The cost of switching is the new brokerage’s charges plus your exit obligations, replacement expenses and any overlap between systems. Compare the first year and an ongoing year separately, using the same production assumptions for both brokerages.
Start with the published fees, then get your terms
eXp’s public monthly-fee page lists a $149 startup fee including the first month, an $85 monthly cloud brokerage fee, a $25 transaction review fee and a $60 risk management fee per transaction. These figures are a starting reference, not a complete quote. Market, program and individual terms can differ; confirm the applicable written schedule before deciding.
Ask for the commission split, cap, cap anniversary, charges after capping, referral charges and any applicable mentor or team arrangements. A headline split does not tell you your full annual cost. Do not assume a cap paid at your current brokerage carries over.
Budget in four separate buckets
Use your own agreements and vendor invoices to fill in the amounts. Mark an unconfirmed figure as unknown instead of treating it as zero.
- One-time move costs: onboarding, approved branding changes, printing, migration help and any local transfer charges.
- Recurring operating costs: brokerage fees, software you retain, MLS or association dues, office commitments and marketing.
- Transaction-dependent costs: company dollar, review and risk charges, referral arrangements and any applicable team or mentor payments.
- Exit and overlap costs: outstanding obligations, vendor cancellation periods, duplicate subscriptions and work needed to finish active files.
Compare like with like
Hold transaction count and gross commission income constant in your base comparison. Include tools that you expect to keep paying for even if the new platform offers an alternative. Only count a saving when you can identify the invoice that actually stops.
Run a conservative production scenario too. That helps distinguish a useful reduction in fixed costs from a saving that depends on having a much stronger year. Treat potential revenue share or stock benefits separately from cash you can reliably budget.
An illustrative transition budget
Suppose your own estimates are $800 for signs and materials, $350 for migration support and $250 for overlapping software. That is $1,400 in move-related costs before brokerage startup fees, local charges or contractual obligations. These are invented planning inputs, not eXp prices or a forecast of your savings.
Then add the recurring and per-transaction costs for your expected first year. Compare that total with staying where you are. Repeat the exercise without one-time move costs to understand the ongoing economics.
Protect the timing of your cash flow
A cost comparison should also show when cash leaves the business and when income arrives. Put major payments, renewal dates and anticipated closings on one calendar. Ask the responsible brokers how existing transactions and compensation will be handled before relying on those funds to finance the move.
Bring the unresolved amounts to your conversation. A useful outcome is a completed comparison with verified inputs, even if your conclusion is to stay at your current brokerage for now.
Your next steps
- Get the applicable written fee and compensation schedule.
- Review current agreements and vendor cancellation dates.
- Build a first-year and ongoing-year comparison.
- Run a conservative production scenario.
- Keep speculative benefits separate from operating cash flow.
Sources and scope
This is an Apex planning guide, not an official eXp policy document. The checklists and examples are planning suggestions. Current signed agreements, applicable state requirements and eXp’s written terms govern your situation.