Category Archives: Real Estate Recruiting Coach

Proving Value in the Age of Disruptors

Posted on 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.

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 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 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 31st 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.

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.

Building a SALABLE Book of Business

Posted on by The Profitable Recruiter
28 Jun

How You Can Help Agents Succeed at a Higher Level

by Real Estate Coach Judy LaDeur

Recent NAR predictions state that nearly 70% of active real estate agents will exit the business over the next 5 – 10 years, most intending to simply walk away from the business they have spent years building.  Of the agents that would like to sell their business, most don’t know how and without help would likely experience problems with tracking, second party referrals, the buying or selling agent going to another company as well as trying to determine who is responsible for keeping the business going through advertising, marketing and mailing.  Understanding how to help an agent sell their business is a Recruiting/Retention tool that allows a company to capture the market share of retiring agents within their market. It’s not just for agents that are considering retirement in the next five years, it’s also a great opportunity for agents with five or less years in the industry who want a jump start by purchasing someone else’s business, as well as the agents who find themselves in between these two scenarios who want to learn how to make their business saleable in order to get top dollar in the future. The best part is that there is no money up front, but lots of money over the next 5 years, so it’s easy for any agent and any broker to implement.

NAR predicts that over 50% of the REALTORS® who currently sell real estate will retire, relocate, or leave the business due to serious illness in the next ten years. Each time one of your agents leaves for any reason, you lose that market share.

What’s the first step? Your agents should have a saleable business. If their business is not currently set up in a contact database management program, then it cannot be sold.  To leverage their business and take advantage of this particular program (the ability to sell their real estate business at some point in the future) – that is the first thing you should do as a broker. Educate your team about the importance of having their business organized and set up in a CRM program. Offering that program is a good retention and recruiting tool. It should have the ability to set up several categories and upload photos. The more categories you have, the more valuable your business will be.

Components of a good data management program:

  • Easy to use. When we get busy, we are less likely to use a program that requires a lot of steps to enter the data.
  • Robust. The notes area should be sufficient to make 20-30 notes on each client after each call and or visit. Remember, you will have this database for many years and the notes are important when you sell.
  • Diverse. You should be able to create a minimum of 20 categories such as: Great for referrals, Buyer, Seller, purchased 2-5 properties from me, investor, seller prospect, buyer prospect, farming area, bowling club, family member, friend, out of area friend who refers clients, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, leads that were referrals, etc.
  • Intuitive. If you have taken my course on how to know how they will make their decision based on their behavior pattern, you would also add the categories of expressive, amiable, analytical, and driver.
  • Searchable.  Remember, you can have 1 client in 6 different categories, but you want to be able to say, “I have 267 people who have purchased a home from me, but 198 of them have purchased 2 or more homes from me.  However, note that 190 people in my database were sent to me as referrals from a client in my database.”
  • Detailed.  Keep all details about the clients, their families, their referrals, property details, etc. on their contact sheet.
  • Have the ability to create alerts.  You should be able to put reminders about when you will make contact with them on your calendar from this program.
  • Exportable.  You should be able to easily export from the database for your mailings.
  • Group-able.  You should be able to set up groups for purposes of sending group emails or specific group mailings.
  • Visual.  A great feature is the ability to have their photo on their contact sheet!

The more people that are in the database, the more valuable the business is when they decide to retire, relocate or leave the business for any reason.

Marketing is another important component.  A recent survey showed that 87% of people surveyed reported that they definitely would use their agent again, but didn’t because they can’t remember who they are or how to find them!  Are you agents marketing to their databases on a regular basis? What are you doing to support their marketing? Studies show that 10% of the people in their database will do business with them or refer business to them each year if they stay in contact. For most of your agents, that is more than their current level of business.  Your agent should do the following to build and maintain a strong business:

  • Stay in touch 12 times per year with something of value in writing. Our Profitable Sales Agent Newsletters are the perfect tool to stay positioned with something of value every week.
  • See your past clients and sphere of influence at least twice per year.
  • Send personal notes 4 times per year.
  • Talk to your clients at least 3 times per year.
  • Interact daily using social media

If their business is organized and they are marketing on a consistent basis, they are positioned to sell their business for hundreds of thousands of dollars.  The How to Successfully Sell or Acquire a Thriving Real Estate Business kit is available for purchase on our site at www.JudyLaDeurInternational.com for just $79. 

Want to learn how to master these skills and build an extraordinary team?  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 40% off with the promo code 40OFF any 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! Try it for a month and see what it can do for you.

Past or current Profitable Recruiter member? RENEW today and save 45% with the code RENEW.

 

What Goes Up Must Come Down

Posted on by The Profitable Recruiter
14 Jun

The Cyclical World of Real Estate Sales

By Judy LaDeur

The world of real estate is one of cycles. What goes up, must come down. We had enjoyed a strong real estate market for about five years, but will that bubble burst again this year, or next? No one knows and it’s impossible to predict what will happen, but you can be prepared.

Interest rates have increased and may increase again. Some say that rates will go as high as 6% by the end of the year. For those of us who have been around a while, we are smiling as we remember the days of 20% rates, and how we dreamed of a day when rates would fall below 10% again. It’s not really about how high the rates are or will be. It’s about how that information is delivered to the agents and how they perceive the market.  After all, perception is reality. As the Broker, you are the captain of the ship. The person in charge of the information that is distributed, as well as how it is perceived. You are also responsible for the routing of the journey. As the captain of the ship, if you saw that there was a potential storm on the horizon, would you alter your course? Would you start to make plans and prepare? Of course, you would. A real estate office is no different. Regardless of what happens in the market, there are things on the horizon that you should be planning for today.

Things that you know will happen such as:

  • Agents will have lots of closings in the next 30 days and they’ll be planning their summer holidays, meaning they might not work as hard the next few months. How will that affect your company revenue in September and October?
  • Most agents start September with an empty pipeline of business, which makes it easier for them to change offices. That makes you vulnerable as a Broker but also creates opportunities as a Recruiter. What are you doing today to prevent your agents from leaving, and what are you doing to position yourself as the Broker agents think of when making a move at the end of summer?

When you look forward, you can be better prepared for whatever the market does. Here are a few tips to help navigate through any storms on the horizon.

  1. Schedule training for your agents, to begin September 1, designed to re-launch their business for a strong finish to 2018.
  2. Host some fun events, or contests, in the month of July to keep your agents focused on business, even in the summer months!
  3. Create marketing pieces for your agents to use to position themselves in front of their clients for those fall listings.
  4. Remind your agents that there is no better time to stay consistent with their Monday morning messages to their clients than the summer. Everyone is talking to and visiting friends and family. Stay top of mind for additional business opportunities.
  5. Don’t forget to send your Monday Morning Motivation Messages to your recruits each week. Summer is especially important for you, as the Broker, to stay positioned with potential recruits. September is one of the strongest recruiting times of the year.

And don’t forget, there are always changes and cycles in this business. You can change the size of the wave, but you can learn to surf! 

Want to learn how to increase your market share and build an extraordinary team?  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.

 

12 Reasons Recruits Will Say YES to Joining Your Company

Posted on 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:letters saying YES

  • 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.

 

Recruiting Rising or Fading Stars

Posted on by The Profitable Recruiter
15 Mar

An All-Star Strategy From Recruiter John ArquetteJohn Arquette

By Julie Escobar

I was just speaking with two recruiters this week about a strategy we learned on one of our Profitable Recruiter webinars from the fabulous New York broker and recruiter John Arquette. So, I thought it was the perfect time to re-share what he did to change the recruiting game in his market.  John has such an amazing attitude and willingness to dive in and just do what it takes to build his team that we wanted to spotlight him as a standard-setter in our industry.

Here’s what he shared:

Q:  Thanks John for sharing your words of wisdom!  You hired 7-8 new experienced agents in the just a few months – can you tell us a little about that?

A: We have hired 8 new agents after the conference. The two biggest differences are first, how we interview.  I use Judy’s 7-step plan which drills down to find hot buttons and preferences. The second this is we are more focused on prospecting. Make the calls and you will get appointments.

Q:  In terms of putting together your prospecting list for recruits you recently spoke about ‘rising stars’ and ‘fading stars’ and how you are using interns to help create those hit lists.  We thought that was a brilliant strategy – can you tell us more? 

A:  We use interns to scour the MLS and compare year over year production. When we identify either a rising or fading star we drill deeper by going back another year in the MLS, looking at Facebook and LinkedIn postings, doing a Google search all hoping to learn more about what is going on in this person’s life then we make a phone call and structure the conversation around what we have learned.

Q:  That’s just smart recruiting!  You’re using the Profitable Recruiter Monday Motivation eNewsletters now every week, and you’ve added a ‘What’s Happening Here’ email on Fridays.  So you are CONSISTENTLY positioned with your recruiting prospects. (A giant key to recruiting success!) Can you share with our readers how that’s impacted your recruiting efforts? 

A: I am surprised at how hungry the industry is for local news and statistics. The number of agents who come up to me at broker open house events and association functions to comment on the Monday Morning Wake Up Call eNewsletters and the Friday Update is incredible. This opens the door for a “getting to know each other” conversation which should lead to more, I hope!

Q:  I love the strategies you use with agents from an office from which you’ve hired another agent – can you tell us about that? 

A:  Once an agent is on board (we have an 8-step on-boarding process) we ask them who else we should reach out to at their old office. They have an insight I’ll never have and often we are able to arrange a few more meetings. We run huge welcome ads in the local paper telling the new recruits story and introducing them such as, “Meet Christina Closson – the newest member of our elite team.” This always get noticed. We take the ad and send out an email blast using Vertical Response and we mail copies to selected agents as well.

Q:  Great stuff John.  If readers have referrals in your area – what’s the best way for them to connect with you? 

A:  The best way to reach me is via email.

Profitable Recruiter Members — login to your accounts today to watch John’s awesome webinar on demand today.  His insights were on point!  Need help recruiting your own dream team?  Join The Profitable Recruiter and gain access to 7 hours of training via downloadable links, hundreds of recruiting letters and notes, emails, social media contents, 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 40% off with the promo code 40OFF any pro membership.  

A Recruiter’s Winning Strategy

Posted on by The Profitable Recruiter
12 Oct

Take-Aways From Our Webinar with Mona Kile

Recently, I was asked about what strategies seemed to knock it out of the park. It made me want to revisit our conversation with the talented Mona Kile.

We love to see recruiters getting results and crushing goals that might seem daunting to other brokers.  Such is the case with Profitable Recruiting Member Mona Kile.  She is currently the Director of Recruiting and Retention for Giving Tree Realty in Charlotte. Her challenge? To recruit more than 68 brokers to her firm in 12 short months. So far, she’s recruited more than 40 brokers and she’s solidly on track to hit that goal.

In this month’s webinar, we asked her to share some of the ways she’s accomplishing this feat. mona-kile

Here are some of the take-aways from our interview:

  1. Stay positioned with your entire recruiting list (she has several thousand in her drip campaign) using the Profitable Recruiter Monday Morning email newsletters. These provide a non-salesly, motivational, action-oriented touch points which keep you top of mind as a broker/recruiter so that when people ARE ready to make a move, they think of your organization.
  2. Customize those emails. Mona and her team customize their emails to include links to agent testimonials on their site, links to their compensation differentiators, a personal note to the agents from the broker, a spotlight of recent recruits including their name, photo, and charity of choice, and links to attend their agent networking events.
  3. Send Lumpy Letters to the top 25 recruiting prospects every month. Have some fun with them – and follow up with those prospects. This past month Mona used the Pop-On-By lumpy letter featuring a bag of popcorn.
  4. Use LinkedIn to connect with potential recruits. Send them a message, endorse them, write a reference then follow up. More often than not, you’ll have done more than their current broker.  (You may also want to review the Roberta Ross video in your membership platform library of webinars on demand where she expertly maps out the 20-10-5-1 social media strategy that is powerful for both recruiting, and for your agents to use in their marketing.  Log in and look for it in the Webinars on Demand tab.)
  5. Sponsor fun events. We loved the Taco & Tequila Tuesdays hosted by Mona and her company. They’ve created a fun networking opportunity where agents can connect, share ideas and learn.  They host it at a restaurant near their company headquarters and offer dessert back at the office where they can tour the facility and get to know more about what the company offers.  Their current team of agents “admission” to the event is to bring another agent.  Everyone has fun – and it’s bringing agents through the doors!
  6. Call at least ten agents a day for appointments. You won’t reach all ten more than likely, but you are making the calls and contacts and setting the stage for success.
  7. Let them know that you want them on board. Often brokers feel like it is too strong to ask for the commitment after the first recruiting appointment, but what they don’t realize is that often means the potential recruit isn’t even sure that you WANT to hire them. Be assertive, friendly – and try Judy’s classic handshake close that has helped brokers all over the world hire people on the spot.  (You can learn more about that in the interview skills section of your 7+ hours of audio training.

These powerful steps are a great way to create the kind of dramatic momentum that Mona is experiencing. The right tools, strategies, and of course – perseverance as a recruiter is a win-win-win combination.

Thank you so much Mona again for sharing your insights and ideas! You’re terrific! If you’d like to send referrals her way she can be reached via email here.

If you missed the webinar, please log into your Profitable Recruiter account to watch on demand!

Stay positioned with the agents you are eager to recruit!  Join us 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.    

STOP Using the Word Recruit

Posted on by The Profitable Recruiter
24 Aug

Four Powerful Insights from the Talented Craig Wittportraits for EXIT realty conference May 2008

Recently Judy spent some time with a great team of brokers from EXIT Realty. So we thought this the perfect time to do re-share a great interview we had with Craig Witt, President of the U.S. Division of EXIT Realty. He is strong, impassioned, and has some incredible insights that brokers today really need to hear.

Here’s what we learned…

Q:  Hi Craig – thanks so much for joining our Broker Success Series of articles!  Can you start by telling us a little about yourself? 

A: I currently serve as a Divisional President for the North Central Division of the United States for EXIT Realty. I have been with EXIT for over 13 years; first starting as a franchisee in Northern Michigan, then purchasing the Regional rights for Michigan, and ultimately becoming a Divisional President. My background is quite entrepreneurial as I have owned several companies prior to EXIT, mostly in the land development and construction industry.

Q:  What trends are you seeing in our industry right now that you think brokers should really get in front of BEFORE the beginning of the new year and why? 

A: In my opinion, and fortunately for our industry, Real Estate is largely and will continue to be a people business. As such, so is brokerage. Real Estate agents should be treated as the assets of the corporation and it all begins with strong leadership. In order to thrive in brokerage today, attracting the best talent with the right attitude, welding them into your office through a retention mechanism, then training them to be successful is key. The idea of a “body shop” mentality and more is better in my opinion really affects our industry in that many good agents slip through the cracks, burnout, and experience failure. By creating an environment where agents want to work, get the attention and the systems they need and are making a great living in an industry they are proud of is key to a successful brokerage. Quite simply, brokers should focus on getting, keeping and growing great agents.

Q:  Brokers come in all shapes and sizes — so we know there aren’t any one-size-fits-all solutions, but there are some tried-and-true strategies for building a great team, can you share your top few with us?

A: There are in fact several ways to build a strong team but it all starts with the ultimate goal of the agent interested in forming one. Why? Why do you want a team, can you lead other people, and ultimately, what is your goal? By answering the tough questions in the beginning and setting a plan in place, you will either choose to build or stay on your own with perhaps a licensed assistant. Leverage is the key to creating wealth and if agents desire to have flexibility in their schedule, growth opportunity, unlimited earning potential and ultimately an exit strategy to their careers, a properly structured team can provide much of that. I see a lot of really good agents that are strong in sales and weak in admin or marketing so by picking good talent and plugging them into these areas can help them focus on their strength. Pay structure is always an interesting component, and if not handled properly, agents will outgrow the team and either leave to go on their own or be hired away by a competitor. My advice is to start with the end in mind; make a plan, do a SWOT analysis on yourself, pick the right talent with personality, then skill (you can teach skill), then pay them well and review the team structure annually.

Q:  What would be your best advice to a brand new recruiter?  

A: This is easy for me.  First off, we should stop using the word recruit; it can have a negative connotation and I believe we have evolved away from that term. No one wants to be recruited, but we all want to be invited and welcomed. In my opinion, you cannot sell until you have been sold. What I mean is if you are going to have a recruiter represent you, it is imperative you get them passionate about your company vision and goals. At EXIT, we share our story and the impact our model can have to improve others’ lives and their own; we paint the picture for them where they can see they can be part of something bigger. First impressions mean everything and nobody wants to be sold…or recruited, they want to be exposed to something better for themselves and their family. Changing companies is extremely personal and emotional and often takes time to build the relationship. Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care. This person is a direct reflection of your company when they are talking to others. Role-play with them so you are confident you know what they are saying on the phone. Also, ensure they understand what you are trying to build in your office with regards to personality and culture, and make sure they are paid well. You don’t want a recruiter recruiting out of desperation, just as we don’t want our agents selling out of desperation. Keep them focused on the mission of the office and building a great place to work with great talent, and the money will come. Good recruiters are hard to find and harder to keep, weld them in and don’t be cheap.

Q:  I love that line! Best advice to those who’ve ‘been around the block’ but aren’t quite at the level they want yet?  

A: Re-evaluate your career, where you work and your life. Are you where you want to be? Sometimes great agents are working somewhere that is preventing them from excelling. I believe agents can be a product of the environment where they work. For example, lack of leadership, training or sense of belonging can affect the performance of most agents. At EXIT, our model provides an “arm-in-arm” culture where we work collectively to get the most and the best out of each other like a good family would. By providing the right leadership and culture, agents feel like they belong. A little peer pressure goes a long way as well within an office; not ego and strong competition but peer pressure.

I am a firm believer in hiring a coach, not a friend, a coach. Someone that is removed from you personally and emotionally. In order for a coach-student relationship to work, there needs to be accountability and mutual respect. Most people don’t want a coach because they don’t want to be told what to do. This is a major mistake in that coaches don’t necessarily tell you what to do, they hold you accountable to what you told them you were going to do. Effective coaching is helping you determine where you want to go, then guiding you to accomplish these goals through consistent and sometimes painful accountability. Broker/owners of offices are not exempt here; in order to build and sustain a successful brokerage, owners should have a coach as well or at a minimum a focus group that can help identify concerns and trends and keeps them being a focused leader for the agents. Oh, and don’t be cheap, a good coach will increase your production and make you more effective.

Q:  Thanks so much again for your insights.  If readers want to connect with you or learn more about your organization – where is the best place to find you?  

A: To connect with me or for more information about EXIT Realty, you can email me at cwitt@exitrealty.com, connect at www.craigwitt.com, or visit www.exitrealty.com,

If you’re ready to move your team or organization in a new direction, 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.  

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 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

  1. Participation in the group should be voluntary, but if they sign up, they should commit to be there for each session.
  2. Choose a convenient time that will not conflict with their schedule.
  3. 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.
  4. Start with one group, and then 30-60 days later, start the second group.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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?
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.