One of the most crucial aspects of running a successful brokerage is real estate agent recruitment. However, it can also be one of the most difficult. This is especially true if you’re looking for more experienced agents to join your team. You need to refine your recruitment tactics, since a skilled veteran of the real estate industry will have different needs compared to a newbie.
If your brokerage is in need of top talent to boost business growth, here are some helpful tips for recruiting them:
Have a Good Script Ready
You might think that recruiting scripts don’t work anymore, but that actually isn’t true. In fact, Brokerkit makes quite a good case of why and how a good script can help you recruit the best of the best. The key is to develop different scripts that cater to agents at different experience levels.
Those who have been in the industry for quite some time are likely already secure and happy about their current situation. Thus, you need to be able to convince them how your brokerage can give them more value. At the same time, don’t bad-mouth or otherwise put the brokerage they’re presently working for in a bad light.
Another good guideline in developing a recruiting script for veteran agents is to try to identify their wants and motivations. Do they prefer to do the work themselves or do they want a small team to mentor? Focus on these details so you can customize your script.
Give Them Space
In this case, space means office space. While the COVID-19 pandemic has made video conferencing the norm, face-to-face meetings are still better when it comes to engagement and building rapport. A dedicated workspace to handle paperwork and other administrative tasks is also helpful when it comes to staying organized.
Show a senior-level real estate agent how you value them by allocating a suitable space for them to do their job. The idea is to give them a personal corner where they can feel welcome and comfortable as they work.
Build a Passive Candidate Pool
Sometimes, for whatever reason, an employee might quit all of a sudden and leave you scrambling for a replacement. When this happens, it pays to have a passive candidate pool where you can look for the best-suited person.
As previously mentioned, talented real estate agents are likely to be happy with their career at present. Therefore, they won’t be actively looking for opportunities. However, they might be interested in making the move if you can offer them something new, exciting, and beneficial. By building a passive candidate pool, you can keep track of the agents you’re interested in and cultivate a relationship with them. This way, it’s easier to make your case once there’s an opening.
Hire Slowly but Surely
Another thing you have to keep in mind is that recruiting seasoned agents and real estate professionals can take longer than hiring junior employees. You need to take the slowly but surely approach and evaluate with care. (Do note that the above-mentioned passive candidate pool—which you can review anytime—can help reduce the time you need for this step of the recruitment process.)
Don’t let your excitement take over once you feel like you’ve found “the one.” Instead, take a pause and really look at the person’s qualifications and personality. Will they truly be a good fit? Hiring the wrong person will not only cost you more money, but also lead to a drop in productivity. In the end, you’ll be thankful that you took your time.
To avoid making rushed hiring decisions, consider investing in a recruitment database software that can help the candidate evaluation and selection process, allowing you to maintain that careful approach. This specialized software helps you keep track of potential hires, ensuring you don’t miss out on top talent while taking your time to make the right decision.
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Boost Agent Marketing
Experienced agents have probably already developed their own brand. However, they might need a little more help in marketing and reaching new customers. Offer them assistance in this aspect of their career, whether that’s through social media posts, on-site blogs, or email campaigns. This can contribute greatly to their goal of growing their career.
Let Recruits Come to You
One of the best places to look for experienced real estate professionals is LinkedIn. After all, this social media network is more career-oriented than, say, Facebook or Twitter. However, you should also remember that a lot of candidates on LinkedIn aren’t active. This means that you’re in for a tough competition.
A good strategy is to let candidates come to you instead. Create a powerful video material, featuring your company culture along with some testimonials from both agents and customers alike. Then, post the video on Facebook, YouTube, and other high-traffic sites that are used for social recruitment (based on where your target prospects are spending their time).”
Nurture Great Talent
One of the most important parts of recruitment is retention. You don’t want to put in all that effort just for the agent to leave after a few months, right? To help reduce attrition, it’s a good idea to cultivate your agents’ skills. Find or create learning opportunities for them, and invest in tools that can help them boost productivity.
The bottom line here is to keep your agents happy to foster a strong sense of loyalty. This is an attractive facet for senior agents who are looking for stability and career growth opportunities.
