The #1 Key to a GREAT Recruiting Interview

Posted on December 1, 2015December 1, 2015 by The Profitable Recruiter

Sometimes it’s What You DON’T Say

By Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur

I love a great salesperson; however I have found that most salespeople? Are good perhaps. But not GREAT. To be GREAT? A salesperson has to have the ability to make others feel good making the decision they have already decided to make.

Think about it. If you are going to buy a car, you go to a variety of dealerships with the intention of buying a car. So why is it such a treacherous process most of the time? I recently bought a new car. I literally walked out of FIVE dealerships before I finally took control of the situation. It’s sad that I would have to tell the salesperson how to sell me a car, but that is exactly what I did. What happened at the first five dealerships? They sent the newest, hungriest person to try to sell me a car. They did not ask me any questions, and to make matters worse, they did not LISTEN to anything that I was telling them with regard to what I wanted. They were focused on what THEY wanted, which was a sale.

There’s an old saying that’s SO true, (one your mom or grandmother might have told you!) It goes like this: “We’re given two ears and one mouth for a reason. Why? Because we were meant to listen TWICE as much as we speak.” Unfortunately, many Brokers, Owners and Recruiters also often fall victim to ignoring this design and speak way more than they listen.

An essential element in becoming a master recruiter is to listen to the needs and desires of the prospect and then present your systems and resources to meet these needs. The key is to LISTEN.

When we don’t listen, we OVER present. The better your company, the more tempted you are to present what YOU want (what you are proud of) rather than what the PROSPECT needs to be successful. Keep in mind that all of us on one level or another are tuned into the WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) channel .

Your best bet to recruit top agents? Stop SELLING. Start LISTENING, and asking questions – and listening to the answers. The truth is no one wants to be sold, but if they are sitting there in your office, then to do have an INTEREST and they do have needs that are probably not getting met where they currently are. Your job is to figure those two things out and provide the solutions. Here’s another old saying that’s worth a reminder: “Hearing is one of the five senses, but listening is an ART.” Practice your art. Your listening skills. Your investigative tools. Your prospects will tell you everything you ever wanted to know if you ask the right questions and you listen for the answers.

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!

Leading a Team and Leveraging Your Strengths

Posted on November 6, 2015 by The Profitable Recruiter

A Spotlight on Top Agent Nikki James

By Coach Judy LaDeur

Recently we hosted a webinar with our gracious guest and top agent and team leader Nikki James. Her insights and ideas were not only spot on for our industry – they were creative, collaborative, and a big part of why she’s taking her team to the top.

Here are some insights from our interview:

Q: Nikki, you started your real estate career in San Diego as an assistant for a top producing RE/MAX Agent in 2009. Today, you are leading a highly productive team at RE/MAX Gold. That’s quite the transition, congratulations on your success! What was it that first made you think, “Hey, I can do this!”?

A: My husband has been in the Real Estate business for 13 years and he always told me how much I’d love it and how it really suited my personality. I was finishing up my business degree at San Diego State and decided to start studying for my license during my last semester as a “back up plan”. Very soon after graduation, much to my husband’s credit, I realized I did not want to work for anyone else. I decided to start as an assistant so I could ensure some cash flow while I learned the business. Things were a lot different in the market back in 2010 and I was scared! The majority of transactions were distressed sales and/or investors purchasing with all cash. Neither of which I had much experience with. I realized after about a year in that role, that I was now the one putting out fires, talking with and meeting his clients, and handling his day to day business. It gave me the confidence to venture out on my own and not feel inexperienced while consulting clients that were my parent’s age on their real estate decisions! Even before I closed my very first transaction on my own, I had assisted on hundreds of other deals and was able to anticipate any hurdles to come. I’m very grateful I started when I did and learned the business during some tough times because when things started to shift, I did not take those easy transactions for granted.

Q: Today, you have a very successful four-member team, whose production will be about 25 million for 2015. That’s amazing! What does it take to run a team, and more importantly, a successful team?

A: Frankly, it takes money. Like any business, it takes startup capital. We had to work hard to get to a point to be able to invest back in our business. Once we got to that point, we made sure to take baby steps. Adding one team member at a time until we made sure we had enough business to sustain that member. We are about quality, not quantity. I’d rather stay at our size and have everyone double their business next year than add more people and have less time or resources to give to each member. I truly only feel successful when my team members individually feel successful and satisfied in their business. It’s always my number one priority.

Q: Can you tell us about your team and the role each one plays?

A: As we all know, there are many different ways to structure team. I’ve seen many agents in our industry have very specific “roles” such as TC, Buyer’s Agents, Listing Agents, Admins, etc. Our philosophy is a bit different. I give my team members the freedom to have their own identities as independent agents and not be overshadowed by a team leader’s “team name.” I’ve found that most agents get into this business because they are entrepreneurial at heart which means agents want the freedom to brand themselves and not work for “someone else.” We don’t have a team name for that very reason. We work closely with each of our team members to help them brand themselves and create their own identity and book of business. I’m trying to create an environment that lasts, and that my team members don’t feel like they need to have an exit strategy one day. We feel that giving our agents full autonomy and behind the scenes support and additional business, they won’t need to go anywhere!

Q: I understand that you place a lot of focus on lead generation and retention activities. Can you share some of those with us please?

A: Of course. Part of our value proposition is that we invest pretty heavily in marketing that drives a significant amount of business that we distribute to our team. A few of the platforms we advertise on include: Realtor.com, Zillow.com, we have a niche condo website we run here for the Sacramento Region that has been very fruitful called SacramentoCondoMania.com. Because internet leads are different than traditional clients, we focused on initially training each of our team members on how to connect with, qualify and convert these leads to clients pretty effectively. The internet lead is typically in the very beginning stages of their home search and possibly may even be years out from making a move. We cultivate long term relationships with these clients, putting them on a drip system and staying front of mind so that when they are ready to make a move, they will have no doubts on who to call.

Q: You are also doing Detailed tracking of all business for all team members, which demonstrates value. Can you tell us about that please?

A: Yes, we use a lead tracking system that allows us to account for every single lead and client we work with, where it is in the buying cycle and track where it came from. The system is advanced enough to alert each agent on when to follow up with the lead, based on the amount of contacts it’s received. Once the lead moves through the system and ultimately closes on a home with our agent, the system is able to calculate conversion ratios as well. It’s a very helpful, organized tool and database to make sure no one falls through the crack and you know exactly how well you are doing at the end of the year.

Q: How important is value proposition as a team leader, and what do you do to instill that value to you team on a regular basis?

A: It’s everything! If there is no value added, you won’t keep team members very long! I am in contact with every one of my team members almost every day, if not every other day, for various reasons. If I don’t hear from a member for a few days, I make it a point to reach out via text or phone call to simply connect and ask if I can assist them in any way. I help a lot with the transaction coordination of our team’s files, so I am constantly behind the scenes assisting my agents. In addition, we try and have quarterly one-on-ones to keep an open line of communication and are always looking for ways to improve their experience on our team.

Q: If you had to describe your leadership style in a few words, what would it be?

A: Because we don’t have admins, TCs, or assistants at this time, I would say I’m more of a resource and support type of leader to my team.

Q: Do you use social media in your business, and if so, how?

A: Yes. I use it as an extension of my database, not to directly advertise on. I use it as a tool to engage my sphere, my colleagues, my past clients, to stay relevant in the industry news, and to share cute pics of my baby. I’ve learned from client feedback that they love seeing some of my personal life and frankly, most people these days are burnt out on constant ads/business posts on the social media arena. We are more relationship centered and make sure all our followers know what we do and how to reach out if they’d like our help.

Q: You also have a strong referral-based business, which requires pop-by’s, calls, letters, etc. What have you found works best with regard to receiving referrals and leads from friends, family and past clients?

A: It seems to be all in the details! As soon as I close on a home, I fill my calender up with reminder’s to follow up on their month anniversary, 6 months, 1 year and every year afterwards. This follow up just says, “How are you loving your home, neighborhood? Need anything from us? I’m here for you, YOUR REALTOR”. Believe it or not, many of my young clients that I help purchase a home don’t know that I actually list homes as well. I make it a point to let them know when/if they ever decide to sell, I would love to represent them again.

Q: If one of our readers is thinking of building a team, what advice would you give them?

A: Most importantly, make sure you are hiring the right people. You want to make sure their work ethic, communication style, personalities mesh well with yours or that you have a full understanding of how to connect with them BEFORE you make the investment in adding them to your team. Secondly, I would say make sure you have enough business to share with them! You can have all the awesome people in the world on your team but if you aren’t adding value or adding fuel to their business, they will likely start to look elsewhere.

Q: Are there any activities that you have found that work well to “jump start” a real Estate career for any new agents who are listening. Something that would give them quick results?

A: Write a letter and make phone calls to your entire sphere of influence, family, extended family, church family, letting them know you are in the business and would love to help them achieve their real estate goals! Talk to everyone you come into contact with about the industry. I can’t tell you how many business cars I’ve handed out in the line at the grocery store. If people don’t know you need and want their business, they’ll assume you don’t!

Q: Nikki, is there anything that you would like to add before we end and let everyone know where they can find you when they have referrals in the Sacramento area?

A: I’d just like to say thank you so much for having me and thank you to my amazing team for partnering with me. We always love referrals! My website is Sachomemarket.com email is nikkijames@remax.net.

Thank you so much Nikki – you’re an incredible asset to our industry and we so appreciate your willingness to share. We invite all our readers to reach out to you and your team with their referrals – and we’re excited to watch your team continue to succeed! To listen to Nikki’s entire interview log in to your Profitable Recruiter platform today and check it out in our 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 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.

The Seven Daily Habits of a Profitable Broker

Posted on September 2, 2015September 2, 2015 by The Profitable Recruiter

Don’t Wait to Put a Single One in Place

By Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur

What do top recruiters/brokers do on a daily basis to insure consistent results in recruiting? They FOCUS. If you look at any profitable real estate firm, you will also find a broker who is committed to recruiting.

There are 7 things that Profitable Brokers do on a daily basis:

They talk to the “right agents” for their firm.
They network with their own agents, and secure referrals with ease.
They network with agents in the marketplace through social media, events, open houses and Realtor events.
They follow up with the agents in their pipeline, and always maintain a pipeline of at least 10 agents who they are actively talking to about joining their firm.
They delegate tasks such as mailings, or anything that can be done by someone else. A profitable broker is always engaged in the highest and best use of their time.
They constantly educate themselves about their competition and know how they compare to their competition.
They have an effective marketing campaign, which is multi-faceted. The right campaign for your company engages print, email, social media, texting, personal notes, and any vehicle which can deliver YOUR message. What’s your message?

Marketing is a key component to any successful recruiting campaign. It’s based on the same principles that you probably drill into your agents on a regular basis. It’s about staying positioned in the marketplace. About staying top of mind with their prospects. It’s about follow up and relationship building. Successful recruiters “walk their own talk” and make all of these habits and action tasks part of their daily routine. If you’re ready to take your business to the next level – how many of these habits are you willing to adopt into YOUR day every day?

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 summer 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.

Step One to Recruiting the Agents You Want

Posted on July 23, 2015April 7, 2017 by The Profitable Recruiter

23 Jul

Find Your Value Proposition

By Julie Escobar

What are YOU doing to recruit the team members you want? I sat down with long time friend and extraordinary recruiting expert Judy LaDeur. She’s been helping brokers grow their businesses, power up their production and recruit new team members for more years than we’re going to talk about here!

Here’s what she had to say!

Julie: Hey Judy! You’ve been busy these days (as always) helping real estate brokers build better, stronger, more productive teams. What are some of the most important things brokers should be doing to ensure a great end of the year and set themselves (and their companies) up for success?

Judy: Hey Julie – For most brokers, instead of jumping in and making calls, they should spend time getting themselves positioned to recruit the best agents, which is more than just making calls and booking interviews. We have spent most of this past year helping brokers understand what a “value proposition” is and what it is not! We have determined that 90% of brokers have no idea what their value proposition is – even though it is the most important element in their recruitment arsenal. The value proposition is NOT their tools. However their tools determine the value of their value proposition.

What we are teaching brokers to do is to identify their 12-20 most powerful tools and the results that each tool produces. You would be amazed how many brokers do not have a handle on this information. Knowing the results of the tools you have allows you to share them in a way that educates the agents in your market about the opportunities that you can provide to them as a member of your team. If you’re not sure where to start, poll your agents. Ask them the value of the tools that you provide as an organization. When the agents tell you what your systems mean to their real estate career–THAT is your value proposition to that agent. It is different for each agent, but these insights can give brokers what they need to figure out a minimum of 12 powerful tools with results that are unique in their market or things that they are doing that others are not doing. It can be a little tedious and it takes a while to complete but it’s well worth it.

Next, they need to create visuals for each one as well with the results on them. For any broker out there who wants a strong finish to this year and jump-start on next, this is a task that they should completed with a lot of thought. Then sharpen your phone and interview skills so you can hit the ground running.

Julie: Wow, Judy – that sounds comprehensive. When you say “tools”- can you give me an example?

Judy: Sure, when we bring brokers together for our retreats we ask them, “what are the 12 – 20 things you are doing–or doing better than you competition?” Surprisingly, many can’t answer that. Some will say “location,” or “a great broker like me!” That’s great – but really is not going to cut it in today’s world. Specifically, what is different about you? Think about it – if your answer is, “Great team” – what do you think your competition is saying? Theirs is a lousy team? You have to find the DIFFERENTIATORS. If you can’t quantify those things in terms of time, money, energy saved, production, etc.–then it goes off list. Here’s one, “We give agents leads.” Next we’ll say, “Ok – how many leads year to date have you given out per agent? What is the conversion rate? You have to have the ability to bring it down to the numbers. How about “Training program.” Ok – what kind of results did the agents get? Many simply say, “I don’t know.” And that’s fine – it gives them a starting point. Sometimes they have to go back and track results after the next training, talk to agents who’ve been through it and ask for their results so they can get those numbers. Sometimes a broker will tell us, “We have the best agents.” Then we’ll come back to them and ask them to quantify. For example, according to the MLS, our agents are doing an average of seven transactions more than our nearest competitor.
For a lot of brokers this exercise is a big eye opener. First it helps them identify more clearly where they are NOW. And secondly – it forces them to put themselves in the agents’ shoes — sometimes for the first time in years.

Julie: What’s new in terms of recruiting now that is significantly different than say, how brokers recruited even five years ago?

Judy: Social media is definitely the biggest change and is bringing great results and a whole new perspective to recruiting. It’s easier now than ever to build relationships and comfortably stay in touch with prospects as well as your own agents. It’s also much easier to ask for referrals by using social media. Tools like Facebook and LinkedIn are really helping to break down barriers. We’ve got some amazing webinars on demand in the system that share easy-to-implement social media strategies — that DON’T take up a lot of time. Members should watch those this week and put those into practice!

Of course in terms of the things brokers want to hear – value proposition may be number one – but social media is a close second! So many of them are still looking at social media as just a place to post when you’re having a coffee at Starbucks. For those brokers – it’s time to get on board. Social media is not going away – and for those that embrace it – it’s a terrific addition to their marketing. In fact – if you look at agents who are really using it – they are staying in touch with their clients and sphere far more effectively today than they ever have. Brokers can do the same via a company business page and their personal page.

Julie: Oh I can hear the groaning now – can’t you? Let people into their PERSONAL lives? I’m sure you’ve got some push back on that one-right?

Judy: Oh yeah! While I know it’s outside the comfort zone for a lot of brokers – truthfully, agents want to get to know you – the real you – before they are willing to consider your company as a place to hang their hat. In fact, Let’s face it – 70% of potential hires are emotional – that means they’ve got to like you! For the brokers that say “I don’t want to!” We say, “If you want to hire 40-80 agents next year – you’re going to have to step out of your comfort zone!” Let people in. Share a little about who you are – not just what you offer as a company. On your fan page you can share success stories about what your agents are accomplishing – spotlight their successes. You can talk about what’s happening in your market area.

On your page – share a great picture of a grandchild, post a little inspirational quote, share a great new restaurant you tried. We give great tips and tools in our weekly emails that our members share as a weekly agent tip as well. These forms of media allow you to reach people you never would have before – to break down barriers and ultimately recruit agents you never would have been able to hire in the past. What’s funny – is that once we teach brokers to embrace social media – it becomes their FAVORITE thing to do! Why? Because it means they don’t have to make the phone calls. We laugh, because we know they’re not going to make those calls anyway! They SHOULD be on phone daily – but many just don’t create that good habit. Listen, recruiting is a relationship business – so reaching out in EVERY way you can regularly is the way to build that relationship – and ultimately – build your business.

Julie: Great stuff Judy! What tools – both online or offline would you recommend that brokers put in their recruiting plan?

Judy: I would say a broker needs to add a system to stay positioned, lead generation tools, online marketing support and coaching. Most brokers today want to stick with technology – namely: email. But our ratios haven’t changed — we STILL say that only 25% of your recruiting marketing efforts should be email or online. It’s just too easy to get blocked or not read. Plus – many times the real nudge that helps bring a recruit in the door is when the spouse or significant other sees the recruiting materials coming in the mail! I know many brokers who will say it’s too expensive – but we fire back with one recruit will pay for a year of marketing. It’s time to look at the budgets and make some adjustments.

It’s also important to know what agents are looking for. A NAR survey four years ago said that agents didn’t care about leads – they were too busy. Now that’s the number one thing with affordable marketing tools coming in second. I say just start somewhere. Invest in our monthly service that offers training, tools and weekly emails that keep you positioned. Send the top 10-25 recruiting prospects “lumpy mail” (we’ve got a whole library – and boy does it get results!), and consider event marketing, which many of our members are doing with great success. They host a monthly meet and greet networking event that is fun, interactive, sometimes includes a training of some sort and ends with a dessert and Q and A. It’s a powerful way to connect with agents in a way that is engaging and different.

Julie: Best success stories that can inspire brokers to break out of old habits and grow their organizations?

Judy: Well I’ve got to say there are two things that are getting great results right now:

1. Contacting smaller independent brokers in your market and offering them a chance to roll their company into your company and go back to working as an agent.
2. Contacting agents who left you when times were good and tell them that you miss them and would love to talk to them again about rejoining your firm.

I mentioned before about knowing your results. I am coaching a broker whose market position increased this past year through recruiting experienced agents was greater than the entire production of any team in his marketplace for the entire year. When he discovered that, he was amazed. Arming himself with that knowledge has allowed him to hire many of the top producers in his market and he is acquiring another brokerage firm in the neighboring city.

Sharing results like that is a great way to get the attention of brokers and agents and get them on the phone which leads to an interview and potential hire. Another broker that I am coaching discovered that her agents had a $33 million dollar increase in their sales volume. By sharing this with other agents in the market, she has piqued the curiosity of area agents eager to know what she is doing to help her agents sell more real estate. Her office is now full and she is moving to a larger location to continue hiring the best agents she possibly can!

Julie: Thanks! Any last tips?

Judy: Recruiting needs to stay consistent all year long. The brokers who set apart a percentage of their day, every day, for recruiting activities are going to see the best long-term results. If you cannot or do not want to make recruiting part of your daily routine, then hire a full time recruiter to keep the message of what you bring to the table out there to the best agents in the market.

Also, just as professional athletes have training camps every year to get in shape for the new season, brokers should attend a training camp each year as well to keep their skills sharp. We have a great training camp to train and sharpen the skills of brokers and recruiters, but they can also attend their company conventions, network with other great recruiters or do anything on a regular basis to stay sharp in the game of recruiting. They tell their agents to go to training each year but many times forget to do it themselves!

Remember this – in any given marketplace there will be companies expanding and moving forward – and others that are other throwing in the towel. You just have to decide what side of that fence you want to be on!

Julie: Great strategies and ideas Judy – time for brokers to fire things up! Thanks!

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 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 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!

A Trend That Can Make Recruiting TOUGH

Posted on June 10, 2015June 10, 2015 by The Profitable Recruiter

And Why Timing is EVERYTHING

By Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur

We saw a trend this year that we have not seen for a while. The best agents were not moving as easily as they did in years past. Why? The market was the strongest market that we have seen in the states for the past 10 years. For many agents, this was the strongest market of their career, and they were just not willing to make that move until the end of the market. For agents who have been in the business for many years, they know a great market when they see it, and they were making the best of it!

As a recruiter in the 2005/2006 market, I remember these days. It was frustrating for brokers. I remember one broker saying that they wished it would just slow down so that the agents would move. (That’s one of those careful what you wish for moments!)

In a slow market, agents move to increase their opportunities and do more business. In a great market, they move when it’s convenient and their pipeline is low. That time is fast approaching. In years past, when we had a strong market, the agents made their move in August and September. Just after summer holidays.

Are you positioned for the movement that is about to take place in your market? Are your interview skills sharp? Are you talking to agents weekly? Are you staying positioned in a fun, positive way? June and July is your time to get ready. Your job as the broker is to maintain a non-threatening, passive series of contacts until they are ready. The Profitable Recruiter ENews Campaign is a fun marketing piece that’s getting RESULTS. Remember, the best agents take longer, but they are worth it!

We just got another testimonial this week from Bruce in North Carolina. He wrote, “I just hired an agent as a direct result of the Monday Motivational Messages! She sold about $3M last year and is looking to increase her sales to approximately $5M. Keep those messages coming!”

If you’re ready to ramp up your recruiting, stay in touch with the agents you want, without wondering WHAT to do and WHEN to do it – join the www.TheProfitableRecruiter.com. We give you all the tools you need each month to position yourself as the broker to join when agents are ready to make a move. (We also make it a whole lot more fun!) Oh and if you’re fine tuning your skills this summer – remember – all pro members get access to over 7 hours of training via downloadable links including interview skills, scripts, objection handlers, and more. Be sure to listen in on the dialogue and training for bringing agents on board when their current broker won’t let them take their listings! It’s a game-changer! 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 summer 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!

Three Key Priorities for Today’s Recruiters

Posted on June 9, 2015February 5, 2016 by The Profitable Recruiter

An Interview with Power-Broker Michael Coburn

By Julie Escobar

Recruiting is such an intensely hot topic right now, and there’s nothing else quite like learning what other brokers are doing RIGHT to stand out from their competitors and grow their businesses. We caught up with a dynamite broker and recruiter Michael Coburn and asked him to share his insights. Here’s what we learned:

Q: Thanks Michael for your time and willingness to share! First, can you tell our readers a little about yourself?

A: My name is Michael Coburn I am the Broker Owner of RE/MAX Town & Country in Allen, Texas. I have been licensed for 26 years and hold the CRS, GRI, ABR, e-PRO, RFC & CDPE designations. I am married to Debra Coburn who is Co-Owner of RE/MAX Town & Country and is also the Manager, and we have owned the franchise since 2005.

Q: It’s been quite the bumpy road for a lot of brokers over the last few years. What do you think is the key to not only sustainability, but thriving during challenging times?

A: The key is Three Priorities; Recruit, Retain and Develop. We have all heard it before but it’s that simple… You need to do what you love and love what you do, my wife and I absolutely love what we do and that come across to the agents.

Q: Do you believe brokers should have a strategic business and recruiting plan and if so, how often should they review it?

A: Absolutely! You MUST have a Business plan and the Recruiting plan should be a BIG part of it. This should be reviewed at least weekly, if not daily. You need to start with a Mission, Vision, Values and Beliefs and everyone in the company should know your office Mission. Our Mission is: “To help our real estate professionals become and remain intentional & proactive… so they can create the time and money needed to achieve their personal missions in life.”

Q: Great mission statement! Do you have any favorite strategies when it comes to recruiting new agents to your team?

A: The reason agents join your office is simple…it’s because of YOU! You must be the one that gives them a vision and leads them through the bad markets as well as the good markets. One of the ways that we do this is our value proposition and our value proposition revolves around five components: Culture, Development, Technology, Staff & Brand. The BEST thing to do first is develop a Complete Agent Development Program, our program is built around high level business consulting, consistent training and accountability. Then make calls to agents daily, daily, daily, yes that’s right I said daily, and invite them to a conversation to see if there is the opportunity of a win-win relationship by them joining our office.

Also once you’re walking the walk and delivering on your value proposition, your agents are the BEST source of recruit leads, because they LOVE YOU and they will pre-sell you all over town. And when you bring agents into the office that they don’t know, they love to talk you up, it’s GREAT!

Q: Love it! Finally, do you have any best advice for new or even experienced brokers and recruiters in today’s competitive market?

A: Yes, sell your office and JOIN ME! (Just kidding-kind of!) Make a plan to recruit and stick to it. Hire a recruiter or a director of development. It’s either you are going to be a good trainer or a good recruiter, you can’t do both and you definitely can’t do both, plus handle agent services and solutions and then on top of that try to sell real estate! That’s just NOT realistic.

The hardest thing to do is let go of selling and commit to building your company FULL TIME, but never look at cost always look at return! And lastly, be CONSISTENT. I tell my agents this too. You can’t do anything once. Momentum doesn’t happen by accident – and it doesn’t stay by accident.

My advice is to follow Judy LaDeur’s lead and system. She gives you an outline, a plan and a guide for WHAT to do. When I started doing THAT? THAT’S when SUCCESS happened.

Michael, what a pleasure working with you on this project. You’re awesome! Thank you so much for sharing with our readers!

If you’d like to connect with Michael you can visit his website here or connect with him on Facebook!

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 25% off with the promo code 25OFF any pro membership. That’s 25% 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!

What to Do BEFORE Recruiting Season Starts

Posted on May 28, 2015May 28, 2015 by The Profitable Recruiter

Fine Tune Those Interview Skills

By Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur

Recruiting season is right around the bend – which mean NOW is the time to fine tune those interview skills. Use the summer to stay in touch with your recruits, and to turn up the heat on your recruiting skills by practicing. While it might not feel natural at first – I challenge you to stick as close to the interview process as possible.

Here is an overview of the interview process:

The set up: This is the time to tell them the goals and agenda for the meeting. Set up the interview by sharing your goals and agenda. Let them know that your job is to give them the information that they need that day to make the best decision for their real estate career, and to better have a feel of whether your company is the right choice for them. You should know if the agent is an emotional decision maker or a logical decision maker within the first 5-10 minutes. You need to mirror your candidate for optimal results. Maintain a businesslike manner for logical agents and a friendly, warm manner for emotional agents.

The questions: The questions are the foundation of your interview. If a broker/recruiter cannot master this component, their presentation will be weak, or even worse, they will find themselves “buying agents through making deals” if they cannot hire on value. Surface questions will not give you what you want to know. They just skim the surface. You must really dig deep and find out what is happening in their professional life, what they have now, how do they feel about what they have, and what do they want. Why, When and Why are how most of your questions should start. You can also say, “Tell me more about that” or “when you say

, what do you mean?”

The goal of asking questions for the new or struggling agent:

Do you want them? Will they make it? What are their past accomplishments? Sales experience? What is their behavior style? What have they been doing to build their career up until now? Number of people in their data base? Number of calls they make daily? Farming? FSBO? Expireds? What are they willing to do to have a successful career? Number of hours they plan to work to achieve goals?

The goal of asking questions for the experienced agent interview:

What do they like where they are? What do they dislike? What is the point of difference between your company and their company? What are their long term goals? Can they achieve them at their current company? What are their expectations of you as their broker? What are they doing to generate business now? What tools would best support them to take their career to the next level?

At the end of the questions, you should know which systems you will present and what it’s going to take to hire them. If you don’t know these things, then you either need to ask more questions or better questions.

The prospect that can be most challenging at this stage is the driver. If you are interviewing the driver, keep the questions moving fast, and be very direct. Otherwise, they will start asking you questions and you will lose control of the interview. If you lose control of the interview in the questioning process with a driver, it’s because it’s moving too slow or they are frustrated with the interview and you are not staying on task. This can be a very tough position for any manager or recruiter, but when you find yourself in that position, first realize how you got there and next, regain control as fast as possible. You can listen to the CD’s if you need additional support with regard to asking questions.

Please remember that the purpose of asking questions is to identify the right systems to present to the agent. They usually only need about 5 systems to meet their needs.

The Presentation:

The area that I would like for you each of you to really practice and develop is the 3-step presentation process and the ROI or value close. Failing to present each system in a way that shows value, is the #1 reason that the agent will not join. With regard to presentation skills, please remember that you don’t need to present everything about your company, but you should have visuals and info on everything that is unique about your company and be ready for each interview. What sets you apart and gives you a point of difference? Not only for experienced agents, but for new as well. It can be on a laptop, folders, whatever, as long as it is easy for you to use and it is going to demonstrate what makes your office unique and the results that can occur when they join your team.

This is your 3-step presentation process.

Recap what they said in the questioning process.
Present the tool or system using a visual
Present the results using results from agents at your office or survey results from an organization such as NAR.

Each tool gets presented the same way with the three step process. Then after the presentation, please go back and ask them to give you their opinion as to how many more transactions they can have with each tool. Please remember that they need you to give them results, in order for them to calculate value.

You can then close on the value of joining, which means that you do not have to worry about fees. When you follow the process above, you will see that they can give you the value as perceived and believed by them. It will definitely make recruiting easier.

The RECAP = your ROI

The ROI = your Value Proposition

If you are not using the 3-step process above, and sharing results with your recruit, you will not be able to value close them. After presenting each of your systems, you will recap, which is when you build value.

Dialog to start the recap:

“Let’s review what we have discovered. There were 5 different areas of your real estate career that YOU felt could use some improvement. You said that you definitely need:

More leads
More marketing support
Personalized coaching and broker support
Better tools to compete for listings
More market presence or a strong name in the community.

Is there anything that I missed? Let’s look at each tool/ system and determine what the value is to your career.

With regard to Leads: You said……. As you recall, our agents receive an average of

per year, with most converting 25% of those leads within 6 months. If we gave you the same number of leads each year, how many could you convert?

REPEAT THIS PROCESS FOR EACH TOOL OR SYSTEM WHICH WAS DISCUSSED.

Total all the opportunities and use this dialog:

“If we total up all the opportunities that you believe you could have with our office, the number is

additional sales and or listings sold. If we multiply that number by the average commission received, which is $

__, it looks like you could have an additional $

in income with our company. How does that sound?

More importantly, these are opportunities that do not exist at your current company, so currently, you do not have the opportunity to earn this money at your current firm. You will need to join our team to have these opportunities. When you came in today, I told you that my goal was to give you the information that you needed to make the best decision for your real estate career TODAY. Based on what you are looking at, does it look like a good time to join (your company)? I agree, so let’s take a look at the various compensation plans and determine which one is best for you!

This is called: Closing on VALUE. When you get their commitment, before talking about compensation plans, it’s a lot easier to hire them.

THE CLOSE: You must ask them to join. I like the handshake close. Those who have tried it have found it works great. There are a few people who are shy about trying it. This summer is a great time to master the official Judy LaDeur Hand Shake close.

Stalls and Objections: If you need help handling stalls and objections, please listen to your CD’s. I have all the solutions recorded. Here’s what others have found. When you follow the interview process, as described above, you will have fewer stalls and objections. Have a great summer!

Need help turning up the heat on your recruiting? We’ve got the answers. 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 spring offer of 25% off with the promo code 25OFF any pro membership.

Are You Following Up With Co-Broking Agents?

Posted on April 2, 2015April 2, 2015 by The Profitable Recruiter

If Not, WHY Not?

by Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur

A great way to build relationships with agents is to take advantage of the opportunities to work with those agents who sell your company listings of whose listings you sell. You not only have a 60-day window to work with them on those sales, but you can also use the fact that they sold your listing to invite them to social events, educational events or extend recognition to those agents.

Here are some examples:

Invite them to an event. When agents think they have earned the right to be at the event, they are more likely to attend, than if they thought they were being recruited. You can send out an invite followed up with a phone call which says: Because you have sold one of our listings this year we would like to invite you to be our guest at…
Thank them. You should always call those that your agents are working with and thank them for selling your listings, or the great way in which they always handle the transaction. After closing, send a note to the homes of the ones you want to interview, or if you know the spouse, send it to the spouse.
Ask around. Ask your agents about who they are working with and what the experience has been. Those are great conversations to have with your current agents,and shows you care about how their transactions are going, and your agents are your best source of referrals. They know who would be a good fit for your team and who wouldn’t. Ask if there was one agent out there who you’ve had a great experience with — a ten on a scale of one to ten — who would it be and why. Then call those agents up and share that compliment. Let them know you’re impressed and you’ve got an open door if they ever think about making a move.
Befriend those agents on social media. Use your social media platforms to be top-of-mind with your co-broking agents so they can get to know you over time.
Write a recommendation for them on LinkedIN. Everyone can use kudos – especially when they are well warranted. Writing a recommendation is a great way to let those agents know they are doing a great job and that you noticed, and for the clients and friends in THEIR sphere to hear see those glowing words about them as well.

The possibilities are endless, but definitely be sure to incorporate these ideas into your spring recruiting efforts.

Recruiting is all about staying in touch. Staying positioned. And communicating. We have the systems that can help you do all of that and more. Become a member of The Profitable Recruiter today, and put the power of done-for-you content and tools that make recruiting experienced and new agents easier, less time-consuming, and even fun. Register today and use the promo code 25OFF to save 25% on any pro membership. To access more than SEVEN HOURS worth of my recruiting Audio downloads, register for either the 6 month or annual memberships. Got questions? Email us! We’d love to help! Make it a great spring season!

Hiring Second Year Agents

Posted on March 12, 2015 by The Profitable Recruiter

A Smart Spring Recruiting Strategy

by Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur

Are you looking to get a jump start on your recruiting? Then call the agents who are most likely to move. Statistics show that most agents who go on to become top producers, will make a move 12-24 months into their real estate career. Why? Most agents do not know what to look for when they are starting their career. They are excited that so many brokers are offering them positions. They might pick the one who they like the best, or the one who makes them the best offer. But not all brokers carry through on their promises, and what agents find out really fast, is that there are some really important criteria that determine how successful they can be as an agent. What is the strength of the name of the broker in their area, what are their listing tools which will allow them to compete for listings, what is the commitment of the other agents in the company to be successful and to work together as a team? The best agents figure out that when they have the right tools, environment and systems, it’s much easier to have a successful career. It’s for that reason, that many agents will make a move soon after they finish their first year in real estate. Check with your board or state to see if you can get a list of all agents who started their real estate career since January 2014. These agents are the most likely to make a move, and the best news is that statistically speaking, they will stay with you an average of seven years if they are happy. Maybe even longer!

Here’s a great recruiting letter you can customize and send to these potential recruits:

Letterhead

Dear (First Name),

Our records indicate that you are fairly new to the business. How is your real estate career progressing?

Did you know that a NAR survey of top producers indicated that approximately 87% of all agents surveyed made their first move 12-24 months after getting into real estate? Have you made your first move?

If yes, then statistically speaking, you’re on your way to becoming a top producer. Most agents who go on to become top producers will make another move at some point in their real estate career, so we would like to give you some info about (your company name) now so that when that time comes, you will know enough about us to know if we are a good option for you.

If you have not made a move, are you making the kind of money that you thought you would make when you got into the real estate business? What type of personalized coaching, mentoring and training have you received?

If you knew that you could take your career to the next level and make the kind of money that you hoped you could make by making a move to (your company name) would you make the move?

Let’s get together and see if you can!

Warm regards,

Your Name, Title

This is just one of many recruiting letters, scripts, tools, newsletters, training and special offers you’ll find in The Profitable Recruiter Systems. Each month our members receive 4-5 weekly newsletters, broker challenges and step-by-step action items, 2-3 recruiting letters, 2-3 lumpy letters, social media posts and strategies, 1-3 retention tools, 1-3 new scripts, a powerful training webinar with top talented brokers, agents, and coaches and more. We deliver all the tools you need to grow the business and agent team you really want.

And for a very limited time ONLY, I am offering my Profitable Recruiter Audio Training System (a $297 value) to every broker who registers for a six month or one year pro membership to The Profitable Recruiter. In this audio training package, you’ll have more than SEVEN HOURS of recruiting tools, scripts, dialogues, role-playing, and foundation builders.

Register today for the six-month or one-year Profitable Recruiter pro memberships and we’ll send you the link and password information to start listening to Judy’s incredible training tools right away.

Got questions? Email us for answers! Good luck and happy Recruiting!

Play Ball!

Posted on March 5, 2015 by The Profitable Recruiter

Having a Little Fun With Your Recruiting!

by Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur

Spring is right around the corner and baseball season with it — why not have a little fun this month with your recruiting calls with a playful, but effective little dialogue I like to call, “Play Ball”.

Here’s how it works. Head to your local sporting goods store and purchase enough baseballs to send to your top recruiting prospects – the ones you REALLY want. Then have your team members sign them. Then send them out! Wait a few days, then give them call!

Here’s the dialogue:

Good Morning…How are you today?

Did you receive the baseball that we delivered to your home? Well, it is that time of year again! In the spirit of a new baseball season, we played a game of our own in the office. Just as the best teams are always out scouting for new talent, we do the same here at

. I walked around the office and asked each of my associates to name two players they wanted most to have join our team. I’m delighted to tell you that your name came up several times!
As a matter of fact, your name came up so often that I went to the sporting goods store, purchased a baseball and asked the members of our team to sign it for you. It is our way of inviting you to check out our team.

My thought is that if such a large number of my best players want you to join, it might be worth it for us to sit down and share our game plans to see if there is a way that we can work together in the near future. I promise there will be no obligation and no pressure. However, If you like what you hear, let’s play ball! So, how does 3:00 today sound for you?

Recruiting doesn’t have to be boring. Or stress-inducing. Have some FUN with it! We can help!

For a very limited time ONLY, Judy has offered to release her Profitable Recruiter Audio Training System (a $297 value) to every broker who registers for a six month or one year pro membership to The Profitable Recruiter. 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.

Got questions? Email us for answers! Good luck and happy Recruiting!