Category Archives: Real Estate Retention

The Opportunities in Change

Posted on by The Profitable Recruiter
The Opportunities in Change real estate recruiting
30 Apr

The Cyclical World of Real Estate Sales

By Judy LaDeur

The world — and the world of real estate — is one of the cycles. And certainly, we are in a stage of change right now in markets all over the globe. Change can be a little intimidating for some agents, but with the right mindset, tools, and training — it presents opportunities at every turn. How you deliver the possibilities and help agents navigate change is powerful.  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:

  • Some agents are feeling ready but anxious about change.
  • Most agents are struggling with a correcting and shifting market, higher interest rates, and uncertainty. This 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?

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 designed to support their business, adapt to change, foster a strong finish to the year, a sense of confidence, and the tools they need to thrive.
  2. Host some fun events, or contests, to keep your agents focused on business, even in these challenging times!
  3. Create marketing pieces for your agents to use to position themselves in front of their clients for new listings.
  4. Remind your agents that there is no better time to stay consistent with their Monday morning messages to their clients. Stay top of mind for additional business opportunities.
  5. Don’t forget to send your Monday Morning Motivation Messages to your recruits each week. Once we head into the holidays, it is especially important for you, as the Broker, to stay positioned with potential recruits.

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 50% off with the promo code 50OFF any membership.  That’s 50% off everything you need to be in the right place at the right time when the agents you want are ready to make a move – 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.

 

What Do “Love Languages” Have to Do With Agent Retention?

Posted on by The Profitable Recruiter
12 Feb

Much More Than You Realize

By Judy LaDeur

In honor of Valentine’s Day, I thought this post was perfect!

Most Brokers and Recruiters right now are focused on recruiting those agents in other companies who are not happy about their production and fearful about what market change means for them. But what about your own agents? Are they happy? Are they getting what they want and need from you as their broker? It’s not just about money; other factors determine why an agent leaves. The #1 reason that most agents leave a company is that they don’t feel appreciated or valued as an agent. This is the time of the year to focus on retention, ensuring that your agents do not leave.  There is a tool that I find very valuable as a Broker and Coach. It’s the 5 Love Languages Test.

I know. You are asking, why do you need to know their love language? The Love Language tells you HOW they want to be appreciated.  This is equally important in any relationship. Not all people show or receive appreciation in the same way.  By understanding how to best show your agents that you care, you will have better retention and a stronger sense of community within your office.

The 5 Love Languages are:

  • Words of Affirmation
  • Acts of Service
  • Receiving Gifts
  • Quality Time
  • Physical Touch

By communicating authentic appreciation in the language of appreciation most valued to each person, you are more likely to communicate appreciation for that person on your team or in your life.

I was asked to facilitate a leadership retreat once. When I asked what the goal was, the Broker said that the team was not working together and he was getting resistance.  By noon on the first day, I could easily see that there was a disconnect between him and his team. I had each person take the 5 Love Languages Test. Here’s what we discovered: The Broker’s love language was gifts, so he was constantly giving his leadership team expensive gifts to show that he appreciated them.  However, none of the managers had gifts as their love language. In fact, it was rated at #5, or least significant, on all of their reports. Every member of his team scored Words of Affirmation or Quality Time as what they needed or wanted from him. This Broker was very rarely available for one on one time, so they were feeling unappreciated and frustrated. He was amazed that all the gifts that he was giving them did not mean anything to them. They were given in a spirit of sincerity since it’s his language. If they were doing their job, he did not understand why they needed one on one time or affirmation that they were doing a great job.

I see this quite often in real estate. Many Brokers tell me that the person is being paid to do a job and that they don’t understand why they need to tell them that they are doing their job well. However, if they are not doing their job well, they need to be told.  Many Brokers think that if an agent is making a lot of money, they are happy. This is not necessarily true. Studies show that everyone wants to feel appreciated and told or shown that they are doing a great job.

I had a broker in Texas tell me that she and her husband went to a course on the 5 Love Languages. Her language was words of affirmation. It was essential to her that he tell her that he loved her, which he rarely did.  His love language was acts of service, which helped her to understand why he was constantly doing things for her.  Once she understood his love language, their relationship improved. When he came in and said, “Honey, I planted all those flower bulbs for you and trimmed the bushes, she would hug him and say, “I love you too!”

As a recap, the way YOU want to be appreciated is usually how you show appreciation to others, but if that is not THEIR Love Language, then your efforts to show that you care might go unnoticed.

Another important tool to understand those you work with is the DISC test. It’s a powerful assessment  tool in the recruitment of new associates, as well as existing associates.

Knowing a person’s love language shows how that person wants to be shown appreciation, while the DISC tells you what they want and how they will respond when they are unhappy.

When you know both how to communicate appreciation in ways meaningful to each team member effectively and what your agents want, powerful results can follow — improving your team’s sense of feeling truly valued and increasing the level of success throughout the organization.

Why not take the test today? You can give it to your team, as well as those critical people in your life.  For a free copy of the test, go to: http://www.5lovelanguages.com and click the button that says, Learn Your Love Language.

As a reminder, it’s far easier to keep a good agent than it is to recruit a good agent!

Want to continue to learn how to be 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 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 which covers:

  • interview skills
  • objection handling
  • phone calls
  • recruiting strategies
  • handling stalls
  • recruiting to specific personality types
  • and so much more…

What are you waiting for? Join today and save 35% — and add up to 10 managers to your account at no additional cost.  

 

Step-By-Step Recruiting

Posted on by The Profitable Recruiter
13 Jan

Set Your Goals and Do the Math

By Judy LaDeur

I’m often asked by brokers, “Where do I start?” It’s a common question for recruiters. When you’re looking at your goal – it can seem overwhelming if you don’t have a plan.  I like to tell them that a good goal, to begin with, is to conduct three experienced agent interviews per week. From that, you should average at least two hires per month.  This will give you at least 24 experienced agents per year.  If each is producing two million in gross closings that would give you an annual increase in market share of $48 million and a net gain of $98 million over your competitors!

So how do you get to that? Start by putting these 12 steps in place! 

  1. Find your targets: Set up your target ‘hit lists’.  Your list will depend on the size of your marketplace.  I always recommend that you have at least 100 agents on your hit list, but the more agents that you have, the better. Full-time recruiters should have 250-350 agents on their hit list.  Your hit list will have 3 categories of agents. A, B, and C categories. The A list is your active pipeline. At all times, your active pipeline should have at least 10 agents in it. The active pipeline has two types of agents. Those that you have interviewed, but not yet hired and those who have agreed to come in for an interview and the date for the interview is set.  This means that you will always be talking to at least 10 agents about joining your team. The B-list agents are those that you have a relationship with. You are Facebook friends, you talk to them every 2-3 months, you invite them to social events, etc.  Your C-list agents are those agents that you are marketing to but don’t really have a relationship with yet.  Your A-list and your B-list agents are the ones that you will focus on and spend the most on. I always recommend that Brokers use a program such as Broker Metrics to determine who you want on your hit list, but if you don’t have Broker Metrics, you can use your MLS as a guide to determine who you want on your list. Many brokers pull lists by production level or dollar volume.  Some pull by time in the industry.  There are some strategies and success rates in targeting those second-year agents that have been in 12-36 months and might be ready to move.   Another great strategy shared by one of our members is to target the rising and falling stars in your market. Just as it is crucial for agents to put together their marketing lists for their SOI and farm, it’s just as critical that you have a list to market to as a recruiter.
  2. Digitally position yourself weekly. Use your Monday Morning eNewsletters as a way to position yourself in a motivational, positive message with great tips and tools each week to the agents in your market. This goes to your both your entire list recruiting prospects,  as well as your current team members.  Encourage your agents, and your recruits to use the same strategy with their prospecting lists so that they are positioned as well with a Monday Morning message.  Log in at the end of each month, copy the eNewsletters for the month into your email platform and schedule them to go out every Monday morning.
  3. Monthly position yourself with letters and lumpy letters. Agents love Lumpy Letters and they really create a buzz. Every month we put two or three Lumpy Letters in your system. You can also scroll through the archives to see past letters.  These are perfect for the A-list agents, as well as certain B-list agents.  Most Brokers send 25-50 lumpy mail items per month. At the start of every month, order the suggested mailing insert (small gift or fun item) – we usually include an easy ordering link or offer a suggestion where you can buy the item. Then copy and paste your favorite Lumpy Letter onto a card or onto your letterhead and sign them. Then stuff them into padded envelopes, labels, and mail. They capture the attention of the top agents, create a great talking point, and get you noticed.  Next, pick your favorite seasonal letter and send those to your B and C list agents each month.
  4. Follow up: Give each targeted agent a follow-up phone call just to touch base.  Your goal is to talk to at least three agents per day and schedule a minimum of three interviews with experienced agents per week.  When the agent has indicated that they are happy where they are, call them every 2-3 months just to check in on them. Has anything changed? Are they ready to meet? If the agent is on your A-list, follow up weekly or as needed based on that agent’s situation.
  5. Connect again: The following month, send out another letter, note, or package to your list to promote your systems and your organization.  Everyone doesn’t have to get the same thing either!  Be creative!  Personalize them! You can always look into the archive section of your platform to see past month’s tools.
  6. Follow up again: Hit the phones again just as in step three and make it a habit to consistently send and call each and every month.  Use your CRM to track who you call each month, and when you should contact that agent again.
  7. Promote: After each hire, send out a “Just Hired” postcard to your entire hit list.  This sends out the message that agents are joining your team. Also, post your new recruits to your Facebook page, and include announcements in your eNewsletters.
  8. Promote again: Send flyers out that promote your company, the success of your agents and your commitment to the community.  You’ll be planting those seeds for agents to WANT to learn more about you!
  9. Review your skills. Pick at least one lesson from the 7+ hours of audio training to master each month. Log in and watch a webinar on-demand as well and learn what other brokers are doing to recruit at record levels.
  10. Review your value propositions. Use those to show how your organization is different.  What are the 12 compelling reasons for an agent to join your team? Are those 12 reasons compelling enough for others to take notice and join? What are the results of your 12 compelling reasons to join?  This is how you build value in joining your team.
  11. Use social media: Facebook has really changed the way that brokers build relationships and stay in touch. You should send a Facebook request to everyone on your hit list, as well as your existing agents. Each day, please apply the 30-20-10-5 rule on Facebook. Spend a max of 30 minutes on Facebook in the morning, like 20 things that potential recruits say, make 10 comments, and send 5 personal messages inviting the agent to get together to discuss their business.  Set up your hit list into a group on Facebook.
  12. Stay true to the 3-7-27 rule. Your engagement on Facebook, as well as calls and texting, is designed to build their trust as soon as possible.  It is based on the Rule of Marketing: 3-7-27. It takes 3 direct contacts for them to remember who YOU are. It takes 7 direct contacts for them to connect you to your company. It takes 27 direct contacts for them to trust you, to like you, and to feel as though they can approach you when they are ready.  BUT it also requires the messages to be positive and inspiring, which causes them to like you before they meet you.  Direct contact is a call with a response, a text with a response, a social connection with a response, etc. Any time they respond in any way, you are building a relationship and trust.

Agents are deciding now how they will move forward during these challenging times — and what brokerages best suit those needs. If you position yourself now as the broker with the tools, resources, support, and environment for success – it will be your name at the top of their list of choices. If you need help, let us know.

For more great ideas on giving your agents the best resources possible, while attracting awesome new agents, join The Profitable Recruiter.  Take advantage of our special offer! Make any Profitable Recruiter Pro Membership part of your business plan, and take 50% off with the promo code 50OFF — PLUS, have the ability to add up to 10 managers or admins to your account at no extra cost!  That’s 50% off everything you need to be in the right place at the right time when the agents you want are ready to make a move – including SEVEN HOURS of recruiting audio training, more than 30 webinars on-demand, scripts, letters, social media tools and more!  What are you waiting for? Register today! 

 Identifying and Communicating Your Value Proposition

Posted on by The Profitable Recruiter
05 Nov

By Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur

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

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

You must define:

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

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

12 Compelling Reasons Recruits Will Say YES to Joining Your Company

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

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

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

#4: Education/ training: Agents are looking to fine-tune their skills. Many are staring down steep learning curves for technology and virtual presentations. 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: Virtual presentation, social media and digital marketing, niche-market prospecting, and technology.

#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 50% off with the promo code 50OFF any pro 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.

 

Powerful Phone Skills Can Be Easy!

Posted on by The Profitable Recruiter
12 Sep

Putting ALL the Pieces in Place for Successful Recruiting

By Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur

What do top recruiters/brokers do daily to ensure consistent results in recruiting?   It is really pretty simple.  Most do what others are unwilling to do to get the desired results!  There are several steps to mastering phone calls and many great reasons to pick up the phone. Here are ten great reasons to call an agent:

  1. Your office has a co-op transaction with that agent.
  2. Your agent has identified them as a great agent to do business within your market.
  3. Invite them to a social or educational event that you are hosting.
  4. Pay them a compliment. It could be on their production or just the way they conduct business.
  5. Introduce yourself if you do not know them.
  6. Suggest getting together to meet and exchange information over coffee.
  7. Check the progress of a first or second-year agent.
  8. Follow up with agents that you have met with but did not YET hire.
  9. Call to tell them about the special systems and services that your company offers.
  10. Invite those who left to come back!

Regardless of why you call them, what to say seems to be the biggest challenge for most brokers and recruiters.  For your best results, you should follow a process that allows you to build the relationship and secure the info that you need when the time is right for that agent to make a move.

Our process teaches you how to diffuse the initial response of “I’m busy” or “I’m happy where I am.” When you can lower the resistance in the first few seconds, the call is much easier.  Many brokers jump right in and ask them to meet. That works occasionally, but asking a few questions and engaging them in the conversation will usually result in a better close ratio.

Most agents will say “no” at least two times before saying “yes”! The secret is asking them more than once in more than one way! Most agents will say no before even listening to what you have to say. It’s important to say something that will not only get their attention but pique their curiosity to learn more.

There are also days of the week and times in the day which will have better results. Those who understand the Rules Behind Successful Calling will have fewer no-shows and spend less time making the calls and more time face to face with the agents they want.

Do you want to hire more agents?  Mastering the phone is an important part of the puzzle! Not only will you learn many of these vital tools in the 7+ hours of audio training that you get as part of your Profitable Recruiter Pro membership – you have the advantage of learning on demand – individually or as a leadership team.

And if you HAVEN’T put systems in place to ALWAYS have the tools you need to grow your team with fewer headaches and more results – consider joining The Profitable Recruiter today.  Take 50% off with the promo code 50OFF — PLUS, can add up to 10 managers or admins to your account at no extra cost!  That’s 50% off everything you need to be in the right place at the right time when the agents you want are ready to make a move – AND includes the SEVEN HOURS of recruiting audio training, webinars on demand, scripts, letters, social media tools and more!  What are you waiting for? Register today.

7 Strategies for Real Estate Recruiting Success

Posted on by The Profitable Recruiter
04 Sep

A LOT has changed in the last year – but some strategies are always in season. If you’re ready to take your recruiting game to the next level, let’s look at a few of our favorites that always seem to help real estate recruiters knock it out of the park. Some take just a few minutes of your day – but the results — are extraordinary!

Here are a few of our favorites: 

  1. Stay positioned with your entire recruiting list using the Profitable Recruiter Monday Morning email newsletters. These provide non-salesly, motivational, action-oriented touchpoints 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. While we love a good cut and paste, your emails should be branded to your organization.  Consider including links to agent testimonials, links to pages on your site that refer to compensation differentiators, a personal note from you or your leadership team, a spotlight of recent recruits, including their name, photo, and charity of choice, and links to upcoming training or 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.
  4. Use LinkedIn to connect with potential recruits. Send your prospects a message, endorse them, write a reference on LinkedIn, then follow up. More often than not, you’ll have done more than their current broker.  While you’re in there – be sure to do the same for your CURRENT team of agents!  Set aside 15 minutes a morning to do this one simple strategy – you’ll surprise and delight yourself with the results!
  5. Sponsor fun events. We loved the Taco & Tequila Tuesdays, Wine Down Wednesdays, and even virtual happy hours that many of our members have hosted. They are fun networking opportunities where agents can connect, share ideas, and learn.  Some host it at a restaurant near their company headquarters and offer dessert back at the office, where they can tour the facility and learn 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 and friendly – and try Judy’s classic handshake close that has helped brokers worldwide 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 you are looking for. The right tools, strategies, and of course – perseverance as a recruiter is a win-win-win combination.

Stay positioned with the agents you are eager to recruit!  Join us today and take advantage of our special offer of 50% off with the promo code 50OFF any membership.  That’s 50% off everything you need to be in the right place at the right time when the agents you want are ready to make a move – 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.    

Four Factors You CAN Control in Recruiting

Posted on by The Profitable Recruiter
13 Jun

Positioning Yourself for Exponential Results

By Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur

Bottom line? Recruiting is the lifeblood of your real estate brokerage. If you are not actively recruiting, you are on your way out of business. You can have the best team in the industry, but at some point, every agent that you have will leave. They will retire, they may get ill, and they might just get tired of working, or relocate. But for reasons out of your control, they will leave.  There are many things that you can control to keep them there for as long as possible.  Here are those things which you can control:

  1. Office Environment & Culture: The brokers I know who are excellent recruiters, also provide an exciting work environment for their agents. They are in the office to greet their agents daily, they create reasons for the agents to come into the office, they host fun events throughout the year in the office, and the office has a clean, professional look about it. Create a welcome, efficient place for your agents to network, meet clients, and impress your recruits and you’re one step ahead of your competition.
  1. Create a Written Profile of the Perfect Agent for Your Office:  By writing down what it would take him or her to be the perfect fit for your team, your mind will actively look for people who fit your profile. Have you ever noticed that if you buy a new blue car, that suddenly you see that color and model everywhere? Once you are aware of something, your mind will point it out.  The same is true for agents.  When you are consciously aware of what you are looking for, your mind will also quickly discount people who do not meet your profile. You will hire more of the right agents, and fewer agents who fall short of your criteria. The time to talk about your criteria and expectations for your agents is in the interview process.  Don’t be shy. During the interview say things such as “The ideal agent for our team is an agent who is looking for (quality). Our expectations of those who join our team are (expectation).  The typical agent on our team averages (annual income). Those who are right for your team will make statements that confirm they meet your criteria.  If you are hiring new agents, you may want a separate profile, which may encompass areas such as passion, drive, experience in other sales fields, and education. A new agent’s desire and persistence can overcome many obstacles. For experienced agents, you may want to consider things such as the time constraints each one will put on you or your staff. It seems there are always a few agents in each office that take up the bulk of the leader’s time.  Your focus should be to find good people so you can replace the ones who do not meet your criteria.
  1. Prospecting: Once you know who you want, you next job is to find those agents and position yourself and your company to recruit them. Prospecting effectively allows you to fill your office with the kind of agents who fit your profile, which will enable you to earn more money. Prospecting can take on many forms such as direct mail, social media, face to face interaction with agents, phone calls, texting, emails and anything which will allow you to connect with the right agent for your team. Prospecting does two things: It keeps you positioned with the agents that you want until they are ready to move. It also tells you which agents are ready to make a move that day.  For that reason, calling must be a daily part of your prospecting, but don’t try to recruit them over the phone. The purpose of the call is to get the interview. They can’t sign up over the phone. I am amazed at the number of brokers who do not prospect, and most prospect less than their agents do. The brokers with the most productive offices lead by example. They are always prospecting and building their business, just like they expect their agents to prospect. Are you willing to get in the mud with your troops? Are you willing to show and teach them by example the value of prospecting? Are you going to teach them through your actions what leadership is about?
  1. Powerful presentation: Just as your agents need to perfect their best listing presentation — you need to create a dynamic presentation which is customized to each agent. The agent needs to feel that you have a lot to offer him/her in knowledge and experience. Your presentation should be based on well-scripted questions to find their hot buttons as well as products and services that they currently need in their real estate career. The better you learn what the agent is looking for, the more powerful your presentation will be.  Focus on hiring agents on value. What is the value to them in joining your team? How much more can they earn as a member of your team? Just as agents can get more listings by reducing their commission, you can always get more agents by lowering your fees or increasing your splits. Do the best sales agents reduces their fees and profits just to get more listings? NO. And the best brokers do not “buy agents”.  They do, however, end each interview with an invitation to join their team, if the agent is a good fit.

Is recruiting a challenge for you?  We can help.  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. 

If you’re ready to get your recruiting ON TRACK and keep it there —  join today and take advantage of our 50% off special using promo code 50OFF.

Learn why brokers of every company size 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. 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.  

Summertime Recruiting and Retention

Posted on by The Profitable Recruiter
07 Jun

How to Stay Strong in the Heat

By Real Estate Coach and Speaker Judy LaDeur

Let’s think about summer for a moment. Most people are REALLY excited to see warm weather arrive, especially those of us in the north. This spring was a great market for most agents, which means that they will have lots of closings in June.

Lots of closings = lots of money. Lots of money to most agents in the summertime = “Play, party, vacation, BBQ, beach, and boating.” That is perfectly fine because they have earned it and they deserve it.

Let’s fast forward to mid-August: Vacations are over, kids are back in school, and they are back to work. However, their pipeline is now empty! When an agent’s inventory of listings and sales is low, it is easier for them to make a move! That’s why they call September “Recruiting season”.

From the viewpoint of recruiting: It is critical to build and maintain relationships throughout the summer via social media, emails, letters, notes, calls, or personal interaction. Don’t wait until September. I have discovered that summer is the time to passively stay in touch, and July is the time to start making those calls and booking your interviews. It’s an easy time for agents to meet with you. Offer to help them develop a last quarter strategy to have their best year ever!

From the viewpoint of retention:  If it’s recruiting season, it means that the competition will be “gunning for your agents” too! If your agents return from vacation and their production is low, they will also be vulnerable to the advances from your competition. Make plans NOW to implement a training/coaching program for the end of August. It’s also a great time to review their goals and business plans. Are your agents on track to hit their goals? Are they marketing to their base of business this summer? Make training and support very intentional each year at the end of summer break.

Another great way to stay passively in touch with your recruits and your agents is The Profitable Recruiter. We provide a weekly series of motivational and inspirational emails designed to create connections with both your recruits and current team members. All you have to do is copy and paste it into your email system and schedule to send every Monday morning.

In addition to the weekly emails, the recruiting platform will be loaded with scripts, lumpy letters, seasonal letters, notes, social media content, and various other recruiting tools each month. We also have over forty webinars on demand, seven and a half hours of intense recruiting training, and articles with some of the top brokers in the country and industry experts sharing their tips for success on our blog. Each month we feature one broker who will share their best ideas to recruit the agents you want. We also feature a top producing agent each month who will share their tips for increasing the production of your agents. Check it out at www.TheProfitableRecruiter.com

Join today and take advantage of our special offer of 50% off with the promo code 50OFF any membership.  That’s 50% off everything you need to be in the right place at the right time when the agents you want are ready to make a move!

 

The Top Five Must-Do Strategies for Brokers to Implement in Today’s Market

Posted on by The Profitable Recruiter
09 May

What You Do Now Will Affect the Rest of Your Year

By Real Estate Recruiting Expert and Coach Judy LaDeur

Our market continues to change at a crazy clip and smart brokers and managers are turning to serious systems and tools to keep up.  To help make the most of your recruiting efforts, energy, and marketing dollars, I’ve put together five top strategies for a successful rest of the year that are generating tremendous results for brokers.

  1. Take Out the Guesswork. Be sure to have a SPECIFIC, laid-out, retention program to keep the agents that you already have. Agents need to know that they are appreciated and wanted.  In changing and competitive times, agents who feel under-appreciated begin to look to your competition for acknowledgment. For those of you who are members, make sure those Monday Morning messages are going out to your current team, not just your recruits, and follow the weekly retention action plan that corresponds to your message.
  1. Be the Resource. Provide powerful ongoing training, coaching and mentoring to keep your agents productive, ahead of the trends, and confident in their skills and tools. Productive agents are happy agents and companies who continue to provide resources for success will grow exponentially over their competitors. Not to mention, like attracts like. If your agents are happy, productive, and knocking it out of the park in your market, they’ll catch the attention of other area agents who will be curious as to how your company can help them do the same.
  1. Support them. Provide marketing support for two very important reasons. It increases your agents’ business and more importantly ensures that the marketing ACTUALLY gets done. Many agents cut their marketing budgets, which resulted in less business for the agent – but also for the company. When agents sell homes, companies make money so whatever you can do as a broker to support their business, is always a winning strategy.
  1. Turn Up the Heat.  While many of your competitors go into holiday “sleep mode” — it’s your turn to dial things up. Implement a strong recruiting campaign that consists of marketing, calls, social media, advertising, and interviews weekly!  Now is the perfect time to keep your ears to the ground and your eyes open for trends in your market that you can leverage.  A competitor that pulls back on resources.  A change in management at another company.  A top producer who isn’t being recognized.  Use these trends to your advantage and RECRUIT, RECRUIT, RECRUIT!
  1. Know your numbers! What I mean by that is—know your value propositions.  What is the VALUE of being with your company? How many referrals do you generate per agent? What percentage of their business is generated by something you’re providing? I am always amazed how few brokers know what percentage of an agent’s business is as a result of something that the company does to support them…and that is the key to recruiting and retention!

Hope you’ve found these tips helpful.

Want to 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 50FF for any pro 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 which covers:

  • interview skills
  • objection handling
  • phone calls
  • recruiting strategies
  • handling stalls
  • recruiting to specific personality types
  • and so much more…

What are you waiting for? Join today and save 50% — and add up to 10 managers on your account at no additional cost.  

Six Powerful Ways to Follow Up With Recruits

Posted on by The Profitable Recruiter
real estate recruiting follow up
28 Mar

It’s the #1 Key to Bringing On the Agents You Want

By Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur

How many agents have you talked to in the past 12 months who were not ready to join, but gave you permission to stay in touch? One of the easiest ways to recruit more agents each year is to follow up with those who say “no” initially.  The decision to change offices is a tough one.

There are a lot of agents currently reevaluating their brokerages — especially when many feel their company has not supported them enough through these turbulent times.

I get it – you’re wearing a lot of hats right now, but there is an opportunity to not only build your team but help real estate professionals who may just need that extra support and attention to make a move that will help them thrive, even during these times. Brokers who have been consistently following up with agents say that up to 50% of their hires each year were the results of these efforts.

Here are six powerful ways you can follow up directly and indirectly: 

1.  Call.  One of the least favorite things for brokers to do, but one of the most effective.  Some of the best people to call are those agents who have had transactions within the last 30-60 days.  If they’ve had positive experiences, call those agents and congratulate them on their professionalism and give them kudos for a job well done. Let them know if they are ever interested in exploring other options – you’d love to sit down and meet.

2.  Send a Lumpy Letter.  These are perfect for capturing attention, showing that you are not only interested but a creative and even fun broker that’s willing to be outside the box.  It gets them thinking — and talking!  Sometimes it’s even good for recruiting more agents than one for that very reason!  Learn more here.

3.  Use weekly e-newsletters.  These are terrific, especially for emotional agents.  When they are non-invasive or pushy – but instead motivational, give great tips, and a spotlight you as a leader and a broker who is in the know in the marketplace — recruiting prospects respond very well.  John from New York had this to say, “I am surprised at how hungry the industry is for local news and statistics. The number of agents who come up to me at broker open house events and association functions to comment on the Monday Morning Wake Up Call newsletters. This opens the door for a ‘getting to know each other’ conversation.”  

4.  Be present in your market. This is no time to be a stealth broker.  Even in areas not yet opened up — there is a lot you can do to ensure that you and your company are presenting yourself as present and listening and providing agents with the tools and training they need to grow and adapt. Show them that you are more than a name on a door. Show them that you are someone who’s willing to be part of their solutions.

5.  Make an invitation.  Got an agent you’d really like to sit down with?  Let them know. Send them an invitation for a quick Zoom call, or a cup of coffee at their favorite spot.  Let them know, no pressure, no sales pitch.  You just would like to get to know them a little better and you appreciate what they are bringing to your market.

6.  Offer training.  Right now agents are often in 24/7 mode with learning curves — especially regarding technology. Offer ongoing training with great speakers, powerful topics, and terrific takeaways. Let them know it’s the kind of training that sets the perfect pace for the rest of the year and will help them kick off a fantastic fall season.  Make it easy and non-threatening for them to register, and extend the offer as a by-invitation-only event.

Now, more than ever, it’s important to FOLLOW up with agents. Why? People want to feel seen, heard, and recognized. They want to feel valued and appreciated for their commitment to stay in this game. Pick up the phone and call the agents on your hit list this week. You might be surprised to see how many are willing to meet with you. Make recruiting a priority now.

If you’re ready to dial up your recruiting and position yourself to attract the agents you want sooner rather than later, join top brokers from around the nation who are members of www.TheProfitableRecruiter.com.

You’ll get all the tools you need each month to position yourself as the broker to join when agents are ready to make a move. Fine-tuning your skills this season? All pro members get access to over SEVEN hours of training via downloadable links including interview skills, scripts, objection handlers, and more. PLUS, you’ll have access to entire libraries of recruiting letters and notes, emails, social media content, training webinars for recruiting and retention, and opportunities to network with the best of the best.

Join today and take advantage of our special offer of 50% off with the promo code 50OFF any membership.  That’s 50% off everything you need to be in the right place at the right time when the agents you want are ready to make a move!