Take the hire ground: 6 mistakes to avoid when recruiting real estate agents

Recruiting and retention are the lifeblood of your brokerage. Some of the most common reasons why real estate agents might come to your brokerage include technology, training and support, reputation, commission structure, marketing support, and culture. There are also a multitude of reasons why they may not. Weichert® is putting a spotlight on some common mistakes brokers make when hiring real estate agents. Take a read and see which ones you can flip around to help you find the talent you’re looking for.

1. Not paying enough attention to your marketing

Quite often, your marketing is the first impression for your future talent. Marketing can separate you from other brokerages and help you stand out. If a prospective real estate agent looks up your company but can’t find you or you don’t have a professional looking footprint, they may avoid working with you. Make sure your marketing efforts are front and center. Promote your company culture clearly; create lots of content for your website and social channels (i.e., blogs, posts, podcasts, and videos); and continue to market your brokerage through traditional advertisements, like flyers and billboards, where you can really showcase your brand personality.

2. Making it about you, not them

What do new recruits care about? What would make them stay put at their present brokerage? Or leave? There are many reasons that factor into a real estate agent’s decision-making process,, including:

• Work-life balance
• The hassle of making a change
• Emotions (e.g., loyal, happy, scared)
• Money
• Support

How can you temper your offerings based on these elements, the things that new recruits may care about most? If these are their pain points, how can you help solve their issues? Conversely, if these items are solid for them, how can you paint an even better picture with you? 

Recruiting Daily states, “When starting a new real estate brokerage, it’s easy to assume that you and your agents will share similar goals or motivations.” The truth is this is not always the case. Be mindful of what new recruits are motivated by these days, and make sure you elevate those offerings to the top of your list. If it still doesn’t attract these candidates, it just might not be the right time or the right fit.

3. Only going after the superstars

Everyone wants top producers on their team, but that may not be the best strategy for agent recruitment. When recruiting real estate agents, you need to cast a wide net and avoid singling out individuals with a specific experience level, especially those who are top-selling agents. Sometimes, the less experienced agent has a fire in the belly that you can tap into through coaching. Therefore, they can grow with you over time.

You can also tap into what is known as a passive candidate, which is basically an agent who may not be looking for a job. Glassdoor states, “Research shows that passive candidates are 120 percent more likely to make a strong impact at your company. In other words, ignoring passive candidates means missing out on a wealth of top-notch candidates.” 

Passive candidates can often be mined from referrals, such as your current employees. Back to Glassdoor: “Referrals have long been a staple of modern recruiting strategies, and for good reason—78 percent of recruiters say they find their best candidates through referrals.”

4. Glazing over what you can offer

Yes, compensation is important. But an agent’s reason for joining you can’t just be about dollars. Sure, it might be a way to lure someone over, but then what’s to stop that agent from moving on once a better offer comes their way? Think about compensation in a bigger way: the value of your brokerage. For example, Weichert broker-owners have access to expert coaching, a state-of-the-art tech stack, an excellent CRM, marketing tools, scripts, and every other value-added resource and benefit to help them succeed and grow. And don’t forget about talking up your sense of community! Our brokers and their agents have the support of the entire Weichert team that spans across the nation.

Think about all the things that you already do and offer. These are the elements that help people feel seen, appreciated, and supported. Then, make sure to clearly communicate it to prospective hires.

5. Dropping the recruitment ball

Have you ever been on a long road trip and you waited until the last second to pull over to a gas station to fill up? And then that gas station was closed? Panicked, right? OK, that’s how real estate recruitment feels when you don’t stay in front of it. 

According to the National Association of REALTORS®, the median tenure at an agent’s present firm is six years. Attrition is inevitable, so find ways to keep hunting for your next great agent. This can include:

• Attending industry events.
• Hosting your own events.
• Publicly celebrating your existing team on social media. This shows that your brokerage is great to work for and that you care about your agents.
• Offering a finder’s fee to your team if they refer you to someone they feel would be a terrific addition.

And in the short term, don’t drop the ball with the recruits that you meet today. Follow up in a timely fashion, make the recruitment process as easy as it can be for them, and create a scenario where you can both decide if this is a good fit. At Weichert, we offer our affiliates a full suite of materials to support their recruiting efforts, and the blueprint for a successful recruiting strategy.

6. Not having the right support

All of these “mistakes” often occur because brokers are too busy or stressed about the big picture of running their business. Real estate recruitment, albeit a critical part of your business, is just one piece of the pie. How are you supposed to juggle it all without having the right support? Maybe you don’t have to. Let’s talk.