Beyond listings and leads: 6 ways to add value for your agents

In today’s competitive landscape, attracting and retaining top talent is crucial for real estate brokerages. While a steady stream of leads and listings are important, real estate agents increasingly seek a work environment that fosters growth, provides support, and offers a clear path to success. 

For a real estate broker, it’s all about going beyond the basics these days. Weichert® has 6 ways to help you add value for your agents’ experience.

1. Invest in development

It’s in your brokerage’s best interest to invest in the growth and development of your agents. This gives you a competitive advantage in hiring, and it allows you to better attract and retain star agents. Here are a few ways to invest in your people:

• Supplement basic licensing courses with workshops on negotiation tactics, social media marketing, virtual staging, and niche markets. Partner with industry experts to offer specialized training on timely topics like luxury properties, first-time homebuyer programs, or green building certifications.

• Establish mentorship programs where you pair new agents with experienced ones who can provide guidance on navigating complex transactions, building relationships, and handling client objections.
• Offer continuing education incentives, such as offering financial assistance for courses and industry conferences. This promotes ongoing learning and an ongoing relationship with your brokerage.

2. Cultivate a collaborative culture

The culture that you build can be your secret sauce for keeping your real estate agents truly engaged. It’s the “it” factor—and it makes people feel good about being on your team. But because culture is something you can’t easily measure, like a rise or drop in leads, it’s critical to keep your eye on it. Find ways to constantly feed your brokerage’s culture, including:

• Organize agent-led workshops. Encourage agents to share their expertise by hosting workshops on their areas of specialization, fostering collaboration, and a sense of community. It’s a great opportunity to recognize individual talents.
• Facilitate peer-to-peer coaching sessions. These can be a powerful forum for agents to brainstorm solutions and offer each other constructive feedback.
• Nurture a team-based approach to lead generation. Move beyond the traditional lead silo model. Explore team-based approaches where real estate agents collaborate on lead growth and deal structuring. Host group call sessions or door knocking days.
• Lead with strength. During both glory times and tougher times, set an example of strength and confidence for your team. When they see that “you’ve got this” and that “you’ve got them,” they’ll recognize the value you bring to their professional career.

3. Empower agents with technology

It’s one thing to have the latest technology at your agents’ fingertips. But if agents don’t feel confident using it, then you’ve missed a value-added opportunity. Take a two-prong approach to technology, where the tools and training must always work hand in hand. 

These tech-based initiatives can give your real estate agents the added value they’re looking for:

• Provide a CRM with robust features. Invest in a customer relationship management (CRM) system that goes beyond basic contact management. Features like automated marketing tools, task management, and reporting capabilities can streamline workflows and improve agent efficiency. And then train them so they can confidently use every bell and whistle! myWeichert® powered by kvCORE technology platform is a great example. We provide this top-of-the-line CRM to every brokerage and agent, but we also offer non-stop training opportunities to get users engaged and comfortable with the technology. When they can make the most out of every feature, they can scale their business and do more of it.
• Build proficiency in virtual collaboration tools. Equip your agents with video conferencing tools and project management platforms for seamless communication and collaboration with clients, lenders, and other professionals.
• Offer digital marketing resources. When your agents have access to high-quality marketing materials, such as customizable templates, social media graphics, and email marketing campaigns, they’re well-prepared to dazzle customers—and they’ll know it. At Weichert, we partner with approved suppliers to offer polished, professional, customizable, and ready-to-order marketing materials. Plus, our brokers and their agents have access to myMarketing Studio, which gives them even greater design flexibility to create and customize both print materials and social media content. 

Whatever technology you offer, foster a culture of learning. If your agents are not sure how to use something, give them the support to try it, practice it, and succeed. That’s how you add value.

4. Amplify your agents’ brand

With your agents, particularly new ones, your brand becomes their brand. The halo effect that comes from your reputation and presence in the marketplace gives your agents an instant competitive edge. What may have taken you years to develop, they can step right into and reap the benefits. It’s the same effect when a broker-owner joins our Weichert franchising family. While you may have already built a successful business, being able to jump right into the success of our national brand—a brand that’s been built over the last 50+ years—equals instant amplification of you. 

To help ensure that your brand is a pillar of success for agents to lean on, be sure to:

• Invest in your brand over time. Build a strong company brand that is synonymous with expertise, integrity, and client satisfaction. Don’t rest on any laurels. Stay fresh, stay relevant.
• Co-brand strategically. Allow your agents the opportunity to showcase their individual strengths and expertise, all while sitting under the umbrella of your brand. For example, client emails or marketing materials. You and your agents can find a happy medium between staying true to your brand guidelines while adding a personal touch that helps them stand out as individuals. This can be a great way to foster a partnership. And it gives them some branding skin in the game.
• Leverage client testimonials and reviews. Encourage your real estate agents to collect positive client testimonials and leverage them on your company website and agent profiles. Social media validation builds trust and attracts new clients.

5. Prioritize the customer experience

With real estate as we know it shifting, it’s more important than ever that the customer experience is top priority. When you coach your agents to deliver the most exceptional value to a customer, you provide a competitive advantage that keeps your brokerage top of mind with buyers and sellers. 

Teach your agents how to offer limousine service to their clients. The real estate agent’s biggest value moving forward will be the agents’ experience in pricing homes, negotiating contracts, and getting their buyers and sellers the best deal possible. Real skills. Are your newer agents still learning the ropes in these key areas? Make it your business to coach, coach, coach. For your seasoned agents (and you included), keep sharpening the saw in ways that will make the biggest difference in these key areas. 

6. Think in ways you never did before

Ideas for Real Estate says it well: “The techniques and the activities that have worked in the real estate business for the last ten years are not yielding the same results today. Simply, clinging to old strategies just might not cut it in this evolving market. And to really thrive now, real estate pros must embrace new strategies and adapt to change. It may be important to make a shift in your operations and build foundational skills to successfully approach the marketplace today.”

How would a conversation with Weichert open up value-add opportunities for you? And then for your agents? There’s only one way to find out. Let’s talk.