For agents
Questions agents ask before joining Keeton & Co
By Daniel Keeton Updated
16 questions agents actually ask us on the first call: how the plan works, license transfers, what happens to pending transactions, company appointments and referrals. Answered here rather than held back to force a meeting.
- What is the commission split at Keeton & Co?
- Keeton & Co offers multiple compensation plans based on what you need in your career; most brokerages have one plan. Our Individual Agent Commission Plan runs from 70/30 to 92/8 with a $20,000 annual cap, then 100% with a $200 transaction fee, and a separate leads plan is available as an upgrade. Agents can change compensation plans every quarter. On the Individual Agent Commission Plan the split is 70/30 for 0-20 deals, 80/20 for 21+ deals, 85/15 above $7M prior-year volume, 90/10 above $9M and 92/8 above $12M. There is no E&O fee and no office fee, and transaction coordination is $250 per deal.
- Can I switch compensation plans at Keeton & Co?
- Yes. Agents can change compensation plans every quarter, so your plan can follow your career, for example adding the leads plan upgrade when you want appointments and moving back when your sphere is enough.
- Is Keeton & Co a franchise?
- No. Keeton & Co has been independent and broker-owned since 2020. There is no franchise royalty coming off the top of your commission, and decisions about splits, marketing and policy are made in Glen Allen rather than at a national head office.
- Do I have to pay a desk fee?
- No. The Individual Agent Commission Plan has no desk fee, no office fee and no E&O fee. Keeton & Co offers multiple compensation plans based on what you need in your career, including a separate leads plan as an upgrade.
- How long does it take to transfer my license?
- In Virginia a license transfer is typically processed within a few business days once the paperwork is submitted to DPOR and your former broker releases you. We handle the filing. Practically, agents are live with us within a week, starting with our monthly orientation at the Short Pump or Lynchburg office, and we coordinate the timing so pending transactions are not disrupted.
- What happens to my pending transactions when I switch?
- They usually stay with your former brokerage through closing, because the listing or buyer agreement is between the client and that firm. Your former broker decides. We plan the transfer date around your pipeline so you are not leaving money on the table, and that conversation happens before you sign anything with us.
- Do you provide leads?
- Yes, as an option, and it goes further than leads. Our Lead Service program has our marketing generate the inquiries and our in-house Inside Sales Team qualify them and set the appointment on your calendar; between them our inside sales team books 300+ appointments a month for our agents. It is a plan option rather than a requirement, so agents who build entirely from their own sphere can choose a plan without it. Which fits you is part of the confidential conversation.
- What is KAI?
- KAI, Keeton Artificial Intelligence, is a technology suite built only for Keeton & Co agents. It is connected to the MLS, your transaction data, your goals and your CRM, so it knows your business: it creates marketing content and posts it to your socials, drafts contracts and addenda, reviews contracts, and answers questions about your pipeline. It was built in-house rather than licensed from a vendor, and it comes with being an agent here.
- Which markets does Keeton & Co cover?
- Three offices: Glen Allen (Richmond metro headquarters), Lynchburg and Charlottesville. We are members of CVR, CAAR, GAAR and HRAR MLS. Business outside Central Virginia is handled by referral rather than by opening a license in another state.
- Is there a cap on what I pay the brokerage?
- Yes. Every level of the Individual Agent Commission Plan has a $20,000 annual cap; after the cap you keep 100% with a $200 transaction fee per deal. Keeton & Co offers multiple compensation plans based on what you need in your career; most brokerages have one plan. Our Individual Agent Commission Plan runs from 70/30 to 92/8 with a $20,000 annual cap, then 100% with a $200 transaction fee, and a separate leads plan is available as an upgrade. Agents can change compensation plans every quarter.
- What support do new agents get?
- Monthly orientation at the Short Pump or Lynchburg office in week one, contracts and agency training with a managing broker in weeks two to four, then a mentorship pairing where an experienced agent works your first transactions alongside you. Weekly live training continues after that. The full outline is on the new-agents page.
- Do I need to be licensed before I talk to you?
- No. If you are not licensed yet, start with the Virginia licensing path — 60 hours of pre-license education, the state and national exam, and a background check. Our school, ImpactRE, runs that course. Keeton & Co also offers sponsored licensing seats for people who plan to hang their license here; see the get-licensed page. Talk to us during the course, not after, so your first day is not also your first conversation with a broker.
- Do you pay a referral bonus if I bring another agent?
- Yes. Over $100,000 paid out in agent attraction bonuses. When an agent you refer joins and closes deals, you earn a bonus. It is paid by the brokerage and never comes out of their split. You can send a referral from keetonco.com/join/refer.
- How many agents does Keeton & Co have?
- 85+ agents across the three offices. We grow deliberately rather than recruiting on volume, because every agent added is one more the broker is accountable for.
- Can I keep my team or my brand?
- Teams are welcome and several operate inside the firm. Virginia advertising rules require the brokerage name on your marketing, so your team brand runs alongside Keeton & Co rather than instead of it. The specifics are worth a conversation because they depend on how your team is structured.
- What is the first step?
- Save a seat at our next free live webinar: how the Lead Service keeps a pipeline full, a demo of KAI, and Q&A with the broker, all online. If you would rather talk 1-on-1 first, book a confidential call with David Giles, our Director of Business Development: a look at your last twelve months and what the same production would look like here. If the numbers do not favor moving, we will tell you.
Confidential
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