All brokers know that bringing talented and energetic real estate associates into your team is the key to long term success. But for many, sustaining and increasing headcount growth is both a quantity and a quality issue. It turns out that not every sales associate may be a good fit for the culture and the kind of team you are trying to build and with limited space and energy to give to your staff, choosing carefully is well advised.
Here are some thoughts from the experts at Weichert on what to ask and what to look for to see if the fit is truly right.
Personal Connection
Building a cohesive brand and company culture is dependent upon your ability to hand select new members that will be able to form a strong personal connection to you, the rest of the team, and the type of clientele that you are targeting. Even if an agent is talented, you should not invite them to join your team if they will become a disruption or point of conflict because of their personality. In addition to their professional appearance on paper, it is wise to take your time measuring your connection with each prospective agent. You should do this each time you meet and introduce them to other members of the team to see if they jive with your company culture. Trust your instincts.
Level of Experience
Depending on what type of brokerage you strive to run, you may want agents with different levels of experience. For example, if you thrive as a real estate mentor and want to be very involved in training, you may be better suited for recruiting new agents. However, if you are targeting sophisticated luxury clients, you need to recruit agents that have the maturity to cater to those demands and needs. You also want to take into consideration, their level of experience in business at all. For example, a former teacher versus a former mortgage lender will have very different preexisting knowledge about running a real estate business. . Keep in mind, too, the cost to your brokerage for experienced vs. new agents. It is often good to have a mix of both to optimize brokerage profitability.
Level of Commitment
As you already know, recruiting and agent turnover are one of the highest operating costs for any real estate brokerage. Therefore, it is imperative that you stay focused on quality agents that will be motivated to stay with you after they benefit from your training. When trying to understand what the commitment level of a new hire might be, asking about the future is always a good idea. Don’t hesitate to ask agents about their five or ten year plans. Folks with a serious commitment to being a professional agent will have thought about how they want their career to evolve, and may even have set revenue goals. This is a sure sign that you are dealing with a more committed agent with long term potential.
Spend Your Time on Recruiting – It’s Worth it
There is no question that recruiting, training, and molding a real estate team is much easier said than done. The amount of time needed to generate recruiting and training materials, host events, and provide support can be significant. A partner like Weichert provides real proven processes that also offer the busy broker relief. Relief in the knowledge that an experienced partner with real support, proven processes and tools is there for them and their agents 24/7.
For more information about how a partnership with Weichert can help you grow your brokerage go to www.weichertfranchise.com.
