Why “I’ve Been Doing This for 20 Years” Isn’t a Compliance Strategy

“I’ve Been Doing This for 20 Years” Is Not a Compliance Strategy

There’s a sentence I hear right before problems surface:

“I’ve been doing this for 20 years.”

It’s usually said calmly. Confidently.
And almost always right before a file comes back incomplete or a broker realizes their exposure is bigger than they thought.

Experience is valuable.
But compliance does not measure confidence.
Compliance measures evidence.

Experience Is Memory. Compliance Is Proof.

Longevity creates intuition.
Compliance requires documentation.

You can know how a deal usually goes and still miss the one disclosure that makes the contract unenforceable. You can remember how you’ve always done it and still be operating off a version of a form that no longer exists.

Regulators, auditors, and attorneys don’t care how long you’ve been licensed.

They ask:

• Was the correct form used?
• Was it executed properly?
• Was it delivered on time?
• Can you prove it?

Experience answers none of those questions by itself.

The Most Common Failure Pattern We See

The highest-risk files rarely come from new agents.

They come from seasoned professionals who:

• Rely on muscle memory instead of current form language
• Assume intent matters more than execution
• Treat “we always do it this way” as a substitute for written proof

Nothing about that is reckless.
It’s human.

But compliance systems don’t fail because people are careless — they fail because processes were never designed to override habit.

Compliance Is a System, Not a Personality Trait

“I’ve been doing this for 20 years” is a personal credential.

Compliance is organizational infrastructure.

It lives in:

• Standardized workflows
• Current documents
• Defined review points
• Clear escalation paths
• Documented broker judgment

None of that happens automatically with time.

In fact, time often makes it worse — because habits calcify while rules change.

Why This Matters to Brokers (Not Just Agents)

When something goes sideways, the record doesn’t say:

“This agent had a great reputation.”

It says:

• Missing brokerage agreement
• Outdated exhibit
• No evidence of delivery
• No documented supervision

Experience doesn’t transfer liability.
The broker still owns it.

The Quiet Truth About Strong Compliance

The best compliance environments don’t feel heavy.

They feel boring.
Predictable.
Uneventful.

That’s not because everyone is experienced —
it’s because the system does not rely on experience to function.

Experience helps people move faster.
Compliance exists to slow them down at the exact moments it matters.

If your compliance posture depends on how long someone’s been in the business, it isn’t compliance.

It’s luck.

Terin Delisser
ComplianceDesk.tech

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Brokers should consult qualified legal counsel for jurisdiction-specific guidance.

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