What happens to my clients when I retire as a realtor?

Your clients don't have to scatter when you retire. You introduce each one to a named Michael Smith Team agent. Each client agrees in writing before the team gets their details. When they buy or sell with the team, you earn a 25% referral fee*, for as long as you keep your licence active with Real. Enquiries are confidential.

What happens to your clients when you retire?

Your clients get a named person to call. You introduce each one to a Michael Smith Team agent. The client agrees in writing before the team gets their details. Then that agent looks after them when they buy or sell. You earn a referral fee, which is a share of the commission paid to the agent who sent them.

Here are the three steps:

1. Introduce. You record a short, personal video. You send it to past clients you already have permission to email.
2. Agree in writing. Each client agrees in writing before their information is shared with MST.
3. Meet a named agent. Each client is paired with a named MST agent. That agent replies within one business day.

You are not handing your clients to a stranger. The video is yours, and our updates carry your name.

What does a realtor succession plan look like in Calgary?

A succession plan is a plan for who looks after your clients when you step back. The MST Legacy Program has three stages: an optional runway, a handoff, and ongoing referral income. The handoff typically takes about six months, or it can happen right away.

If you join while you are still selling, you go through all three stages. If you join ready to retire, you start at stage 2.

Stage 1, runway. This stage is optional. You keep selling as an MST team member under Real. Trish Salatino, our Team Admin, takes over the paperwork. The team handles showings, media and marketing.

Stage 2, handoff. Your clients meet the team while you are still involved. You send your video. We send co-branded updates, emails that show both our names. Each client gets a named MST agent, and each agrees in writing first.

Stage 3, referral income. You stay licensed with Real and refer your clients to MST. When a client is ready to buy or sell, you give them written disclosure that you passed on their name and may receive a fee. We serve the client. The fee is paid through Real, never person to person.

Where Real offers referral-only status, Real says those agents can refer clients but cannot do licensed work, such as holding open houses or negotiating contracts. We do that work, and we will confirm your options with you. You stay connected to MST through your Legacy Program agreement.

For how the fee is paid and kept within the rules, read how a retired realtor can still get referral fees in Alberta. To see what your clients could earn you, read what your book of business could earn.

How do you tell your clients you are retiring?

You tell them yourself, on video. You record a short, personal message to your past clients and send it. It says you are retiring, thanks them, and introduces the team you chose. After that, co-branded updates, emails that carry both our names, keep the introduction going.

A good video covers four things:

• You are retiring, and thank you.
• You chose the Michael Smith Team at Real Broker, here in Calgary.
• A named MST agent will reach out to them personally.
• If they would rather not be contacted, they can tell you.

Record it on your phone. One take is fine. Keep it short, and talk the way you would talk to a friend.

Who gets the video matters. Send it only to clients you already have the right to email. The next section explains why.

Do your clients have to agree before you share their details?

Yes. In our program, no client's information is shared with MST until that client agrees in writing. Rule 44 of the Real Estate Act Rules says a licensee must not share information about a client unless the client authorizes it or the law requires it.

Rule 44 does not itself say "in writing." The written step comes from RECA's referral bulletin (last revised May 2014), which says the client must consent and the disclosure must be in writing. It also comes from how we run the program.

Rule 45 adds a second step. When you refer someone and may get a fee, you must disclose that in writing and keep a copy. Our page on how referral fees work in Calgary explains that rule. RECA's rules can change, so this page reflects the text we checked in September 2026.

Email rules (as of September 2026). Canada's anti-spam law, called CASL, lets a sender email someone they have an existing business relationship with. That includes someone who bought or leased from the sender in the two years before the message, or who made an inquiry in the six months before. After that, the sender needs express consent, meaning a clear yes.

That relationship is between the client and the sender. It does not pass to MST on its own. So our program does not rely on it, and clients agree in writing first.

Every commercial email must also name the sender and anyone it is sent for, show valid contact information, and have a working unsubscribe. Unsubscribes must be honoured without delay, and within 10 business days at most. Our co-branded updates follow these rules.

This is general information, not legal advice. Check your own situation with RECA or a lawyer.

Will your clients still get five-star service?

We put our service promise in writing. Every legacy client gets a named MST agent and a reply within one business day. Every legacy client also hears from us in writing at least three times a year. These promises are about service. We never promise a price or a timeline.

• A named agent. A real person with a name, who knows you sent the client.
• A fast reply. Within one business day.
• Steady contact. At least three written touches a year.
• Your name on it. Our updates are co-branded, so clients know you chose us.

You can check that we keep the promise. Each quarter you get a Legacy Statement. It shows your clients, contact counts, deals closed and fees paid. If you like, your old business phone can forward to us, so no past client's call is missed.

What if a client does not want to work with MST?

The choice is theirs, and we do not push. A client who does not want to switch does not have to. Nothing about that client is shared with MST unless they agree in writing. If a client asks not to be contacted, we mark it in Lofty CRM and stop.

We do not chase a "no." Your video tells clients they can tell you if they would rather not hear from us. Clients who say yes get a named agent. Clients who say no are left alone.

What do Trish and the team handle?

Trish Salatino, our Team Admin, handles the paperwork. The team handles showings, media and marketing. Your clients are tagged in Lofty CRM, our client management system, so each contact is logged for your quarterly statement. After you step back, you do not have to hold open houses or chase paperwork.

You introduce your clients. We do the rest of the client work. Your name stays on our updates, and you keep a Senior Advisor title.

Frequently asked questions

Can I introduce my clients before I retire?

Yes. The handoff can start while you are still working. Clients meet the team while you are still involved. It takes about six months, or it can happen right away. You can keep selling as an MST team member under Real first, if you want a longer runway. Nothing is shared with MST until each client agrees in writing.

Do I lose contact with my clients?

You do not have to. Your name stays on our co-branded updates, so clients know you chose us. You also keep a Senior Advisor title. Each quarter you get a Legacy Statement showing your clients, contact counts, deals closed and fees paid. How much you talk with clients yourself is up to you and them.

How long does the handoff take?

About six months is typical, or it can happen right away. The pace depends on how many clients you have and how fast they reply. Each client moves forward only after agreeing in writing. Referral income is paid for as long as you keep your licence active with Real.*

Can I pass on clients who are past the consent window?

The two-year window is about emailing someone without asking first. After it, a sender needs express consent. In our program, clients agree in writing before their information is shared, so an older client can still be introduced if they say yes. How to reach out and ask is a question for a lawyer. This is general information, not legal advice.

Will clients know I chose MST?

Yes. Your personal video tells them you picked our team and that a named agent will reach out. Our updates are co-branded, so your name stays on them. The named agent also knows you sent the client, so nobody starts from zero.

Back to the MST Legacy Program

Sources

• RECA, Real Estate Act Rules (Rules 44 and 45)
• RECA, referral bulletin for industry members (last revised May 2014)
• CRTC, Canada's anti-spam legislation compliance guide
• CRTC, anti-spam legislation FAQ
• Government of Canada, Justice Laws, Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (S.C. 2010, c. 23)
• Real Broker support centre, "What activities can I conduct as a referral-only agent"