Today’s rates for a wide range of commercial property and loan types.
Check Today's Rates →
Growth Metrics That Matter for CRE Brokers
Fancy tools and spreadsheets aren't needed, but you can't improve what you don't measure. Here's what CRE brokers need to focus on, at a minimum.
If you're newer to the commercial mortgage brokerage game, you've probably set a goal to "grow your business" this year. But what does that actually mean? More deals? Bigger deals? More reliable income?
Without specific targets, you could end up chasing any deal that crosses your path and wondering why growth feels so random. The brokers who consistently level up aren't just hustling harder — they're measuring what matters and adjusting course when something's not working.
This framework isn't filled with complicated spreadsheets or enterprise-level analytics. It's about giving you clarity on what's actually moving the needle in your business.
Core Transaction Metrics
So let's start with the basics. You need clear targets for both volume and deal count.
For newer brokers, I recommend setting monthly and quarterly goals rather than annual ones. The market changes too quickly, and you need to be able to course-correct faster. Aim for targets that stretch you but don't require miracle working — maybe that's closing one more deal per quarter than your current average.
Average deal size matters too, but here's the thing: Chasing only larger deals when you're building momentum can murder your pipeline. Instead, track your "bread and butter" deal size (where you consistently close) separately from your "stretch" deals.
What matters more at your stage: deal count or dollar volume? If you're still establishing consistent income, prioritize deal count. Volume will follow as you gain confidence and expand your lender relationships.
Here's what this might look like in practice:
- Monthly target: 2-3 deals closed
- Quarterly volume goal: $10-15M
- Bread-and-butter deal size: $2-5M
- Stretch deal size: One $8M+ deal per quarter
- Initial contact to first meeting/consultation
- First meeting to loan application/submission
- Application to preliminary term sheet/quote
- Term sheet acceptance to formal application/deposit
- Formal underwriting to commitment letter
- Commitment letter to closing
- 10 new Linkedin connections in your target market weekly
- 5 check-in calls to past clients monthly
- 3 coffee meetings with potential referral partners weekly
- 1 piece of content shared/published weekly
- Consistent deal flow before maximum deal size
- Profit per hour invested, not just gross commissions
- Conversion rates at each pipeline stage
- Daily and weekly activities you can directly control
Revenue-Focused Metrics
Gross commission income (GCI) only tells part of the story. What really matters is how much you're keeping after splits, marketing costs, and other expenses.
Start tracking your profit per transaction type. You might discover that those smaller multifamily deals you've been avoiding actually net you more per hour invested than the larger retail centers that drag on for months.
Set tiered commission goals based on complexity. A straightforward agency deal might yield a smaller commission percentage, but if you can close it in half the time, it might be more profitable for your business stage.
Time is your scarcest resource as a growing broker. Track hours invested per deal to calculate your effective hourly rate. This single metric might completely change which deals you pursue.
Create a revenue forecast that accounts for your actual pipeline conversion rates rather than wishful thinking. If your historical close rate is 25%, and you have four deals in late-stage negotiations, you're really looking at one probable closing — not four.
Client Acquisition Metrics
Before setting acquisition targets, get crystal clear on your ideal client profile. Not every borrower is worth pursuing at your stage.
For each lead source, track conversion rates at key pipeline stages:
These numbers tell you where deals are falling apart and where to focus on improvement. For example, if you're getting term sheets but struggling to convert to formal applications, you might need to work on setting better borrower expectations or improving your lender matching.
You don't need enterprise tools to track cost-per-acquisition. A simple spreadsheet listing your marketing investments divided by new clients acquired gives you the baseline to improve upon.
As a newer broker, you might be tempted to chase every single new prospect. But don't neglect repeat business and referrals, which typically close at 2-3x the rate of cold prospects. Track the percentage of your business coming from repeat clients — aim to increase this number each quarter.
Activity-Based Metrics
Daily actions drive results. Set concrete outreach targets that you can control:
The pipeline math is pretty straightforward: If you know you typically need 10 initial conversations to get 3 applications to get 1 closing, and you want to close 3 deals monthly, you need about 30 initial conversations per month.
No fancy tools needed here. A simple spreadsheet (or even hash marks in a notebook, I won't judge) will do. What matters is consistency in tracking.
Creating accountability as a solo broker is tough. Find an accountability partner (maybe another broker in a non-competing market) for weekly check-ins, or join a mastermind group where you're expected to report your numbers.
Creating Your Custom Metrics Dashboard
Start simple. A single spreadsheet with tabs for each metric category is plenty. Update it weekly — Monday mornings work well to review the previous week and set intentions for the coming one.
Your dashboard should help you spot bottlenecks quickly. Are you generating plenty of leads but struggling with conversions? Or closing a high percentage but not talking to enough prospects?
As you gain experience, adjust your targets upward, but do it methodically. I recommend quarterly reviews of your goals rather than constant changes.
If spreadsheets make your eyes glaze over, try a simple visual dashboard. Green/yellow/red indicators for each key metric give you the at-a-glance view you need without getting lost in numbers.
Conclusion
The metrics that matter most at your stage are the ones that give you clarity and control. Focus on:
Remember, you can't improve what you don't measure. Even imperfect tracking beats no tracking at all. Start with the basics, be consistent in your review process, and watch as the random ups and downs of brokerage start to become more predictable and manageable.
The most successful brokers I know didn't start with complex systems. They started with simple habits that gave them the data to make better decisions. You can do the same starting this week.