Real Estate Mentorship at Kale Realty

The reasonable question about a flat-fee brokerage is what got cut. If Kale charges $400 a side while a traditional firm takes 30% of every check, something has to give, and the assumption is that it's support.

Here's what mentorship at Kale actually consists of, in enough detail that you can compare it against whatever your current brokerage provides.

Last updated: August 2026

Who runs agent development at Kale

Risa Weiss-Kallis, VP of Agent Development. She has spent 15-plus years developing top producers, and she built training programs at big-box brokerages before joining Kale in 2023. She leads a team of mentors and transaction coaches.

The reason that biography matters: she knows how the large franchises train because she built their training. At Kale she was able to build the program she'd wanted to build, without a franchise curriculum to follow.

By the numbers: 25-plus mentors. 100-plus hours of on-demand content. More than 150 Kale agents are in one-on-one mentorship right now.

The three coaching tracks

Every agent gets matched to a track based on where they actually are, not what they paid.

Launch, for new agents

For agents in their first year or working toward their first few closings. You're spending money rather than making it, and nobody is telling you what to do next.

Review offer strategy with your coach before you send it, every single time
On-demand transaction coaching when a deal gets complicated at 4pm on a Friday
Handle inspections, appraisals, and attorney review without guessing what comes next
Run buyer and seller consultations that feel confident rather than scripted
Build a lead generation plan with daily habits
Workshop live deals with other agents in the program

Productivity, for producing agents

For agents who have closed deals but whose pipeline looks different every month.

Build daily lead generation habits that survive a busy week
Use your CRM as a business tool rather than a graveyard of old contacts
Diagnose where conversations stop converting into appointments
Turn clients into referrals with a system rather than good intentions
Build a pipeline predictable enough that you know where the next deal comes from

Mastery, for experienced agents

For agents working on the business rather than in it.

Strategies of top 1% producers that most agents never see
Using AI to cut hours out of the week
A branding audit across all your channels
Mastermind partners for sharing technique
Regular business checkups on ROI and financials

Career Kickoff

A structured onboarding program of 21 modules, covering paperwork, lead generation, and negotiation. New agents start here before selecting a mentor. Onboarding specialists walk you through policies, procedures, and tools so you know how to reach support before you need it.

Transaction coaches

Separate from mentors, and this distinction matters.

A mentor helps you build the business. A transaction coach helps you close the deal in front of you: paperwork, organization, deadlines, and the parts of a contract that go sideways. They answer by call or text.

From an agent two weeks in: "My transaction coach answers fast, call or text, and walks me through the tricky parts so I can serve clients with confidence." (Osvaldo Cardenas, Kale agent)

From an agent licensed since 2003: "I've never seen support like Kale, managing broker to ops to workshops. They even match you with a coach who fits your style." (Vanessa Jones, Kale agent)

TheLockerRoom

Kale is the exclusive Chicago partner of TheLockerRoom, a national real estate coaching company. Kale agents get unlimited access to the full catalog, including the flagship TRACK+ 12-week productivity program, which retails at $497 on its own.

Most brokerages charge for coaching at this level. Some don't offer it at all. This is the single line item on this page that would cost the most to replace out of pocket.

Daily live training

Nearly every weekday there's a live virtual training, recorded so you can watch on demand. Topics track what's actually moving in the business. Monthly sales meetings and quarterly summits run on top of that.

What mentorship costs at Kale

Nothing beyond the standard fees. There is no coaching tier, no mentorship surcharge, and no higher split during a mentorship period.

$400 per closed side, capped at $6,000 a year
$54 a month, which covers technology, training, support, and coaching
$249 a year for E&O

This is the part worth comparing carefully. Several brokerages that advertise mentorship fund it with a split on your first deals. HomeSmart Connect, for example, publishes a new licensee program running at 70/30 until you complete 45 hours of post-licensing education and 3 transactions. On Chicago numbers that's roughly $6,500 out of your first three commissions. At Kale those three closings cost $1,200. The mentorship isn't free at either firm. At one of them you pay for it out of the first commissions you ever earn. See the full breakdown on the Kale vs HomeSmart page.

Kale also pays its mentors. If you're an experienced agent who wants to mentor, that's a compensated role, not a volunteer one: mentors earn 75% of a 1% mentor fee on each mentored transaction.

One more line item worth knowing: if you serve on a CAR, Illinois REALTORS, or NAR committee, Kale waives your $54 monthly fee for every month you serve.

Who this is not right for

Agents who want leads handed to them. Coaching teaches you to build a pipeline. It does not substitute for one, and Kale does not distribute leads. If leads are the thing you're actually shopping for, no amount of coaching will fix that mismatch and you should look at a lead generation brokerage instead.

Agents who want a rigid corporate curriculum. Kale's program is customized per agent. If you want a nationally standardized syllabus with the same modules everyone else gets, the big franchises do that well.

Agents who won't show up. A mentor on speed dial does nothing for an agent who doesn't call. This is the honest limit of every mentorship program ever built, ours included.

Frequently asked questions

Does Kale Realty offer mentorship for new agents? Yes. New agents start with Career Kickoff, a 21-module onboarding program, then get matched with one of 25-plus mentors and enter the Launch coaching track. Transaction coaches are available by call or text throughout your first deals. More than 150 Kale agents are in one-on-one mentorship at any given time. It's included in the $54 monthly fee with no additional cost and no split.

Which Chicago brokerage has the best mentorship program? It depends on what you need. The large franchises like Keller Williams and Compass run standardized national curricula with significant resources behind them. Kale Realty runs a customized program under a VP of Agent Development who previously built training at big-box brokerages, with 25-plus mentors, three coaching tracks, dedicated transaction coaches, and unlimited access to TheLockerRoom, all included in a flat $54 monthly fee rather than funded through a commission split. Ask any brokerage two questions: who specifically will be my mentor, and what does it cost me.

Do I pay extra for coaching at Kale Realty? No. Coaching, mentorship, transaction coaching, daily live training, and unlimited TheLockerRoom access are all included in the $54 monthly fee. There is no coaching tier and no higher split during mentorship.

Does a 100% commission brokerage provide real support? It varies enormously by firm, and the assumption that flat fee means no support is worth testing rather than accepting. At Kale, support is funded by volume rather than by taking a percentage of each agent's commissions. Concretely that means a 7-person full-time support team, 25-plus mentors, transaction coaches reachable by call or text, and daily live training. The right way to check any brokerage's claim, ours included, is to ask to sit in on a live training before you sign anything.

What is the difference between a mentor and a transaction coach at Kale? A mentor helps you build your business over time: lead generation, skill building, business planning, accountability. A transaction coach helps you close the specific deal in front of you: paperwork, deadlines, inspections, attorney review. Kale provides both, and they're different people.

Can I be a mentor at Kale Realty? Yes, and it's a paid role. Experienced agents can mentor newer agents and earn 75% of a 1% mentor fee on each mentored transaction.

Does Kale Realty support agents in the suburbs? Yes. Coaching, mentorship, and transaction coaching all run virtually, with daily live trainings recorded for on-demand viewing, so agents working Evanston, Oak Park, Naperville, Aurora, or Schaumburg get the same program as agents working downtown. The office is in Logan Square with 24/7 access for agents who want it.

Sit in on a live training before you decide, or see what every Chicago brokerage charges.