Recruiting in Uncertain Times: Why Relationship-First Outreach Still Wins
One Quick Dialogue to Get You BACK on the Phones
21
Apr
Six Powerful Ways to Follow Up With Recruits
10
Mar
It’s the #1 Key to Bringing On the Agents You Want
By Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur
How many agents have you talked to in the past 12 months who were not ready to join, but gave you permission to stay in touch? One of the easiest ways to recruit more agents each year is to follow up with those who say “no” initially. The decision to change offices is a tough one.
There are a lot of agents currently reevaluating their brokerages — especially when many feel their company has not supported them enough through these turbulent times.
I get it – you’re wearing a lot of hats right now, but there is an opportunity to not only build your team but help real estate professionals who may just need that extra support and attention to make a move that will help them thrive, even during these times. Brokers who have been consistently following up with agents say that up to 50% of their hires each year were the results of these efforts.
Here are six powerful ways you can follow up directly and indirectly:
1. Call. One of the least favorite things for brokers to do, but one of the most effective. Some of the best people to call are those agents who have had transactions within the last 30-60 days. If they’ve had positive experiences, call those agents and congratulate them on their professionalism and give them kudos for a job well done. Let them know if they are ever interested in exploring other options – you’d love to sit down and meet.
2. Send a Lumpy Letter. These are perfect for capturing attention, showing that you are not only interested but a creative and even fun broker that’s willing to be outside the box. It gets them thinking — and talking! Sometimes it’s even good for recruiting more agents than one for that very reason! Learn more here.
3. Use weekly e-newsletters. These are terrific, especially for emotional agents. When they are non-invasive or pushy – but instead motivational, give great tips, and a spotlight you as a leader and a broker who is in the know in the marketplace — recruiting prospects respond very well. John from New York had this to say, “I am surprised at how hungry the industry is for local news and statistics. The number of agents who come up to me at broker open house events and association functions to comment on the Monday Morning Wake Up Call newsletters. This opens the door for a ‘getting to know each other’ conversation.”
4. Be present in your market. This is no time to be a stealth broker. Even in areas not yet opened up — there is a lot you can do to ensure that you and your company are presenting yourself as present and listening and providing agents with the tools and training they need to grow and adapt. Show them that you are more than a name on a door. Show them that you are someone who’s willing to be part of their solutions.
5. Make an invitation. Got an agent you’d really like to sit down with? Let them know. Send them an invitation for a quick Zoom call, or a cup of coffee at their favorite spot. Let them know, no pressure, no sales pitch. You just would like to get to know them a little better and you appreciate what they are bringing to your market.
6. Offer training. Right now agents are often in 24/7 mode with learning curves — especially regarding technology. Offer ongoing training with great speakers, powerful topics, and terrific takeaways. Let them know it’s the kind of training that sets the perfect pace for the rest of the year and will help them kick off a fantastic fall season. Make it easy and non-threatening for them to register, and extend the offer as a by-invitation-only event.
Now, more than ever, it’s important to FOLLOW up with agents. Why? People want to feel seen, heard, and recognized. They want to feel valued and appreciated for their commitment to stay in this game. Pick up the phone and call the agents on your hit list this week. You might be surprised to see how many are willing to meet with you. Make recruiting a priority now.
If you’re ready to dial up your recruiting and position yourself to attract the agents you want sooner rather than later, join top brokers from around the nation who are members of www.TheProfitableRecruiter.com.
You’ll get all the tools you need each month to position yourself as the broker to join when agents are ready to make a move. Fine-tuning your skills this season? All pro members get access to over SEVEN hours of training via downloadable links including interview skills, scripts, objection handlers, and more. PLUS, you’ll have access to entire libraries of recruiting letters and notes, emails, social media content, training webinars for recruiting and retention, and opportunities to network with the best of the best.
Join today and take advantage of our special offer of 50% off with the promo code 50OFF any membership. That’s 50% off everything you need to be in the right place at the right time when the agents you want are ready to make a move!
Leading With Influence
25
Feb
Strategies to Grow a Stronger Team
By Real Estate Coach Judy LaDeur
There is a proverb that states, “He who thinks he can lead, but has no followers, is only taking a walk.” Leadership is all about influence and developing the relationships that foster trust, security, connection – and the willingness to join you in your vision.
What are the qualities of a strong leader?
- Integrity: Total honesty and sincerity. Do you sincerely want your agents to be successful beyond their wildest dreams? Are you genuinely happy for those earning more money than you?
- Lead by example: Being the person you want others to be. Are you prospecting daily to build your business? Do they see you interviewing daily? Are you building relationships in the marketplace?
- Trust: Do your people trust you? Trust makes leadership possible. Steven Covey said it well, “The ability to establish, grow, extend, and restore trust is the key professional and personal competency of our time.”
- Respect: Leaders earn respect by making sound decisions, admitting their mistakes, and putting the needs of their followers and organization ahead of their own personal agenda.
Actions of great leaders:
- Start by just saying thank-you when they do something well. Praise is most effective when it is specific, sincere, and given as soon as possible after the desired behavior occurs. Broker challenge: Sincerely thank one person each day for something.
- Send them notes for meeting their goals or for being on track. Challenge: Write three notes each week to an agent to affirm their progress if they are on track to hit their goals. Send them a small gift when they hit their goals each year.
- Great leaders take Mental Hygiene breaks! Take time to refuel, and you will go a lot further. Take vacations without answering emails or business calls. If the day is going really bad, get away from the office and the business for a few hours. Spend 20 minutes meditating or just getting quiet in the middle of the day. Create a quiet room in your office. Studies show that 20 minutes of meditation in the middle of the day increased effectiveness in the workforce. Challenge: Encourage meditation/ quiet time in the office and create a quiet room if possible.
Putting these strategies and processes in place help you fine tune your leadership skills and tune-in more to your agents and even your recruiting prospects. And that? Creates influence. Builds trust. Nurtures relationships. Take these challenges to heart for the next six weeks and see how they create change in yourself and your team dynamics. Good luck, and happy recruiting!
For more great ideas on giving your agents the best resources possible, while attracting awesome new agents, join The Profitable Recruiter. Take advantage of our special winter offer! Make any Profitable Recruiter Pro Membership part of your 2016 business plan, and take 50% off with the promo code 50OFF — PLUS, have the ability to add up to 10 managers or admins to your account at no extra cost! That’s 50% off everything you need to be in the right place at the right time when the agents you want are ready to make a move – including SEVEN HOURS of recruiting audio training, more than 30 webinars on demand, scripts, letters, social media tools and more! What are you waiting for?
How to Identify & Hire the BEST New Candidates
23
Feb
From Personal Experience…
By Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur
If you’ve ever thought, “I need more agents, but where do I start?”—you’re not alone. The truth is, there has never been a better time to hire new-to-the-industry agents. The great news? These fresh recruits WANT support, training, and a broker who genuinely cares.
The challenge? Not all new agents are created equal. Some will thrive, while others will flounder. So, how do you identify the ones with the potential to succeed? And just as importantly—how do you set them up for success before they even step foot in the business?
Be Honest About the Realities of Real Estate
One of the biggest mistakes brokers make is sugarcoating the job. Real estate isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s commission-based, high-pressure, and demands relentless effort. That’s why I always lay it out in black and white during the interview:
“If I think you can make it in real estate, I will hire you today. If I don’t hire you, you should reconsider this career. Because while anyone with a license can find a brokerage, getting hired doesn’t guarantee you’ll make any money.”
At this point, I have their full attention. Then I continue:
“In fact, 90% of agents earn a poverty-level income. But the top agents—those who commit, hustle, and master their craft—can make well over $100,000 per year. If I hire you, I will do everything in my power to help you succeed. Does that sound fair?”
Being upfront about the reality of real estate does two things: it weeds out the uncommitted and earns respect. Serious candidates appreciate honesty, and that builds trust from day one.
Sell the Dream—But Keep It Real
Once they understand the risks, I paint a picture of what’s possible.
They have unlimited earning potential. Top agents earn six figures and beyond—but it doesn’t happen overnight. It takes grit, learning, and long hours.
They have a flexible schedule. Yes, they can be their own boss, set their own hours, and sleep in if they want. But freedom comes with responsibility. If they don’t work, they don’t earn.
They have no salary, no benefits, no guarantees. They get to pick their own insurance and retirement plans—but they also pay for them out of their commission checks.
Then I hit them with the reality check:
“So, does this still sound exciting?”
I watch their reactions closely. Do they lean in, eager for more? Or do they shift in their seats, hesitating? The right candidate will embrace the challenge—not back away from it.
Look for the Right Qualities
Real estate is a high-risk, high-reward career—so I look for agents who thrive in that environment. Here’s my personal checklist:
- They need desire and motivation. Why do they want to give up the security of a paycheck for real estate? If they don’t have a strong why, they won’t last.
- They need confidence and resilience. This business is full of rejection. I need agents who can hear “no” and keep going.
- They need work ethic. If they’re not willing to put in 60+ hours a week in year one, they’ll struggle. I ask about past jobs, challenges, and how they handle pressure.
- They need people skills and professionalism. Good agents don’t just sell homes—they build relationships. I pay attention to their eye contact, energy, and ability to connect.
- They need a financial cushion. If they can’t afford to survive without a paycheck for six months, they’ll be forced to take shortcuts—or worse, quit.
- They need a strong sphere of influence. Do they know a lot of people in the community? Real estate is a relationship business. Connections matter.
At the end of the interview, I don’t just go with logic—I trust my gut. Do I believe in them? If the answer is yes, we move forward.
Close the Deal on the Spot
Once I decide they’re a fit, I don’t wait. I set expectations immediately.
“If you’re serious about real estate, you need to sign up for pre-licensing classes today. No waiting, no second-guessing. Success starts NOW.”
This creates urgency. The right candidates take action. The wrong ones hesitate—and that tells me everything I need to know.
Final Thoughts: Build Your Own Hiring Playbook
If you’re serious about recruiting top-tier new agents, create your own checklist. What traits, skills, and mindsets do you value? Stick to your criteria and don’t compromise—because the agents you hire today will shape your brokerage tomorrow.
Not every new recruit will be a superstar—but by setting high standards, you dramatically increase your odds of hiring future top producers.
Now, go find your next rockstar agent!
Ready to kick up your recruiting and position yourself to attract the agents you want sooner rather than later? Join top brokers from around the nation who are members of www.TheProfitableRecruiter.com. You’ll get all the tools you need each month to position yourself as the broker to join when agents are ready to make a move. Fine-tuning your skills this summer? All pro members get access to over SEVEN hours of training via downloadable links, including interview skills, scripts, objection handlers, and more. PLUS, you’ll have access to entire libraries of recruiting letters and notes, emails, social media content, training webinars for recruiting and retention, and opportunities to network with the best of the best.
Join today and take advantage of our special offer of 50% off with the promo code 50OFF any membership. That’s 50% off everything you need to be in the right place at the right time when the agents you want are ready to make a move!
The Three Daily Practices of Master Recruiters
25
Jan
Hint: Are You Staying in Touch with Your Customers?
By Real Estate Recruiting Coach and Speaker Judy LaDeur
If you are like most Brokers, you are constantly reinforcing with your agents how important it is to stay in touch with their clients and potential customers. It’s one of the most important jobs for your agents, but according to NAR, one that most agents do not do.
What about you? Are you staying in touch with the agents in your market that you want for your team? Are you building your base of potential recruits? Are you staying in touch with them on a regular basis? Do the agents in the market know what tools/training and benefits you offer as an organization and why it might be a better option for them and their career? Do you have your names set up in a CRM?
It’s not enough to have “good stuff”. Most companies have great tools and a lot of opportunities for their agents to make money and succeed. If that’s all it took, most companies would have agents lining up at their doors to join. They trick is to also communicate the value of what you are offering and stay positioned with those agents at all times.
Communicating your value actually starts way before the interview process. When you take the time to build people’s trust, build the relationship and “pre-sell” your company, the job is half done when you start the interview.
- Social Media is a great way to build the relationship.
- You can build curiosity about the value of joining your team with “Just Hired” announcements, both online, in the sidebar of your weekly emails, and postcards are a great way to spread the word that agents are joining your office. You may want to include their “why” – where they share the top reason they joined.
- Your marketing should be about your results. Share the things that make you unique. Do you have an awesome mentoring program? Do your agents close more than those at other companies? Share your success stories.
- Make those phone calls to discuss your value, the results your agents are getting, to thank an agent for a great co-broke experience, etc.
- Our Profitable Recruiter Monday Morning email newsletters keep you positioned at all times. They are motivational and inspirational and a “soft” way to stay in touch without that imposing push of a hard recruiting call. You’re offering content of value, and creating the rapport that is powerful when those agents start to think about making a move.
What do top recruiters and brokers do on a daily basis to insure consistent results in recruiting? They stay in touch with the agents that they want! We talked to many of the best recruiters and brokers that we coach and asked them what they do to stay in touch with their “book of business”, the agents that they want.
#1: Phone calls are a daily routine: They talk to at least five agents every day about a career with their company. When their pipeline is empty they spend several hours each day making calls. For a Master Recruiter, if they are not interviewing a candidate, they’re looking for one!
#2: They network for referrals daily. Master Recruiters say the best way to get appointments with the best agents is to build relationships with their existing agents. Master Recruiters say 50%-80% of their recruits are a result of the referrals from their agents. How do they get the referrals? They ask for referrals, they watch who the agents are co-broking with and follow up with phone calls, they hold networking/coaching sessions weekly for the agents in the office, and they understand that when agents are happy with their office, they want other agents to have that same experience.
#3: They follow up with the agents in their pipeline: Master Recruiters hire about 50% of the agents that they interview that day, or within 60 days of the initial interview. 15% will choose another firm right away and 35% of the agents will decide to move sometime in the next 12 months. That means follow up is critical for long-term success. Follow up involves, notes, calls, sending books or gifts, invitations to special or social events, or sending them a weekly motivational email that they can read, share with their friends and family and also share with their book of business. When that agent is doing more business because they are sending your weekly motivation message to their book of business. Their business and success is tied to YOU, and they are not even there yet! Brokers who stay in touch with their potential recruits with The Profitable Recruiter say that they recruit more than of 6 agents per year with this one tool alone!
Show your agents that you practice what you preach and sign up for the Profitable Recruiter today. Your agents will love it!
What do you get? Make any Profitable Recruiter Pro Membership part of your recruiting plan, and take 50% off with the promo code 50OFF — PLUS, have the ability to add up to 10 managers or admins to your account at no extra cost! That’s 50% off everything you need to be in the right place at the right time when the agents you want are ready to make a move – AND includes the SEVEN HOURS of recruiting audio training, more than 30 webinars on demand, scripts, letters, social media tools and more! What are you waiting for? Register today and be on your way to being a Master Recruiter.
Everything You Need to Recruit the Agents You Want in 2025
04
Jan
It’s Never Been MORE Important to have Systems in PLACE.
Real estate recruiting speaker and coach Judy LaDeur has worked with thousands of brokers over the past 35 years and has fine-tuned the art of successful recruiting. Recruiting is essential to succeeding in today’s market. However, there are very few brokers who actually take the time to learn about recruiting and make it a priority. The truth is that a lot of brokers struggle. They struggle simply because they don’t understand recruiting. But the good news is that recruiting doesn’t have to be confusing or overwhelming! These are not complicated systems or techniques.
Judy started out as a highly successful REALTOR®. She figured out how to leverage the skills she already had to become a master recruiter. Now she will teach you how to do the same. In Judy’s systems, you’ll learn the tools necessary to increase your market position $50-100 million dollars, every single year. It all starts with simply recruiting two experienced agents per month. We’ll assume that these newly recruited agents are doing about $2.5 million in production each. That’s $5 million added to your bottom line each month, but more importantly, you are pulling $5 million from your competitor every month as well. That means in just 30 days; you would be 10 million dollars stronger in the marketplace. Or 120 million dollars stronger in just one year. What would that mean for your business? Would it make it easier to recruit the agents you want? When you increase your market position something very different happens…that “something” you’ve been trying to obtain all along. All of a sudden, your company has more signs in the market, and your agents get more calls. Your competition’s market presence suddenly drops – they have less signs and their agents get fewer calls. Your original group reaps the benefits of the bonus calls and the new activity, and each agent does a few more transactions every year.
Using the secrets that the top brokers in the nation already know, any company can bring in at least twenty-four producers every single year.
You already have 80% of the skills and talent that you need to be a dynamite recruiter. With the right strategies you can have agents lining up at your doors begging to work for you. Recruiting is your one-way ticket to success. You will have the power to stop your attrition, increase your production and increase your market position. These are proven systems that you can use. Dominate your market by leveraging the power of recruiting!
It is very important to keep in mind that much of recruiting is timing. You must be patient. Send them information on a regular basis to educate them on who you are and what you can do. Then, when the time is right, that person thinks of you. It’s much like “farming your area” as a sales agent. The perfect way to stay in touch and be positioned when the time is right is to register today for The Profitable Recruiter Marketing Platform. You will receive motivational emails each week that your prospects will love. You’ll also have access to a library of letters, phone scripts, notes, social media content, and master-class webinars for recruiters — even webinars for your agents and prospects to attend. All of this and more positions you to CONSISTENTLY get face to face with the agents YOU want to RECRUIT when they are ready.
How do I conduct the recruiting interview?
The key to the recruiting interview is…stay focused on them. It’s all about the agent. You must stay focused on them! In her advanced training audio system, Judy takes brokers through the 7-step process and teaches them how to know what the recruit wants, what to present and how to present your company and your systems in a way that builds value. When you hire on value, you do not have to “buy them” or compete on money. Judy will not only teach you how to conduct the interview, but you will hear Judy role-play the entire process with a broker. Every presentation must be customized to meet their needs.
How do I overcome stalls/objections from the agent?
The ability to overcome the stalls and objections that agents are giving you is one of the keys to a successful interview. However, we have found that the better your presentation skills, the fewer the stalls and objections. Brokers and recruiters who follow this process will hire an average of 70-80% of the agents that they interview that day, or they will get a commitment that day if the timing is right. It just goes back to making sure that you are not dragging people in off the streets who are not interested in joining your company and that you maintain that contact until the timing is right.
Every pro member of The Profitable Recruiter can now access Judy’s Profitable Recruiter Audio Training System (a $297 value). In this audio training package, you’ll have more than SEVEN HOURS of recruiting tools, scripts, dialogues, role-playing, and foundation builders. In her Profitable Recruiter Membership Platform, you’ll have weekly eNewsletters, recruiting letters, lumpy letters, retention tools, social media tools, a full library of webinars on demand (for you and your agents), and new scripts monthly as well. This power-packed duo of recruiting tools is literally everything you need to recruit the team of your dreams, but this offer won’t be on the table for long.
Register today for the six-month or one-year Profitable Recruiter pro memberships, using Promo Code 50OFF and save 50% off your memberships, and start using Judy’s incredible training tools right away.
Got questions? Email us for answers! Good luck and happy Recruiting!
It’s NOT Just a Numbers Game
01
Jan
It’s a PEOPLE Project
by Real Estate Recruiting Coach and Speaker Judy LaDeur
Since the dawn of recruiting, we’ve all been told, “it’s a numbers game,” and “it’s a contact sport”. While a portion of that is true – you do have to contact a number of people CONTINUOUSLY to recruit new agents and build your company, it’s not JUST about numbers – or contact. It’s about PEOPLE. And RELATIONSHIPS. Because that is the business you are in really. Not real estate – but those hard working folks who list and sell every day that are people. Getting to the heart of what makes them tick, what makes them successful, and what makes them think of you when it’s time to make a change is the biggest job you have.
So there are three truths you should know…
- It’s not about the money. Almost every time an agent leaves a current broker it doesn’t have anything to do with money. It’s usually a lack of trust, a breakdown in the relationship, or a shift in culture in the company. So keep this in mind – both for staying in touch with those you want to recruit – and maintaining a great relationship with those current agents you want to KEEP.
- Salespeople don’t like to be SOLD. If every contact you make with the folks in your pipeline is about pitching them to move to your office, save yourself time and money now. It won’t work. What does work is CONSISTENT interaction? Non-threatening, non-salesy interaction with something of value. Something that makes them WANT to hear from you.
- It’s not about the first contact or the last. It’s about showing up time and time again in a supportive and positive way. Agents who are looking to make a move don’t go with the first broker that tried to recruit them or even the last – they go with the one who is rock-steady and always there.
Our brokers are loving the way we help them stay consistently in touch and build those relationships. And our Monday Morning Wake Up Call eNewsletters are not only getting the job done for bringing on new recruits – but for helping their agents build their book of business too. As motivational messages with a clear story to tell, valuable information to share, and inspiration that kick starts the week off right, it’s become a tool that allows brokers to stay in touch, share a real estate success strategy, and keep top-of-mind with both their recruiting prospects and their current team. The side benefit? Is the agents then share that message with their sphere and farm and your branding and positive impact on the market spreads.
Picture this: Let’s just say, for easy math’s sake, you are a broker with 50 agents in your office. (Multiply the math for your current numbers.) You send your message every Monday to your current agents. You deliver the agent version of the Monday newsletters (that we provide to our members) and invite them to tweak it, make it their own, and send it to their sphere and farm. If each of your agents has 200 in their sphere or farm, you’re then reaching 10,000 people each week (and helping your agents do the same.) Add to that a recruiting hit list of 50 agents, and you invite them to also tweak and make it their own and share with THEIR sphere or farm. That’s 20,000 each week you are touching. That’s going a long way towards making a serious impact on your market, your communities, and the agents who service it.
Will they all do it? Of course not. But will it stick with the ones who are eager to take the lead? Absolutely. Will it make a difference to those agents who are ready to make a move and wondering who to turn to in terms of a new company, culture, and broker relationship? You bet it will. Position yourself today to be THE broker to talk to in your market. Actively. Consistently. Positively. Your bottom line will thank you for it.
The key to making recruiting easier – and even more fun is to dare to be different. To set yourself apart from your competitors. Our members tell us that we make that so much simpler by providing the creative how-to’s each and every month so they can focus on getting face-to-face with new recruiting prospects. Every month they can choose from new lumpy letters (for top rung recruits), seasonal letters (for B & C lists), and they stay positioned with all of their recruiting lists by using their Monday Morning Wake Up Call eNewsletters and social media tools. Then they use the training they get from the 7+ hours of audio training and 35+ webinars on-demand to feel confident, competent and ready for anything when they have that recruit on the phone or in an interview.
You can too! Join today and take advantage of our special offer of 50% off with the promo code 50OFF any 6-month or annual membership. We’re taking the guesswork out of recruiting for brokers — and they are loving it. We can do the same for you! Questions? Email us today.
The Top Three Reasons People Leave (And How to Avoid Them)
16
Dec
Keys to Retaining Your Best People
By Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur
The top three reasons people leave their jobs – are lack of recognition, poor working environment, and they’re not making enough money.
Here’s the truth: Negative agents can scare off every customer they speak with, for good. This means that how your agents feel about the company has a direct impact on your profitability.
Did you know?
- 65% of Americans received no recognition in the workplace
- 9 out of 10 people say they are more productive when they’re around positive people
There is a great quote in the book: Open Your Big, Bold, Beautiful Mouth by Alphonso Belin and A.J. Polizzi that says, “The highest achievable level of service comes from the heart, so the company that reaches its people’s hearts will provide the very best service.“
The Keys to Retaining Your Best People
Having a good time is the best motivator there is. When people feel good about a company, they produce more. In a study of more than 1,500 employees in scores of work settings by Dr. Gerald H. Graham, professor of management at Wichita State University, the most powerful motivator was personalized, instant recognition from their managers. “Managers have found,” Graham adds, “that simply asking for employee involvement is motivational in itself.”
Graham’s study determined the top motivating techniques:
1. The manager/owner personally congratulates those who do a good job
2. The manager/owner writes personal notes about good performances
3. The organization used performance as the basis for promotion
4. The manager/owner holds morale-building meetings to celebrate successes
People today are looking for much more than a paycheck. They want to be treated like human beings. That may sound obvious, but a lot of employers and managers still don’t get it.
Here are some great examples of ways to make your team feel appreciated, valued, and recognized:
When employees at Douglas Aircraft in Long Beach, California, hit their goals, they ring a large brass bell. Why not put a bell in the office and let the agents ring it when they get a listing or sale?
The Pinellas County, FL public school administrative offices have designated a small area where employees can drop off clothing for dry cleaning in the morning. A local dry cleaner picks it up and returns it by the end of the workday. Many real estate offices offer this service to their agents as well. It does not cost you anything but offers a great service to busy agents
Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics said, “Every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says, ‘Make me feel important.’ If you can do that, you’ll be a success not only in business but in life as well.” She was known for the way she made people feel. Did you know that when she was talking to people, she kept eye contact with them the entire time, even though people around her were always trying to get her attention?Check yourself – when you are speaking to a team member, are you REALLY present? Are you checking your phone? On the computer? Distracted? One of the easiest (and free) ways to making someone feel valued is giving them your undivided attention when you are speaking to them. Listening, more than speaking. Eye contact. Handshakes. It all matters!
During the busiest times of the year, executives at the Cigna Group, personally push coffee carts around the office, serving drinks and refreshments to their frontline partners. As they serve, the executives coach and encourage their colleagues as well as hear about real consumer issues from those who know customer concerns the best. Consider ‘open office’ hours where agents can come in to speak with you at any time. Make the rounds at least once a week and check in with each and every member of your team. Find out how their week is, if they have any needs, questions, or great news to share. Even 10-15 minutes of your day once a week can make a huge difference in building and sustaining those relationships.
Herb Kelleher, CEO and co-founder of Southwest Airlines, has discovered that by becoming personally involved in the workplace, and in the jobs that his employees do, he can unleash a tremendous amount of energy among his workers. For example, Kelleher often helps flight attendants serve beverages to customers when he flies on his airline. Get hands on. Ask what you can do to make an agent’s week go smoother. Help with a difficult client. Celebrate a win. Offer a little coaching.
At Hewitt Associates, new employees are made to feel special. “I joined the firm about six months ago as a writer/consultant in New Jersey,” said a new-hire. “I was surprised at the level of detail that had gone into the preparation for my arrival. One of the more experienced writers left a welcome note on my desk, along with a ‘survival kit’ (including a candy bar)…and everybody came by my office to personally welcome me to the team. For the first two weeks or so, every day somebody made a point to stop by and ask me to lunch.” What Type of reception do your new agents get when they join? Are their names on a welcome sign as they come in? Do you leave a special welcome gift for their first day? Do you encourage other team members to make them feel welcome? Do you send out press releases or share kudos for them on your site and social media?
Here are some great ways to show you care and that you are paying attention:
- Call an agent into your office just to thank him or her; don’t discuss any other issue.
- Post a thank-you note on the agent’s phone.
- Volunteer to do an agent’s least desirable work task for a day.
- Have the President of the company or the regional manager call an agent to thank him or her for a job well done.
- Have someone wash the agents’ cars in the parking lot during lunch.
- Carry a supply of cards with you and as you ‘catch people doing something right,’ immediately write ‘thanks,’ ‘good job,’ ‘keep it up’ and what they specifically did in two to three words. Put the person’s name on the card and sign it.
- Have lunch or coffee with a group of agents that you don’t normally see.
- Write a recommendation on LinkedIn for every member of your team. You can break it into a small number day if you need to – but make this the month that you recognize them professionally in that platform.
In the book, The Leadership Pill, Blanchard and Muchnick explain profit this way: “Profit is the applause you get for taking care of your customers and creating a motivating environment for people.” As brokers your ‘customers’ are your agents. Create an environment where they can be creative. Collaborative. Respected. Valued. Cared About. When you do? You’ll see your team flourish and grow in the best possible ways.
Now, as to the not making enough money part of this equation, it is imperative right now that you provide powerful, timely, SKILL-BASED training for your agents weekly as they navigate all this new market change and information. We partner with our friend Darryl Davis who provides free weekly sessions for agents that is helping them not only work with more confidence, but close more business! You can share this link with your team members to help them do the same: www.PowerAgentWebinar.com.
Profitable Recruiter Members, please login to your platform today to get all of your April recruiting tools, and review your powerful webinars on demand!
For more great ideas on giving your agents the best resources possible, while attracting awesome new agents, join The Profitable Recruiter. Take advantage of our special offer! Make any Profitable Recruiter Pro Membership part of your business plan, and take 50% off with the promo code PLAN50 — PLUS, have the ability to add up to 10 managers or admins to your account at no extra cost! That’s 50% off everything you need to be in the right place at the right time when the agents you want are ready to make a move – including SEVEN HOURS of recruiting audio training, more than 30 webinars on demand, scripts, letters, social media tools and more! What are you waiting for? Register today!
Coaching Your Agents to Succeed
27
Nov
Setting Goals and Smashing Them
By Real Estate Coach Judy LaDeur
Studies show that most agents are at a loss when it comes to setting goals or planning activities. Salespeople tend to fly by the seat of their pants and figure it out as they go! However, it’s also been proven that those agents who plan for their success are more likely to succeed. That said, if you’ve got agents who are struggling, not truly hitting their potential, or are clearly off-track from goals they did set at the first of the year — it may be a good time to tap into a little coaching to put them on the right path.
Here is a simple exercise that you can do with any of your agents. Ask them to come prepared to discuss their goals, and where they want their real estate career to be one year from today.
Start the discussion with this statement: “If we were having this discussion a year from now, and you were looking back, what has to have happened in your life, both personally and professionally, for you to feel happy with your progress?
For some, it’s hard to imagine their life in the future. Especially given all the change we’ve experienced this year! Give them time to think about their answers and write them down as they share them with you.
Then as this question: “What problems/worries/ concerns do you have now that need to be eliminated for you to have the outcome that you imagine? What opportunities need to be captured, and what strengths need to be maximized?”
With regard to problems, obstacles or concerns, ask this question: “What steps or action can you take today to eliminate that obstacle or minimize that concern?”
Example: If they have a goal to increase their income by $100,000.00, but a concern is that they are already working seven days a week and can’t imagine how their income can increase by $100,000.00, you want to ask them to come up with solutions to that problem. You should not provide solutions, even though you might think the solution is easy. You might want to prompt them to come up with several solutions. If they said, “I guess I could work smarter.” Ask them, “What does that mean to you and how could you achieve it?” Them: “Maybe I need an assistant.” You: “That’s a great solution. What else can you do to work smarter?”
When they say the solutions and steps aloud, it creates a path to move forward. Write these in your follow-up report and send them to them. Keep a copy in their file and follow up to see what actions they are taking to ensure that the life they want in three years is starting to take shape.
Most people don’t have goals, they have wishes. For wishes to become goals, they have to be achievable, measurable, and have a deadline. For it to be measurable something must be achieved which can be measured. Action steps can be measured.
Entrepreneurs are always motivated by freedom. They are the ones who create new industries because they are always looking for new ways to be in control of their businesses and their lives. Their biggest motivation is always increased freedom; freedom from restrictions, freedom to create new forms of value that they can profitably sell. They dislike being restrained inside of other people’s systems and structures. As a result, they are always looking for exciting ways to get the best return on their investment of time and money. They are always on the look for new approaches that expand their opportunities and capabilities.
When an entrepreneur’s personal and professional life is in balance they are able to focus more on what they love to do.
Thinking ahead, and planning for success, makes it more likely to happen! We’re here to help!
We’ve partnered with our good friend Darryl Davis to share a weekly training webinar with agents all across the globe at no cost each week. Here’s the link to share with your agents if you’d like a little “extra” help in the coaching department for your team members! www.darrylspeaks.com/online-training
Want to learn more about hiring the best agents for your team, and keeping your team happy and productive? Join The Profitable Recruiter and gain access to 7 hours of training via downloadable links including interview skills, scripts, objection handlers, and more. PLUS, you’ll have access to entire libraries of recruiting letters and notes, emails, social media content, training webinars for recruiting and retention, and opportunities to network with the best of the best. Join today and take advantage of our special 50% off with the promo code 50OFF any membership.
Questions Open Doors in the Interview
19
Oct
Hiring the Agents You Really Want
By Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur
I was asked, “What is the most important thing that you need to do to be successful in recruiting?” My response, without hesitation, was “Asking the right questions”. In every step of the recruiting process, asking questions, and asking the right questions is the key to success. Let’s look at each step of the process:
- Phone Calls: When you are making your calls, remember that you should not do all the talking. Tell them why you are calling, then ask questions. Ask them what they know about your company, how their career is progressing, what they would want in a company if they were to make a change. Learn as much as possible about that agent. Remember, if they are emotional, the more they talk, the better you are doing.
- The Interview: Before you begin to tell them what your company has to offer, you must first ask questions to determine what they are looking for, what they are unhappy about, what they would want if they were to make a move, etc. The more effective you are at asking the right questions, the more likely you are to present the right systems.
- The Presentation: While presenting your systems, the interaction between you and the agent is critical. If you are the only one talking, chances are that they will start to tune you out. Keep them engaged in the interview by asking them questions and getting their feedback as you present your systems. Again, if the agent is emotional, the more they talk, the better you are doing. 70% of all sales agents are emotional by nature. If you keep them engaged in the conversation, you will have a much better chance of hiring them that day!
- The Close: The close is a statement designed to have them take action and commit to joining your team. When they have concerns, they will throw out stalls and objections. This is when questions are very important. Don’t try to overcome the objection right away, but instead, follow the 5-step objection handling process. By asking questions about their concerns, you can usually discover the best solution for that objection. When you have the best solution to the problem, ask a question to tie it down. “If I can solve (the problem), is there anything else that would keep you from saying yes today?” If that is the only problem, solve it!
We all know that Einstein was a genius. What you might not know is a famous quote that says it all when it comes to asking questions. Albert Einstein said: “If I had an hour to solve a problem, and my life depended on the right answer, I would spend the first 55 minutes determining the right questions to ask!” When a recruit is sitting in front of you, you have one hour to solve the problem of “What would it take?” When you take the time to ask the right questions, everything gets easier!
Having the right systems and strategies in place year-round takes some of the guess-work out of your success. We are happy to be a resource to help you stay in touch month-after-month, give you the scripts and dialogues you need to close even the savviest of agents to join your team. Want to learn more about how to become a more profitable recruiter? Check out our Membership Benefits and enroll today.
Take advantage of our special offer! Make any Profitable Recruiter Pro Membership part of your business plan, and take 50% off with the promo code 50OFF — PLUS, have the ability to add up to 10 managers or admins to your account at no extra cost! That’s 50% off everything you need to be in the right place at the right time when the agents you want are ready to make a move – including SEVEN HOURS of recruiting audio training, more than 70 webinars on demand, scripts, letters, social media tools and more! What are you waiting for? Register today!