profitable over the past five years.

That stability translates to continuous improvements for both agents and clients. When you work at a brokerage that’s making money, they can afford to reinvest in their agents with better tools, training, and tech. If you want the full scoop on brokerage profitability, check out our blog “Top Real Estate Companies That Might Go Under!”.

eXp Realty vs Coldwell Banker: Commission Splits

Time to talk about commission splits—probably the first thing most agents look at when comparing brokerages. Coldwell Banker has a commission structure that varies widely depending on your office, location, and how you negotiate.

Splits range from 55/45 to 90/10, so that’s 55% to you and 45% to the brokerage at the lower end of the spectrum. Our research shows that the actual numbers vary a lot, so make sure to ask for specifics when you interview.

Now, eXp Realty is refreshingly simple. Every agent starts at an 80/20 split, and once you’ve paid $16,000 to eXp in the year, you cap, meaning you keep 100% of your commissions after that. There’s no negotiating for a better split—every agent gets the same deal, whether you’re new or a seasoned pro.

Plus, eXp offers opportunities to earn stock. You get company stock for hitting certain milestones, and if you hit additional goals after capping, you can earn your $16,000 cap back in stock. That’s how some agents actually earn more than 100% of their commission each year. Nice!

eXp Realty vs Coldwell Banker: E&O Insurance

Errors and Omissions (E&O) insurance is a must-have for agents, but how brokerages handle this cost varies. At Coldwell Banker, agents pay around $300 per month for E&O insurance. Whether that’s upfront or paid over time depends on the office, but that’s a significant cost no matter how you slice it.

At eXp Realty, E&O insurance is a lot more manageable. Agents only pay $60 per transaction, and eXp caps those fees at $750 annually. So once you’ve paid $750 in E&O for the year, you’re done. You won’t have to pay another penny, no matter how many deals you close. That’s a huge benefit for agents who are just getting started and don’t want to be burdened with hefty upfront costs.

eXp Realty vs Coldwell Banker: Fees

Fees are another critical consideration, and Coldwell Banker and eXp Realty handle them quite differently.

At eXp Realty, the fee structure is straightforward. Agents pay an $85 monthly fee and $25 per transaction until they hit their cap. It’s predictable, easy to understand, and there are no surprises.

Coldwell Banker’s fees, however, vary greatly depending on the office. Agents can expect to pay between $122 – $350 per month just to stay on board, and there’s also a 5% to 6.5% royalty fee charged per transaction. These fees can really add up and take a bigger chunk out of your earnings compared to eXp’s much simpler structure.

Between the clear fee structure at eXp and the variable, sometimes high, costs at Coldwell Banker, eXp Realty definitely offers a more agent-friendly deal when it comes to fees.

eXp Realty vs Coldwell Banker: Training and Support

Next up is training and support, which are crucial to helping agents, whether new or experienced, succeed.

At eXp Realty, the training opportunities are top-notch. With over 50 live training sessions every week, plus a full library of on-demand courses, there’s always something to help you improve. eXp also has programs like Fast Start for new agents who want to get going fast, and Kick Start for experienced agents looking to take their business to the next level.

On top of all that, eXp provides 24/7 support and over 2,000 full-time staff members to assist you with your needs.

Coldwell Banker, on the other hand, doesn’t offer a standardized training program across all offices. Training varies depending on where you’re located and what your office offers. That’s also true for agent support—it’s heavily reliant on the office broker, meaning your experience can vary depending on how available or helpful your broker is.

Technology and Resources

When it comes to tech, eXp Realty stands out from the crowd. They’ve built a fully virtual brokerage, and agents can do everything from meeting with brokers to attending training sessions in eXp World, their online metaverse-style platform. Want the full scoop? Check out our blog on eXp World!

Beyond that, eXp agents get access to an IDX website, a CRM called kvCORE, and a marketing center with customizable templates, social media content, and more. eXp is constantly adding new tech tools to help agents stay ahead of the game.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t dig up too much information about what Coldwell Banker offers in terms of tech. It’s unclear if they have any standard tools across offices, so ask about that during your Coldwell Banker interview.

Why Coldwell Banker May Be Best for You

If you’re someone who likes a more traditional office environment with face-to-face interactions and you prefer having a local office broker for day-to-day support, Coldwell Banker could be a better fit. They’ve got a long-standing reputation and strong branding, and for some agents, having that in-person accountability is key to their success.

However, if you’re just looking for out-of-home office space, eXp Realty provides FREE access to the 4,000 Regus office business lounges around the world. But that won’t be enough if you’re someone who needs the structure of a physical office, with a broker cracking the whip. If that’s the case, Coldwell Banker might feel more like home.

eXp’s Exclusive Resources

Beyond the usual offerings, eXp Realty has a few game-changing features that other brokerages simply don’t provide. eXp Realty has a dedicated team, Revenos, whose entire mission is to find and deliver top-quality leads directly to eXp agents—how great is that?

Then there’s eXp’s Referral tool that makes sending referrals to other agents effortless, and for those wanting to focus purely on referrals, eXp’s Referral Division slashes costs while keeping you active in the industry.

And, of course, there’s Revenue Share, which lets you build extra income by bringing other agents into eXp. The best part? That income doesn’t end when you retire and it’s willable, so it continues to roll in even after you’re no longer working. Now that’s a win-win!

That’s a Wrap

At the end of the day, when comparing eXp Realty and Coldwell Banker, it comes down to what kind of environment you thrive in. Coldwell Banker has the prestige of a traditional office setting, but with higher fees and less predictable splits, it might not be the most cost-effective option.

On the other hand, eXp Realty offers transparent splits, lower fees, better tech, and 24/7 support—all of which can help you keep more of your earnings and grow your business faster.

Join our FREE Team at eXp Realty

Join the leading force in real estate with eXp Realty – the only profitable publicly traded brokerage over the past five years and holds the prestigious title of the best brokerage to work for. The benefits of eXp Realty are unmatched and will truly exceed your expectations!

When you join us at Smart Agent Alliance, you’ll also be part of the Wolf Pack at eXp Realty.  Together we are one big team and we provide more FREE value than you’ll get anywhere else in the real estate business.

What’s included? Access our exclusive SAA Vault Assets to enhance your business efficiency, attend weekly team video calls filled with invaluable insights and top agent strategies, and receive the Social Agent Academy Program and Investor Army Courses – a combined value of over $1,500 – absolutely free. And that’s just the beginning! Explore more about our robust team benefits.

Don’t let this opportunity pass you by. Transform your real estate career, maximize your income, and secure your future. Contact us now to schedule a video consultation or email us at team@SmartAgentAlliance.com. We’re here to ensure your success.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

How happy are Coldwell Banker vs. eXp Realty agents?

On Glassdoor.com, where agents anonymously rank their brokerage, eXp Realty stands strong with a 4.6-star rating, while Coldwell Banker also holds up well with a 4.3-star rating. For all the legwork comparing all the big real estate firms, check out “12 Insider Picks for the Best Real Estate Brokerage in 2024!”.

How profitable is Coldwell Banker vs. eXp Realty?

Coldwell Banker is part of Anywhere Real Estate, which also owns big names like Sotheby’s, Better Homes & Gardens, Century 21, and Corcoran. Anywhere has posted 20 quarters of earnings, with 8 unprofitable quarters. That gives it a 60% profitability rate. eXp Realty has 20 quarters of earnings and a 75% profitability rate. For more on brokerage profitability, check out “Top Real Estate Companies That Might Go Under!”.

What makes eXp Realty different?

Besides top agent pay, low fees, extensive training, and state-of-the-art technology, eXp has a Luxury Division offering global marketing,  a dedicated team called Revenos providing quality leads to agents, a Referral tool making referrals to other agents a breeze, a Referral Division cutting agent costs for referral only business and Revenue Share opportunities providing additional agent income possibilities that continue after retirement and is willable.