For nearly 40 years, Keller Williams has been supporting KW® associates through the Agent Leadership Council (ALC), in which top agents help direct the strategy, structure, culture, and development of their Market Center. The ALC exemplifies KW’s model of an agent-led real estate company driven by the needs and concerns of its associates, and the council is one of the key contributors to Keller Williams’ award-winning workplace culture. We spoke with several ALC members to learn what makes the council such a special part of the KW model.
There are a lot of ways that Keller Williams differs from other real estate franchises, and one of the biggest is that it’s the only company where franchises “open their books” to their agents. This open book policy gives all associates access to the profit and loss statements in each Market Center, meaning there are no financial secrets.
But KW goes beyond simply providing a model of fiscal transparency. It actually invites agents to have a voice in the expenditures of their Market Center and other leadership decisions. Unlike traditional real estate companies, where blanket decisions made by a corporate office apply to every office nationwide, Keller Williams franchises are independently owned and operated, and the decisions for each Market Center are influenced by the agents doing business in that franchise location.
The Agent Leadership Council (ALC) is fundamental to this process. Made up of the top 20% of agents in a Market Center, each ALC plays a key role in influencing the productivity, profitability, and culture of that franchise. ALC members have opportunities to mentor other agents and to serve on special committees focused on education, technology, marketing, and more, expanding their leadership skills and their network through their service.
The Agent Leadership Council at a KW® Market Center offers:
Strategic Guidance: Setting annual goals, creating office plans, and ensuring the Market Center thrives
Policy & Finance: Developing market center guidelines, reviewing financial statements (P&L), and having a voice in expenditures, thanks to KW’s “open book” model
Leadership & Culture: Fostering unity, inspiring other agents, upholding professional standards, and protecting KW culture
Mentorship & Growth: Helping agents become better business people, leading committees (like technology or finance), and mastering leadership skills
Masterminding: Collaborating on solutions for productivity, profitability, and growth in a supportive, agent-driven environment.
Committee Service: Serving on committees such as Technology, Education, Marketing, Culture, Growth, Social, Commercial, Career Development, Agent Advocate, and more
ALC Formation: Disrupting an Industry
The concept for the ALC was introduced in 1986, when Gary Keller turned his focus to building a company culture based on agent success, in which agents would feel a sense of partnership and prosperity. Gary wanted to reinvent the traditional real estate model and create a company that no agent would want to leave.
With the formation of the first ALC, Gary evolved the company’s business model to include the WI4C2TES belief system and the profit-sharing program. The goal was to create a business environment where every associate had the opportunity to build wealth through each franchise’s growth.
The ongoing input of committed, high-performing agents through ALCs was seen as foundational and remains a key reason KW continues to thrive as a franchise company “built by agents, for agents,” while an invitation to join and serve is seen as both an honor and a privilege.
A Platform for Education, Training, and Support
Dana Gentry, Operating Principal at Keller Williams® Consultants Realty Market Center in Dublin, Ohio, credits her Market Center’s ALC with fostering a collaborative environment that promotes the sharing of resources, ideas, and experience. This focus on service and professional growth among agents through the ALC has a ripple effect, Dana says. “My vision for my Market Center is that we create the ultimate experience not only for agents, but for their clients as well.”
Ashley Marsh, who heads up the ALC’s Tech Committee at Keller Williams® Consultants Realty, says, “We have the opportunity to really help people with their business through different platforms.” She gets gratification from teaching agents how to use KW’s state-of-the-art technology to automate tasks, improve the client experience, and run their businesses more smoothly and successfully.
Fellow ALC member and Education Committee Chair Troy Marsh agrees that Keller Williams’ focus on education is one of the top reasons to join a KW® franchise. Through his involvement on the council, he’s been able to learn from some of the top agents, as well as help newer agents access KW’s array of educational resources.
“I decided to accept the invitation to chair the education committee because I believe one of the biggest values that Keller Williams offers to its agents is education. There’s no other company — not only in Central Ohio but across the world — that offers the level of education that Keller Williams does.”
Troy adds that the company has been ranked number one by Training Magazine so many times that it inducted Keller Williams into its Top 10 Hall of Fame, which recognizes outstanding training initiatives.
“Joining the education committee means you are going to have your finger on the pulse of the agent population in our Market Center, have those conversations to understand what the people want, and then work together as a group to implement that — both into our culture and our training programs,” Troy says.
The Benefits of Serving on the ALC
In addition to being in the top 20% of production, agents must be invited by their Market Center leadership to join the ALC — and the benefits are significant. Serving on a Market Center’s ALC elevates an agent’s career through the opportunity to directly impact office policy and culture, deepen industry knowledge, and strengthen networks with other top producers. It’s a path to mastery in real estate business operations, ultimately boosting personal production and reputation as a leader within the KW franchise system.
There’s no maximum term limit for ALC members, though members must consistently meet production requirements. An agent can continue to serve as long as they maintain a high level of performance, or until they step down or leadership changes occur.
ALC meetings, which typically take place once per month, often involve:
Education, discussion, and debate of current business issues.
Planning and leading the implementation of new initiatives.
Building unity and a spirit of team support.
Working toward helping other agents become the very best business people possible.
Maintaining KW’s professional standards and world-class public image.
Assisting in setting annual Market Center goals and plans, and taking an active part in implementing them.
Voting for what’s best for the greater good of the Market Center.
Keller Williams also has an ALC for each region, as well as an ALC for the entirety of Keller Williams. Membership is available to the top-performing agents in each Market Center who also demonstrate strong leadership and embody KW culture.
A Culture of Leadership and Community
As the ALC Social Committee Chair at Keller Williams® Consultants Realty, Dawn Finch says that serving on the committee gives her the opportunity to make a difference as a leader while making connections.
“The purpose of the social committee chair is to build relationships and unite the office,” she says. One of her goals is to inspire her office team members to spend more time together, encouraging them to have fun while building their businesses.
“Even though we’re in competition with each other, there’s enough business out there for all of us, and we can all be friends,” Finch says.
Tara Hendricks, managing broker at HomeKey Real Estate Group in Collingswood, New Jersey, part of the Keller Williams® Main Street Market Center, says that serving on the ALC adds value to being a KW® agent by giving agents a voice in the office and connecting them with top producers.
“Serving on the ALC early in my career inspired my leadership and became a key driver in building my own real estate team, helping us become one of the top-producing teams in the region,” she says.
A Market Center’s ALC creates a ripple effect that extends from these top producers out to every associate. For Hendricks personally, joining the ALC has taken her leadership to a whole new level.
“It’s given me a meaningful voice in shaping our market center and connected me with high-performing agents who think big, push boundaries, and share their insights freely. Being part of the ALC has sharpened my skills, broadened my network, and provided a platform to make an impact while growing my business. It’s truly been one of the most rewarding aspects of my Keller Williams journey.”
From its start four decades ago, the Agent Leadership Council has been an instrumental part in the agent-led culture of entrepreneurship that Gary Keller envisioned. Alongside initiatives such as the profit-sharing program, Keller Williams University, KW Communities, KW MAPS® Coaching, proprietary technology, and more, KW® agents have the opportunity to achieve financial independence and build wealth through a career in real estate.
