Leadership Without Listings: Why One Principal Stepped Back to Scale Up

Breaking industry norms, Ben Kingsberry learned that stepping away from active selling created a stronger business foundation. By choosing leadership over competition with his own team, he built a thriving 60-person agency where salespeople close up to 60 deals annually—without competing against the boss for listings.

In a profession where success is often measured in sales figures, Ben Kingsberry has taken a markedly different path—one that prioritises leadership over listings and long-term growth over short-term wins.

When Ben rejoined his family business in 2011, he assumed, like many returning second-generation professionals, that selling real estate would be central to his role. But after just two transactions, he recognised a deeper calling—not at the coalface of sales, but in building the kind of agency where agents could truly thrive.

“I realised very quickly that my value wasn’t in listing and selling,” he reflects. “It was in steering the business, supporting our people, and setting the kind of culture that allowed others to grow.”

The Non-Selling Principal Model

While many principals still maintain personal sales pipelines—often leading the board within their own office—Ben chose a different route. By stepping back from sales entirely, he has removed the internal competition that can quietly undermine team cohesion in traditional models.

“There’s an inherent tension when a business owner is also competing for listings,” he says. “You can call it mentoring, but when you’re chasing the same clients as your team, you’re not truly leading—you’re competing.”

Today, Ben leads a team of more than 60 across multiple business units, none of whom have to worry about the boss swooping in on leads.

That clarity has paid off: agents under his leadership regularly settle 50 to 60 properties a year—without personal assistants, but with strong administrative backing and strategic support.

Shifting the Metric of Success

This philosophy—placing team success ahead of personal performance—has shaped every facet of his agency’s evolution.

With no personal sales targets to chase, Ben has been able to focus entirely on operations, coaching, recruitment, retention, and forward-planning.

The results speak for themselves: a high-performing, low-turnover team with a strong sense of loyalty and collective momentum.

“Stepping away from sales gave me the bandwidth to really lead,” Ben explains. “It allowed me to invest in our culture, redevelop our office, pursue my MBA, and adopt innovations that keep us ahead of the curve.

Those are things I simply couldn’t have done while juggling open homes and auctions.”

Challenging Industry Assumptions

It’s a model that goes against the grain—particularly in an industry that often rewards visibility, individual results, and personal branding. But for Ben, the proof is in the performance of his people.

“Our agents know they have room to grow here. They’re not competing with management. That gives them clarity, and it gives me the confidence to step fully into the leadership role our business needs.”

It hasn’t been without challenges. From a financial perspective, the decision to remove one strong performer (himself) from the sales equation required rigorous planning and confidence in the broader team.

It also demands discipline to stay close to the market without being actively in it—something Ben manages through regular agent check-ins, strategic involvement, and a strong presence across the business.

A Model Worth Considering

While the non-selling principal model may not suit every business—particularly those still reliant on founder-driven sales pipelines—it offers a compelling pathway for agencies looking to scale sustainably and foster true leadership.

“If you’ve built your brand around you, the transition has to be well-managed,” Ben acknowledges.

“But if your goal is to build something bigger than yourself, stepping away from selling may be the very thing that unlocks your next stage of growth.”

At a time when many agency owners are grappling with burnout, retention, and succession planning, Ben’s story offers a different lens: leadership not as a by-product of personal success, but as a conscious, strategic choice.

And in his case, it’s paid dividends—both for his people, and for the business they’re building together.