Are the Disruptions in the Market Impacting Retention?

Posted on October 17, 2019October 17, 2019 by The Profitable Recruiter

17 Oct

Keeping Your Team Together

By Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur

Today’s best agents are being heavily recruited, and the options that are being presented are enticing: Checks, marketing packages, leads, specialized branding, shiny new tools and even retirement options. For many Brokers that we are talking to, it’s definitely more stressful than it has been in the past. New technology and changes in the way that business is being done require that Brokers stay sharp, at the top of their game and in tune with the tools agents need to compete in a world where consumers are more educated and also have more options.

Are Brokers losing their agents to the competition? That depends. Most of our clients are NOT losing agents, or at least no more than normal. It is recruiting season, which means that a certain percentage of agents will change firms, but the question is why are they leaving, and what are they looking for?

Here are some facts with regard to why agents leave firms

Weak agents will always look for an easier way to make a living.
If the company is not staying current, delivering the tools that agents need, the best agents will leave.
Some agents are not prepared for retirement, which might only be a few years away. They are looking for a solution. If your company does not have a solution, you might lose those agents.
Agents want to feel appreciated and will leave if they feel they aren’t.
For some agents, it’s all about money, so they will leave for a higher split, lower fee, or a check.
Some agents are not willing to do what it takes to succeed, so they quit.

If you are losing 10% of your agent base per year, or more, you definitely should take steps to increase retention.

But the question today is, “Will the new startup companies in the market, or the many changes taking place, make it more difficult to retain your agents?” That depends on YOU, the Broker.

Retention is about creating VALUE on two levels. You with the agent and the agent with the consumer. Both are your responsibility.

Ask yourself these questions:

Do your agents have what they need to compete in today’s real estate market?
Are you meeting the needs of the agents and the demands of the consumer?
Are your agents educated about their competition, and can they show enough value to overcome objections and secure the listing?
Are you engaged and connected to your agents? Do they enjoy working at your firm?
Is each of your agents selling at least 6 homes per year?
Do your agents have the technology to be fully mobile?

If the answers to those questions are yes, then you are doing great. If not, what can you do to fully support the agents, and meet the demands of the consumer?

A NAR 2018 survey shows that 85% of agents want to be fully mobile when it comes to their real estate career. They want to manage their transactions from start to finish on their mobile device. They also want what they need to be delivered fast because speed matters today. The consumer expects speed and when the agents don’t, or can’t respond fast enough, it creates stress.

The good news is that it’s still about the relationship for most agents, as well as most consumers. Here are some ideas to maintain that relationship:

Create a superior “high touch” experience for the agent and consumer.
Use videos to stay in touch with agents and clients. It’s more personal.
Add a Consumer Care Specialist or Agent Services Specialist.
Use technology to automate processes and increase efficiency, allowing them to sell more with less stress.
The MAJORITY of Home Sellers and Buyers still want an agent to hold their hand during the transaction.

What’s Your Action Plan?

Your Agents Are Your #1 Asset and #1 Clients. How can you honor that relationship?
They love food, fun, and recognition!
Now is the also the time to teach your agents who want “out” to sell their business and transfer it to one of your agents.

Let today’s changes inspire and motivate you to create new ways of doing business and propel your business to a new level.

Profitable Recruiter Members, log in here and visit webinars on demand to watch our recent webinar all about the DISRUPTORS in our industry.

Continue to learn how to be the master recruiting skills and be the broker to join in your market. Bookmark our blog, and join The Profitable Recruiter today. We have a full spectrum of membership benefits with all the tools, strategies and solutions you need to position yourself to win this year and every year. Our goal is for you to become the “turn-to” broker in your area for every agent.

Join today and take advantage of our special offer of 50% off with the promo code 50OFF any 6 month or annual 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 – including SEVEN HOURS of recruiting audio training! What are you waiting for? When you join – you and up to 10 managers can access your account! Try it for a month and see what it can do for you.

The Disrupters: How Will They Change the Face of Real Estate?

Posted on August 1, 2019August 1, 2019 by The Profitable Recruiter

01 Aug

The word we keep hearing in the marketplace is the “disrupters”. What are they, who are they, and are they here to stay? My prediction is yes. Disrupters by their definition are an event or an organization that disrupts the flow of business as it has always been done. They shake up the marketplace, and in some cases, change entire industries. A few disrupters that we have all seen in recent years are Uber, Airbnb, and YouTube. They broke the rules, gained momentum, got sued, won, and almost overnight three major industries were forever changed.

Now we are seeing even more disrupters in the real estate industry. Players who are not playing by the “rules” that we have established. Mega-startups are presenting our best agents with huge checks which is not playing by the rules. Companies are mad, and some are fighting back. But we have seen that in the past, so it’s not entirely new. They are offering virtual platforms, but that’s not new. Discount brokerages are popping up, but that’s not new either. So what’s causing all the commotion? I think it’s a lot of things all happening at the same time, but the real disrupters to our industry are technology and dollars — millions in private funding for the new start-ups.

Technology is being funded and fueled by hundreds of millions of dollars this year, and that is something that we have NOT seen in the past. That is the true disrupter. Why? Because we can’t stop technology from changing the face of our industry or changing the way that business will be done as we move forward. This is a change that is causing many Brokers to reinvent themselves and how they will do business in the future, while others will fight, kick, scream and refuse to budge from their position, for now. What is different about this change is that the consumer is being educated about the new tools, the new technology, the new apps, the new transparency and the new way to buy and sell homes. This is impacting our industry at a grass roots level, which is the consumer.

Yes, there are many disrupters hitting many of you at the same time. For now, the major markets are the targets, and those Brokers are feeling it. It’s not just incentives for agents, but it’s incentives for consumers. New toys that the consumer can use to buy and sell, and that’s why I think Brokers and agents need to pay attention and up their game.

I receive calls weekly from Brokers and clients who are nervous and looking for direction. Many of them are letting the fear of change create chaos in the companies. Change is a given — how you respond to it will make all the difference!

What’s the solution? Whether you are a Broker or an agent, there are three ways to keep those disrupters from disrupting your business.

#1: Build the relationships. We are an emotion-based industry, filled with emotional agents, emotional buyers, and emotional sellers. Most people want to have that REALTOR that they trust at their side, and most agents want that Broker that they can see and talk to. As a Broker, what are you doing to build and maintain the relationships with your agents, your greatest asset? Most of them just want to know that they are appreciated and cared for. It’s also time to train your agents to build that trust and relationship with their clients and customers. Remind them to stay positioned with their weekly emails, which are a great tool to keep positioned for referrals and repeat business.

#2: Set yourself, your agents and your company apart with specialization. Be the expert in your geographic area, or your area of expertise or a niche. Those who set themselves apart have always survived the ups and downs of real estate and typically are the Brokers and agents at the top.

#3: Learn how to compete on value. People will always pay more for a product if you can show and prove value. I see this as the number one area that Brokers and agents should give special attention to. What is the value for each of your tools and services and can you PROVE the value?

The combination of relationship, specialization, and proving value is the solution. I think much of the fear right now from Brokers is due to the fact that this is feels overwhelming. With so many changes — it can feel difficult to keep up.

Farmers insurance has a great commercial with J.K. Simmons who says, “We know a thing or two because we’ve seen a thing or two.” I’ve seen all the disruptors of our industry for the past 40 years. I know a thing of two because I’ve seen a thing or two and survived it. We’ll get through these changes together!

If you are battling the Disruptors in your market, or just want help recruiting the best agents, based ON VALUE, let us help you navigate through uncertain times and come out on top!

Profitable Recruiter Members, log in here and watch last month’s webinar on demand all about the DISRUPTERS in our industry.

Join today and take advantage of our special offer of 45% off with the promo code 45OFF any 6 month or annual membership. That’s 45% 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! What are you waiting for? When you join – you and up to 10 managers can access your account! Try it for a month and see what it can do for you.

Proving Value in the Age of Disruptors

Posted on September 4, 2018September 4, 2018 by The Profitable Recruiter

04 Sep

Last week, we hosted a powerfully informative and insightful webinar with Coach Judy LaDeur on which she discussed discuss what brokers and agents need to do to position themselves to thrive despite disruptors such as companies “buying” agents, technology interruptions and more. Empowering, insightful and just what real estate brokers need to hear during this transitional time.

Profitable Recruiter Members, log in here and visit webinars on demand to watch our other recent webinar all about the DISRUPTORS in our industry.

Join today and take advantage of our special offer of 40% off with the promo code 40OFF any 6 month or annual membership. That’s 40% 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! What are you waiting for? When you join – you and up to 10 managers can access your account! Need more information? Contact us at 813.957.2989. Happy recruiting!

Seeing is Believing!

Posted on July 26, 2018 by The Profitable Recruiter

26 Jul

We live in a visual world! We have all heard that people remember more of what they see than what they hear, but do you know why? There are several reasons, but first, let’s take a look at how your brain stores information.

Did you know that your brain stores audio information in one way — a more temporary way — and it stores visual information in an entirely different way. A way that will make the memory easier to recall. You see, visual images tend to have more things we instantly associate with them — for example, a picture of some horses on a farm, instantly calls up images of hay, riding, a barn, a cowboy, etc., and those connections make the information more “memorable” and thus, makes recollection easier and more likely. Or in the world of Recruiting, a visual of one of your agents, with a quote about their success, or a graph of your success, will stay in a prospective recruit’s memory longer.

Think about it like this: Has someone told you their phone number and before you could say it a few times over in your head or write it down, you got briefly distracted by something … and POOF! The phone number is GONE! Or someone asks you to get something for them, but by the time you get to the next room, you forget what it was! The short-term memory can forget things almost instantly when you are distracted, which happens frequently in our business. Think about sales agents. Are they focused and always listening while you talk, or are they sometimes distracted and thinking of all the things they need to do? A verbal recruiting presentation to a distracted agent is a recipe for disaster!

Here’s another great tip: If you want someone to remember your message, tell them a story. Our brains are far more engaged by storytelling than a list of facts–it’s easier for us to remember stories because our brains make little distinction between an experience we are reading about and one that is actually happening. And visuals add a component to storytelling that text cannot: speed.

According to research compiled by 3M, the corporation behind Post-it Notes, visuals are processed 60,000 times faster than text, which means you can paint a picture for your audience much faster with an actual picture. It’s no surprise then that HubSpot’s social media scientist Dan Zarrella found tweets with images are 94% more likely to be retweeted than tweets without. When you are talking about your tools and success, use real-life scenarios and stories to have a more powerful presentation.

Since 65% of people are visual learners according to the Social Science Research Network, one of the best ways to drive your message home is through visual content. Which is why we created an easy-to-use tool for Brokers and Recruiters to use for their recruiting presentation.

Our tool of the month earlier this year was a set of Compelling Reasons templates, ready to customize with your info and use in your next interview. September is recruiting season, which makes THIS the time to get prepared. As a member of The Profitable Recruiter, this tool is included in your membership and is easily customizable. You can also buy a customized set of 12 for your company for $198 for non-members. Email us here.

Sign up today and join us for a free webinar July 31^st at Noon Eastern on effective marketing and positioning, just in time for Recruiting Season. REGISTER HERE.

It’s a fact that Top Recruiters and Top Agents use visuals in their presentations for the same reasons that I am going to recommend that you do. It works! Not only does it have more of an impact when you are giving the presentation, it’s absolutely essential if they don’t sign up that day. Within JUST THREE days, 97% of info they HEARD is gone! Make a lasting impact using visuals that convey your value propositions and the compelling reasons to join YOUR team.

12 Reasons Recruits Will Say YES to Joining Your Company

Posted on May 8, 2018May 8, 2018 by The Profitable Recruiter

08 May

Communicating Your REAL Value

By Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur

The most important asset within your company is the people. Attracting the right people means attracting those aligned with your values and vision. This gives you an opportunity to create a flourishing environment that translates into an improved bottom line.

Putting a strong team in place will require you to answer a few tough questions first. You must be able to share details about your company in “what’s in it for them” terms. Explain how a move would benefit them both personally and professionally. Because let’s face it, switching companies is a very scary decision for most people. Diffuse fears by accurately and effectively sharing the “WHY” that sets you apart from your competition. What does this look like?

You must define:

What you do better than your competitors
What you are doing that your competitors are not
How you can help potential recruits earn more money through your systems and tools
How you enhance the working environment of your agents
What real results other members of your team have seen since making a move

Once you answer those questions, the next step is spelling out the reasons any agent would want to join your team. In my training, I ask each broker to come up with their 12 most compelling reasons. Unfortunately, twelve reasons can be difficult for a lot of brokers. For that reason, I have created a blueprint that you can follow to begin crafting your own list.

12 Compelling Reasons Recruits Will Say YES to Joining Your Company

# 1: Strong Leadership: Vision, support with problem solving, and leaders who are acting like leaders. Take it one step further and determine what specific value you and your expertise bring to your team.

#2: Lead Generation: Agents need to prospect, but they want companies that are working to generate leads for them as well. There are lead generation companies out there that are charging agents up to $1000 a month for leads and believe it or not, agents are paying. Why? Because agents want those internet leads, or any leads that the company can provide. What are you willing to provide?

#3: Name Brand Awareness: Companies with a strong presence in the market, locally and nationally, are doing well with their recruiting efforts. Name awareness is tied to market share. The best agents understand that the stronger the name/market share, the easier it is to compete for business.

#4: Education/ training: Agents are looking to fine-tune their skills. Many agents know they need to get back to the basics and most realize the value of staying current in an ever changing real estate industry. The best agents also understand the value of securing specialized training or securing certain designations for areas of specialization. Such areas might include: Luxury market training, working with seniors, working the condo market, working with various ethnic groups which are moving into the country, and working the short sale and foreclosure market.

#5: Positive office attitude and healthy environment in the office: Agents want a positive work environment with competent and positive peers. It is easy for me to see that the offices with the best production and best attitude have brokers with a great attitude. Those same brokers spent the last 5 years getting rid of their dead weight and many are more profitable today than they have been in years!

#6: Mastermind Groups and networking opportunities with other top producers: Many of the best agents enjoy connecting with the other successful agents. Their needs and approach to the real estate business is different from those just getting started, so why not give them the opportunity to grow and play together? Agents who work hard, play hard and spend time together are more likely to stay together

#7: Marketing support/tools: Marketing is the #1 thing that agents need to stay in touch with their sphere and past customers. What can you do to assist or support their marketing efforts?

#8: Client/ data management tools: Many agents struggle when it comes to managing their data and client info. Do you have an easy-to-use customer relationship management tool that allows them to input their data, send out marketing, and locate client data quickly?

#9: Coaching and accountability: We see many companies implementing very successful coaching programs, with some great results. If the company does not provide coaching, the agents might hire outside the organization. The cost can range from $500 -$1000. What that tells me is this: if they want it and it has value to them, they will pay for it! Your agents need accountability and sometimes a third party is the best way to keep them on track and accountable. Your best option is to coach them yourself or have someone else in house that can effectively coach them. If this isn’t possible, seek out a good coach and work out an agreement with them to coach those agents who want it.

#10: Administrative support: Agents are working harder, but most are not working smarter. What can you do to support them behind the scenes? What can you take off their plate to give them more balance in their life and work?

#11: Proven results with proven systems: It’s not enough to have systems and tools. Your need to know what the results are from each of the systems and tools you offer. Use exact results, NAR survey results, national brand results, testimonials from your agents as well as success stories. Bring those results into your interviews. Everyone says they can help potential recruits, but those who can prove it are winning in today’s market.

#12: Security: The bottom line for any agent making a move is whether or not they will feel secure at their new location. The more answers you can provide on the above list, the better they will feel, and when they feel good…they join!

Take some time to sit down and determine what your best selling points are as an organization. Ask your agents what they love most about being part of your business family. Then couple these powerful 12 reasons with your own compelling attributes and get ready to knock it out of the park this fall!

Want to continue to learn how to be the turn-to broker in your market? Bookmark our blog, and join The Profitable Recruiter today. We have a full spectrum of membership benefits with all the tools, strategies and solutions you need to position yourself to win this year and every year. Our goal is for you to become the “turn-to” broker in your area for every agent.

Join today and take advantage of our special offer of 35% off with the promo code PLAN35 any pro membership. That’s 35% 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! What are you waiting for? When you join – you and up to 10 managers can access your account! Try it for a month and see what it can do for you.

Implementing the Right Formula for an Effective Coaching Group

Posted on August 10, 2017 by The Profitable Recruiter

10 Aug

Enhance Training, Recruiting and Improve Retention and Profitability

By Real Estate Coach and Speaker Judy LaDeur

One of the best ways to ensure a newer agent’s success is through weekly coaching. Not only does it help them reach their goals faster and with less stress, but top brokers know that it is part of a very strategic plan designed to complement recruiting efforts, increase retention and profitability while enhancing training programs.

Why is coaching such a hot subject today? Because it works! All across the globe, business professionals are hiring coaches to keep them on track and forming networking groups to share and exchange ideas. We have combined these two ideas to make your job easier.

Let’s start with the issues facing managers and Brokers today:

It seems tougher to keep the ones you have.
Recruiting experienced agents seems to be a greater challenge today.
With increase splits and the cost of maintaining systems and an office that is “high-tech” and “leading edge”, profits are dwindling.
It takes six months of time and training to get a new agent to a productive state. And yet 50-70% of the new ones you hire will not make it and leave the business, or not make it and stay in your office.

My 35-year background in training, coaching and recruiting has taught me that any system that increases an agent’s production can be used to recruit other agents. Plus, a system that increases an agent’s production helps retention and of course increased production results in increased profits.

As described in my plan to get new agents productive in under 30 days, the key components to increase production are:

High Accountability
High Expectations
Direction
A Proven Plan
Written Goals

I believe every agent who enters this business wants to be successful. I also believe most of them just do not know how to operate as independent contractors. That’s where coaching comes in!

Coaching groups meet on a regular basis. They set goals and they have assignments. There is an expectation of what they should do, and peer pressure if they don’t.

What do the agents like about coaching groups? They get to share their ideas. They learn from others who have already mastered techniques and dialog. It gives them a sense of self-worth and it keeps them on track.

Why do Brokers and managers like coaching groups? Coaching groups save time. You can effectively coach an entire group of agents for an investment of one hour per week. Coaching groups save careers. Some agents just need more time and more direction. When they don’t get it, they don’t make it. Thousands of agents in every major marketplace are searching for someone who will take an interest in their success and their career. If your group is successful, and you market those results to “those agents” who are searching for support and direction, they will seek you out.

Top Producers also need a forum where they too can exchange ideas and learn from others. This is typically referred to as a Master Mind Group or Networking Exchange. There is very little preparation time needed on the broker’s part for this group.

The Formula

Participation in the group should be voluntary, but if they sign up, they should commit to be there for each session.
Choose a convenient time that will not conflict with their schedule.
You may set up more than one group. Groups should be set up with agents of similar production and similar goals.
- You could set up a group of agents in the business less than 1 year or less than $1,000,000.00 in production. Their goal might be 2 units of production per month.
- You could also have a group that currently averages 2 units of production per month, with a goal of 4 units per month. The agents in the first group, the beginners, could graduate to the next level by maintaining their production of 2 units a month for a specific period of time, such as 4 months.
- If you have a large group of top producers you could set up a coaching group for them as well. If you don’t have a lot of top producers yet, you will.
Start with one group, and then 30-60 days later, start the second group.
At the first meeting, discuss goals and give them the format as well as your expectations. Let them know that you will be asking them for their numbers every week, and they should come prepared.
You act as a monitor, not a teacher. As a monitor, you will ask each agent to share an idea and will keep the discussion moving. Only after the agents have shared their ideas, should you offer ideas of your own. Let them be the stars.
Select a topic and announce it in advance so they are prepared. It should be a very small, very specific topic that can be discussed in detail. You can choose the first 4-6 topics and then let them begin to tell you what they need. Here are some examples:
- How to overcome the objection of reducing your commission.
- How to stage a home for sale.
- What do you say when you call FSBO?
- What do you do to set yourself apart from your competition?
Everybody participates. Go around the group and ask each person what they do to (whatever the topic is). Let others ask them questions, and then move onto the next agent. Make sure they all take notes; however, you may want to take notes yourself and then have them typed and distributed to those in the group. You can start your own notebook of proven training techniques and ideas to share with new agents in the future or perhaps it will be the agenda for one of your future sales meetings.
Go around the group and ask each participant what their activity was and what their results were. If the goal is two units per month, they need one unit the first two weeks to be on track.
Create fun incentives. Anyone “On Track” after the first quarter gets to participate in the On-Track Luncheon, your treat. Or perhaps they get points for each month they are on track, points for activity, points for the idea that helped someone secure a transaction the next week, etc. Then at the end of the year, the number of points they have determines the prize they win. You could also lose points if you miss a meeting. Give them four allowed misses per year to allow for vacations, holidays or sick days.

There are lots of variations on how to effectively coach your agents. Have fun with it, experiment and see what works best for you and your team.

Is recruiting a challenge for you? We can help. Join The Profitable Recruiter and gain access to 7+ hours of audio training via downloadable links, powerful recruiting letters and notes, emails, social media tips, over 30 webinars for recruiting and retention, and opportunities to network with the best of the best. Take advantage of our special offer and save 35% on YOUR New Pro Membership with Promo Code: PLAN35.

Not sure if this is the right thing for your company? Watch this video on demand to learn why brokers across the country are making it their turn to way to stay positioned for recruiting success in today’s market — and putting the fun back into their recruiting. (Which is way better than dread – right?) 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.

How Strong is Your Foundation?

Posted on August 11, 2016August 11, 2016 by The Profitable Recruiter

11 Aug

Three Fundamental Practices for Success

By Real Estate Coach Judy LaDeur

As Realtors, most of you are familiar with a company called Ram Jack. Ram Jack® is the national foundation repair specialist based upon two simple principles for success: doing the job right and doing right by you.

How is your office foundation? If you are not sure, look at the rate of retention in your office. In today’s market, are you coaching and supporting the associates you have or are they leaving for various reasons?

I would like to encourage you to practice three fundamental practices which will enable you to strengthen your foundation by using the A.C.C. process.

(A) Accountability. Be accountable to your existing associates by providing the tools, services and support they need. Security is a key element of retention. Are you holding your agents accountable to do the activities that they should be engaged in on a daily basis? Are you holding them accountable to do those things to ensure they succeed?

(C) Coaching. Coaching is a power word for today’s professional. 68% of successful REALTORs have less than five years’ experience and are unsure what to do next. Don’t overestimate their knowledge of basic fundamental practices such as prospecting, negotiation and time management. Coach them to success or refer them to a successful coaching program. One additional alternative would be to hire a coach personally. One with experience in retention of real estate associates and learn the keys to holding them in place.

(C) Communication. Communicate clearly, concisely, and as transparently as possible. Agents are bombarded with negative information every day. Let the information from you be positive, inspiring and encouraging. Be honest, compassionate and sincere but also give them the info they need to stay on track.

The most efficient way to recruit is to retain the agents that you have. To secure your foundation and become the “Ram Jack” of our industry, solidify and cement your foundation by practicing ACC.

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 of 30% off with the promo code 30OFF any pro membership. That’s 30% 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! What are you waiting for? When you join – you and up to 10 managers can access your account! Try it for a month and see what it can do for you.

Time to FOCUS on Recruiting Top Agents

Posted on December 9, 2015December 9, 2015 by The Profitable Recruiter

(And Why Timing is EVERYTHING!)

By Real Estate Recruiting Coach and Trainer Judy LaDeur

Have you ever noticed that some brokers just seem to be “lucky” when it comes to recruiting agents to their offices? Well it is not luck, it is timing!

One of the most important keys to any Recruiting System is to keep in constant, consistent contact with your “hit list”. Why is this so important? It is said that “luck is when preparation meets opportunity”. If that is true, then we must have a strategy to increase our chances of “being in the right place at the right time”. In other words, you never know when circumstances will change and your target agent will be looking for a new office. If you aren’t keeping in touch often, the agent that you have been working so hard to recruit could be stolen out from under your nose by some other recruiter who happened to be in the right place at the right time.

However, the trick to staying in contact with your targeted agents is to keep the information that you are sending out valuable, informative, enticing and entertaining. If your information isn’t valuable, informative, enticing and/or entertaining they will not read it.

That is the most valuable component of the Profitable Recruiter Platform is our Monday Morning emails which are designed to start off their week on a positive note, but more importantly, with a positive note from you!

Is it challenging to come up with timely, entertaining and valuable information every two weeks? Of course it is, but it’s essential and again, you never know when “that week, will be THE week” that they need that message from you.

You should also have a system in place that allows you to automate the process of sending out information. iContact or Constant Contact are both great tools. On the first day of each month, copy and paste the emails for each week into a message that will automatically go out every Monday morning. Once you have your marketing system in place, you need to focus on your follow-up calls. Let me guess… up until now you have dreaded the follow-up calls, right? This is probably because your initial contact with the agent was a letter or postcard asking him or her to join your office. This only leaves room for the agent to say yes, or no. You have automatically closed off any other possibility of communications by using this approach.

On the other hand, by sending out motivational, inspirational emails, you will be sending out something that they will read, as well as forward on to those in their life that might need that message on that day. The follow-up call then becomes a friendly call to see how they will apply that message, that week.

This is a much friendlier way to open up a dialogue with your prospective agents. It is also much easier on you, as a broker or recruiter, to make the all-important follow-up calls. In fact, you may even come to look forward to chatting with the agents on your hit list. This is a great way to start a working relationship.

Remember, one of the keys to your success is your ability to stay in consistent contact with the agents on your “hit list”. You earn the right to stay in contact with these agents by only sending them valuable, informative and/or entertaining material. Then you can follow-up with a friendly phone call in a way that the agent is glad to hear from you.

When you are putting yourself in front of more agents in a systematic way, you are bound to become “luckier” than the other brokers in your marketplace. Sam Goldwyn of MGM once said, “The harder you work, the luckier you get.” I like to take it one step further and say, “The smarter you work, the luckier you get.” So, go out there and create your own luck!

Profitable Recruiter Members, please login to your platform today to get all of your December recruiting tools, and review last week’s powerful webinar 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 winter offer! From now until January 2nd, make any Profitable Recruiter Pro Membership part of your 2016 business plan, and take 35% off with the promo code PLAN35 — PLUS, have the ability to add up to 10 managers or admins to your account at no extra cost! That’s 35% 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 and write it off as a tax deduction!

How STRONG Is Your FOUNDATION?

Posted on October 23, 2014 by The Profitable Recruiter

3 Principles for Success

by Real Estate Coach and Speaker Judy LaDeur

As Realtors, most of you are familiar with a company called Ram Jack. Ram Jack® is the national foundation repair specialist based upon two simple principles for success: doing the job right and doing right by you.

I would like to encourage you to practice three fundamental practices which will enable you to strengthen your foundation by using the A.C.C. process.

A Accountability. Be accountable to your existing associates by providing the tools, services and support they need. Security is a key element of retention. Are you holding your agents accountable to do the activities that they should be engaged in on a daily basis? Are you holding them accountable to do those things to insure they succeed?

C Coaching. Coaching is a power word for today’s professional. 68% of successful REALTORs have less than 5 years experience and are unsure what to do next. Don’t over estimate their knowledge of basic fundamental practices such as prospecting, negotiation and time management. Coach them to success or refer them to a successful coaching program. One additional alternative would be to hire a coach personally. One with experience in retention of real estate associates and learn the keys to holding them in place.

C Communication. Communicate clearly, concisely, and as transparently as possible. Agents are bombarded with negative information every day. Let the info from you be positive, inspiring and encouraging. Be honest, compassionate and sincere but also give them the info they need to stay on track.

If you’re ready to give your team or organization a truly solid foundation — put systems in place that position you to build the team you really want, or learn more strategies for working smarter, not harder, bookmark our blog, and join The Profitable Recruiter today. We have a full spectrum of membership benefits with all the tools, strategies and solutions you need to position yourself to win this year and every year. Our goal is for you to become the “turn-to” broker in your area for every agent.

Getting the 4-1-1 for Effective Recruiting

Posted on September 15, 2014 by The Profitable Recruiter

Insights and Solutions from Top Broker Nick Libert

As we head into the fourth quarter, we wanted to learn some insights on some of the SYSTEMS brokers put in place to help them stay ON TRACK for the long haul, even when days get busy and life gets hectic. We got some wonderful ideas from top broker Nick Libert last week who was kind enough to share his thoughts, experience, and what’s working for his organization!

Here’s what we learned:

Q: First, thank you for participating! Can you tell our readers a little about yourself so they get to know you and your business!

A: Sure! I have been in the business 16 years, 13 of those as a broker/owner. My business is downtown Chicago and all suburbs of Chicago. I started in the business at Coldwell Banker, and after 3 years as a top producer left to start my own company. In 2005, I was bought out by Keller Williams and took over as managing broker of one of their offices in downtown Chicago, growing it from 30 agents to over 140. In 2008, I took the leap to Exit Realty.

At Exit, I first came on board as an agent to ensure I liked it before I bought a franchise. After a year and a half, in October 2009, I purchased my franchise. We started with 8 agents, and today have over 115. Our next step is to begin servicing NW Indiana as well as our current domain in Northern Illinois.

We are the largest and most productive franchise of Exit in Illinois, and I still maintain a healthy sales volume personally, being the #1 agent for Exit Realty in Illinois for 2014.

Q: Brokers and recruiters juggle many hats each week — can you tell us how you prioritize your activity and a tip for our readers on how to best manage their time (especially during a busy recruiting season)?

A: I time block my days from start to finish–I wake up at 6 am most weekday mornings and get my “big rocks” out of the way…my workout puts me in the right mood, and then it’s my social media, prospecting, and appointment setting for agent interviews.

I use a 4-1-1 Goal Setting and Accountability flowchart to ensure I am on track for my weekly, monthly, and yearly goals–I share this with my agents so they know what I am up to and so that I can lead by example.

I get our monthly training calendar done in advance, so I can plan my daily recruiting appointments around that. I use google calendar to share with my staff so they can assist in my scheduling. I have a recruiter who does much of my heavy lifting in terms of appointment setting, so that I can spend more time in the actual interviews themselves. Finally, I ensure that I spend time weekly offering 1 on 1 coaching for my agents, so they feel connected even if it’s been a hectic week overall.

Q: How do you help your agents get on track and stay there so they are more likely to hit their goals?

I encourage my agents to use the 4-1-1, a time-blocked calendar, and a business plan outline and require it for their coaching sessions to be the most effective. I also send out their production to them monthly breaking down income, listings and sales for the month and YTD.

Q: How much training and coaching do you provide to your agents and how important do you feel that is to your recruiting efforts?

A: Training and coaching are vital to creating a healthy ‘ecosystem’ within an office. A beautiful office space with no culture or support is dead space–the agents must feel like the broker is there to help them build their business, not take from them. We have a monthly training calendar packed with events, along with 1 on 1 opportunities to coach with me. We also ask our top agents to train and share.

Q: What do you think sets you apart in your market in terms of positioning yourself as the turn-to broker for those agents who are looking to make a move?

A: First off, experience. Agents know I have been in the industry as a top producer for many years, and in diverse parts of the market. If I don’t have the answer, I can find a resource quickly. Secondly, accessibility. I pride myself on having an open door and an open phone line–in particular, my smart phone is on me 24/7 and my agents know I am there for them. Finally, the Exit formula allows for splits above 100% through the power of residual income–a true 3rd income stream beyond listings and sales. I believe that gives us an advantage.

Q: If you had one piece of FAVORITE advice you could give a fellow recruiter – what would it be?

A: Your goal should not be to recruit, but build a vision so that from day one you are actually RETAINING. Encourage agents to help the company grow, and it becomes a family. Empower their business!

Q: If our readers would like to connect with you – do you have a url or social media address where they can find you?

A: Absolutely! I’m active on all social media @NickLibert

Awesome stuff Nick – thanks SO much for sharing your vision, insights, and ideas with our readers!

Do you want to learn more about staying FOCUSED and building a successful, growing office? Bookmark our blog, and join The Profitable Recruiter today. We have a full spectrum of membership benefits with all the tools, strategies and solutions you need to position yourself to win this year and every year. Our goal is for you to become the “turn-to” broker in your area for every agent.