The numbers are stark and unforgiving: 71% of active real estate agents closed zero transactions in 2024. In an industry where commission-only professionals must constantly generate business to survive, this statistic reveals a crisis that extends far beyond individual failures—it exposes a fundamental breakdown in how real estate professionals are trained and supported.
Enter Tyler McLay, a third-generation real estate agent who has generated over $1 billion in sales and now leads one of Canada’s most successful real estate coaching programs. Through REX Coaching, McLay is challenging the conventional wisdom that has left thousands of agents struggling to make their first sale, let alone build sustainable careers.
The Anatomy of Real Estate Failure
The harsh reality facing real estate agents today defies the industry’s glossy marketing promises. Recent research from the Consumer Federation of America found that nearly half of real estate agents (49%) sold only one or no homes in the previous year, with nearly three-quarters selling five or fewer properties.
“Most agents don’t fail because they lack hustle,” McLay observes. “They fail because they lack structure. They’re busy, but not productive. Committed, but directionless.”
Industry data shows that approximately 49% of agents who celebrated their first closing in 2022 found themselves unable to replicate that success the following year—a significant increase from the 37% failure rate among agents who had their first closing in 2021. When examining both first and second-year attrition, projections suggest that the survival rate for agents starting in 2022 could be as low as one in three.
The Education Gap
The root of this crisis lies in the fundamental gap between real estate education requirements and the actual skills needed to succeed. While agents must pass licensing examinations covering property law and regulations, there exists what McLay calls “a complete lack of any sort of formality” in practical business training.
“It takes a lot more to compete, stand out, and win business these days,” McLay explains. “There are massive gaps in real estate education, notably the complete lack of any sort of formality.”
According to Real Estate Express, 68% of new agents cited lack of proper training as a significant barrier to success in their first year. The result is an industry where professionals are expected to master complex skills—from lead generation and negotiation to market analysis—without structured guidance.
The REX Coaching Solution
McLay’s response comes in the form of REX Coaching, an acronym for “Real Estate Xcellence.” Listed on Canada’s coveted Top 35 Under 35 rankings four times and consistently placing in the top 1% for sales volume nationwide, McLay brings both academic credentials and real-world experience to his coaching approach.
The program centers around the 90-Day Action Plan, a high-performance execution system designed to replace the “winging it” mentality that Harvard Business Review research shows affects 72% of entrepreneurs daily. The plan operates in three progressive phases:
Phase 1 (Days 1-35): Foundation building through business audits, brand positioning, and lead generation system installation. “Most agents know they should prospect, but they don’t have the exact blueprint—what to say, who to contact, how to follow up. So they avoid it,” McLay explains. “The first month removes that excuse.”
Phase 2 (Days 36-63): Conversion mastery, focusing on turning prospects into contracts through advanced objection handling and systematic follow-up protocols.
Phase 3 (Days 64-90): Scalability and system automation, building infrastructure that can operate independently of constant personal involvement.
The Science Behind Structured Success
McLay’s approach aligns with established research on goal achievement and accountability. A study by Dominican University found that individuals who write down their goals are 42% more likely to achieve them. More significantly, entrepreneurs with structured accountability are 76% more likely to achieve performance goals.
REX Coaching implements this through twice-weekly live Zoom coaching calls, providing what McLay describes as “real-time guidance, expert feedback, and direct accountability to keep you focused, sharp, and results-driven.”
The program’s 12-module, 50-hour training system addresses specific skill gaps identified in industry research, covering everything from mindset development to advanced closing strategies. Each module ties directly to revenue-producing activities, with lifetime access allowing agents to revisit key concepts as their careers evolve.
Market Impact and Economics
Forbes research indicates that 87% of business owners recognize that skill development directly increases their income. Yet only 18% follow through consistently with structured improvement programs. For real estate professionals operating in a commission-only environment, this gap between knowledge and action can be financially devastating.
The program’s comprehensive course is priced at approximately $3,800, with group coaching options at $249 monthly and individual coaching at $999 monthly. While this represents a significant investment for new agents, it pales in comparison to the cost of failure in an industry where agent turnover exceeds 50% within two years.
Redefining Industry Standards
As Tyler McLay expands REX Coaching into the U.S. market, his approach represents more than just another coaching program—it suggests a fundamental reimagining of how real estate professionals should be developed. Rather than accepting high failure rates as inevitable, the REX model proposes that systematic training can dramatically improve agent success rates.
“The agents who scale aren’t the ones who work the hardest,” McLay notes. “They’re the ones who work the smartest—because they’ve invested in skills, systems, and strategy.”
With 71% of agents currently producing zero sales, the need for transformation has never been more urgent. Through REX Coaching, McLay is demonstrating that success in real estate need not be left to chance—it can be systematically built, one properly trained agent at a time.
