Four Factors You CAN Control in Recruiting

Posted on July 22, 2024July 25, 2024 by The Profitable Recruiter

22 Jul

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:

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.

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.

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?

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.

How Not to Get Raided by Your Competition

Posted on February 12, 2024February 13, 2024 by The Profitable Recruiter

12 Feb

And Stay on the Winning Side of the Agent Tug of War

By Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur

Recruiting competition has skyrocketed. And during this time of great chaos and change – there can be even more vulnerability. Right now, agents are edgy and unsure about what all the industry change means to them, and they are looking to you to help them navigate it all.

My research has shown that if you consistently show your agents that they are valued and appreciated on a regular basis, and they know that they, and their needs, are your priority — you probably don’t have much to worry about. If not – let’s examine why an office becomes vulnerable.

Change is the #1 reason for vulnerability. When you implement change, a certain number of agents will be unhappy with the change, and therefore you could lose a few. In addition, if you lose a good agent, you can easily lose another one in the next 10 days. You could be in trouble if you lose 2-3 agents in a few weeks. Why? The grass always looks greener on the other side… (But most agents forget that it is just as tough to mow!) You are most vulnerable if you lose an emotional agent. They usually leave if they are hurt or angry. Unfortunately, they will want their friends to follow them. You must always take proactive steps when an emotional agent leaves. You should have a one-on-one meeting with the agent who is leaving. If you can not correct the problem or convince them to stay, let them know that they are always welcome if they want to return. Keep it businesslike and professional. Do not get angry with them. You would not believe some of the stories that I hear, such as the managers who threw an agent’s belongings into the parking lot while demanding that they leave in front of their peers.

Next, have one-on-one meetings with their close friends and get their feedback on why the agent left. Ask how you can create a more favorable environment for the agents who are there. If the agent who left insists on calling your other agents, confront the agent who left. Let them know that you supported their decision to leave, but you are hurt that they would intentionally try to harm or disrupt your office. Emotional agents usually back off if confronted.

Also, you need to remember that about 70% of all agents are emotional in nature, so they make emotional decisions. For example, If you do something that they feel hurts them emotionally or betrays their trust, you can lose them. You can also lose them by not giving them the recognition they feel they deserve. The bottom line is this: If they are hurt, they might leave. The good news is that they usually do not leave for money. They will say it is for more money, but that is rarely the case. Most agents do not worry about the money. They know that if they are happy, the money will be there. Here are a few tips:

With regard to change: It would be impossible to implement a change and have everyone happy with that change. When implementing change, try to involve your agents whenever possible.

Location: If you are changing locations, ask a few of your agents to help you locate a new location, then go out with them to scout out the options. Let your agents sell the group on the new location. You could also set up a committee to determine the new colors for the office and ideas for office design.

Compensation: If you are changing compensation, or implementing a new fee, try to time that change with the implementation of a new service. Such as: We are implementing a transaction fee of (dollar amount) but you will no longer be charged for (service). You can also “grandfather” the existing agents when you are changing the compensation. Or, you can grandfather all agents whose production is above a certain amount. You could say, “If you are generating GCC of $90,000.00, you will be grandfathered with regard to the new changes.” You can also grandfather agents who have been with the company a long time. For example, you can say, “If you have been with our firm for 10 years, or your production is (dollar amount), you will not be subject to the new changes.” Keep in mind that emotional agents will leave, not because of the money, but because they are hurt that after so many years, or at their level of production, that you would take money out of their pocket.

Management: A management change is also risky. Whenever you change managers, you should consider the personality of the manager that is being replaced. If the manager that is being replaced was very friendly, emotional and well liked by the agents, you could be vulnerable if you put a logical manager in that office. Better to use an interim manager, or yourself, while they go through their mourning period over the loss of a manager they liked. If you can keep the personality the same, that’s the best option.

My research has shown that 70% of agents are emotional in nature. What that means is that they need to feel appreciated, they need to like you, and also believe that you like them. The competition is always “courting” the good agents. They enjoy the attention, but they like you best. If you suddenly get angry at them for talking to the competitor, you could lose them. When I knew that my agents were going to lunch with the competition, I would always say, “If you are not getting at least one call, letter, or invitation each week from my competitors, then you need to look at your production. The best agents are always being courted!” I would then ask them where they were going to lunch. If it was not an expensive place, I would say, “Are you kidding? You are one of my best agents! Call them back and tell them to meet you at (fine restaurant name). Order something expensive! You’re worth it.” I knew that if I worried about them going to lunch, or became defensive or angry, I was far more likely to lose them.

Bottom Line: I have discovered over the years that what it takes to get them is what it takes to keep them. They just want to be appreciated and know that you care about them, and their success.

Start today by sending three notes a week to your agents. Think of something nice to say about them and let them know who much you appreciate them. If you always practice retention, the competition will have a tough time raiding your office.

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.

Creating Your Fall Recruiting Hit List (Don’t Wait)

Posted on September 9, 2023September 12, 2023 by The Profitable Recruiter

09 Sep

Overcoming One of the Biggest Recruiting Hurdles Brokers Face

Hands down, one of the biggest obstacles brokers have to kick off their recruiting efforts is building the list. It’s a little funny because most of these same brokers would be first in line to teach their AGENTS the importance of building THEIR list – their farming/prospecting pipeline. In a time where competition is high, and recruiting isn’t a ‘should do’ but a ‘MUST do’ – it’s time for all brokers to ‘walk the same walk’ that they encourage their agents to walk. In other words – build your list! And don’t wait until October to do it!

Here are three great places to start:

Competitors: List ten companies in your market that are at an equal or just below market share level comparatively to your office and identify the 5-10 agents you would most like to recruit from each and put them into your database. Jot down any facts you know of these agents; the more information you have on the front end – the easier it is to identify their hot buttons during your marketing and, eventually, in your interview.
Your Agents: Some brokers find this a little tricky, but here’s a great approach for making that conversation easier. Here’s a sample dialogue for you: “Hey Bill, I’d love for you to do me a favor. Take out two of your business cards. Now flip the first one over and write co-broke on the top for me. Please share the name of an agent with who you really had a great co-broke experience within the last 90 days. Awesome – now, flip the other card over and write One Desk on the top. Now, if you don’t mind sharing the name of the person who, if we ONLY had room for ONE AGENT in our market, you’d think would be a great fit for our office and you’d be proud to be associated with – who would that be?” Then you can quickly discern who the top agent fits would be by comparing all the cards from your agents. Follow up with these agents is a very ‘warm’ recruiting call. “Hi (name) – I asked my agents recently to let me know if we only had ONE desk, who their top choice in the market would be to fill it. Your name came up seven times! I’m very impressed. I’d love to make a little time for us to get to know each other better and discover how we might be able to make that happen!” You won’t get all of them right away – but put those in your database as well – with an identifier as “co-broke” or “one desk” and stay in touch!
Your local board: The agents most likely to make a move fall into the 1-7 year category. We’ve shared strategies and dialogues before for recruiting those 12-24 month agents that are usually great prospects. Look at the top 200 agents in your market and find common denominators that would make them a good fit for your company. A good rule of thumb is for every 100 agents on your prospecting list…10 should be top producers, 20-30 new agents, and everyone else should fall into that mid-range producer level. The last group will have the most turnover and the highest potential for recruiting. Put them all in your database with identifiers for the level they are at and their time in business – as well as any other information you can find.

Now, start marketing! Connect with them all via your weekly eNewsletter. Next, segment your top hit list (A-Group) and send lumpy letters to these top 25 or so per month. Stay in touch, follow up, and be present in the marketplace. Recruiting is all about POSITIONING yourself to be the broker agents WANT to call when they are ready to make a move!

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 50% on YOUR New Pro Membership with Promo Code: 50OFF.

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.

Step-By-Step Recruiting

Posted on January 13, 2023January 14, 2023 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!

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!

Do Recruiting Incentives Work?

Posted on January 7, 2023January 8, 2023 by The Profitable Recruiter

07 Jan

Yes, But…

By Real Estate Coach Judy LaDeur

The simple answer is “yes”, BUT some incentives work better than others, and it all depends on the behavior pattern of the agent.

Most brokers use money, or financial incentives to motivate their agents to help them recruit. The problem with that is that most real estate agents are emotional decision makers, who are motivated more by what you do for them than what you offer to them in the way of money.

Let’s look at what agents do on a daily basis. If they like their loan officer, they refer them to everyone. Why? Because they are paid to refer business to them? No. It’s because they want everyone to have a positive experience when they are buying a home. Many real estate companies have their own in house lenders, and ask agents to refer the business to them. Some even have financial incentives. Does an agent use their loan officers just because they can get paid, if they have a loan officer that they feel can do a better job for their clients? No. They also refer attorneys, inspectors, etc. For an emotional agent, when you offer to pay them to secure their support, it does not feel good to them. Some say that they even feel guilty about getting paid. There are real estate organizations who offer incentives to recruit, but when I ask them how well it works, they admit that most agents do not care if you are paying them to recruit. You might be asking yourself why I said that recruiting incentives work at this point. As you recall, I said yes, but…

Let’s look at what works and for which type of agent. If you have a driver personality, or an analytical/logical personality, that person is motivated by money. They actually prefer money over other types of incentives. This allows them to spend it the way they want. Statistically, 10% of agents are drivers and 5% are analytical, so 15% of agents will be motivated by the money. However 85% are not!

How do you motivate the 85%? What do they want? Recognition! When they are happy in their work environment, and they truly feel that it’s the best place to work, they will invite others to join. When they give you a referral, they are just looking to be recognized in a personal way that shows you care. When an agent gives you the name of an agent who might be a good member of your team, send a thank you note to their home that says, “Thanks so much for helping us build our team of associates with agents just like you! I really appreciate it.” After the agent comes in to the office for an interview, give the referring agent an update. If the agent joins your team, do something special for that agent. When I say “special for that agent”, I am referring to something that tells them that you know what is important to them and that you care. If the agent is a driver, they probably would like a financial reward, so that’s’ fine. But chances are they are emotional, so think about what they like. Maybe it’s a day at the spa, or a certificate for dinner at a nice restaurant, or a really nice bottle of wine. Perhaps you have box seats to a sporting event and you know that agent enjoys sports. Whatever you give them, put it in a card and say “Thanks so much for recommendation of (Agent Name). They are a great addition to the team and I could not have done it without your help!” There’s no need to announce that you are offering incentives. Make a habit of asking who they would recommend, and follow up. Once you have recruited them, present them with the note and gift. You will be amazed at how quickly they give you another referral. Why? Because they enjoy working with you, and they appreciate the recognition.

Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics said, “Every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says, ‘Make me feel important.’ If you can do that, you’ll be a success not only in business but in life as well.” She was known for the way she made people feel. What will you do to show your agents how much you appreciate them when they refer an agent to you?

Want to learn more about building your dream team in less time and with less headaches? Join The Profitable Recruiter and gain access to 7 hours of training via downloadable links including interview skills, scripts, objection handlers, and more. PLUS, you’ll have access to entire libraries of recruiting letters and notes, emails, social media content, training webinars for recruiting and retention, and opportunities to network with the best of the best. Join today and take advantage of our special 50% off with the promo code 50OFF.

Are YOU Closing Three Times?

Posted on July 5, 2022July 6, 2022 by The Profitable Recruiter

05 Jul

How to Get Better at Closing

By Judy LaDeur

When I ask Brokers what they need most, they almost always say that they need to become better closers. When I ask why they think they need to get better at the close, the obvious answer is that if they are better closers, they will sign up more agents. To an extent, that’s true. Everyone needs to be a good closer to be at the top of their game, but what is a good closer?

A good closer is someone who does these five things:

They set it up properly. From the time the interview starts, they are closing them to join “if it’s determined that they are a good fit.”
They ask the right questions to know what it’s going to take. If you know what it’s going to take, you will present the right tools and solutions.
When you present the right tools and solutions in a way that shows and proves value, the agent wants to join.
A good closer also knows HOW to close the agent. Amiable agents need assurances and security. Expressive agents need to “feel good” about the decision. Logical agents need to KNOW that it’s a good solid business decision.
And of course, you must ask them to join! Not just one time, but several times.

You may have heard about the Northwestern University Study that says that 78% of the time, you must close three times to get the sale, but most do not know what that really means.

Do you just keep asking them to join the same way? No! If you ask someone to join your team at the interview (that’s one), and they say “no, or sounds good BUT…”, just smile and say that’s fine, but if you were going to join today, what would it take? (That’s two). Listen to what they say, feed it back, (so if I hear what you are saying, if you were going to join today, we would need to…” Then question it. “Tell me why that is important. Tell me more about that, please. Why-what-how questions will help you to get more details from them.

When you have enough info, isolate the objection and offer to solve it. “Is that the only objection? If I could overcome that today, would you be willing to move forward?” (That’s three.) At this point, you need a “yes”. In the absence of a yes, you are dealing with a stall, and you can’t overcome a stall. Start the process over again and ask, “What else is holding you back?” However, if the person said, “Yes if you can overcome that, I would be willing to join…”, then simply overcome the objection and close again.

Remember the saying, Close often, and then close again. Just like you do with buyers and sellers if you saw the sale take place that day, work hard to put it together!

Remember there are seven and a half audio HOURS of dialogues, strategies, closes, objection handlers, etc. in your Profitable Recruiter System. Top brokers tell me they tap these resources at least twice a month to continuously fine-tune their recruiting skills. It’s no secret that’s why their recruiting numbers are so high! Be sure to listen to my signature handshake close (yes, that’s me in the picture above at a recruiting retreat). It works like a CHARM.

Want to learn more about hiring the best agents for your team, and keeping your team happy and productive? Join The Profitable Recruiter and gain access to 7 hours of training via downloadable links including interview skills, scripts, objection handlers, and more. PLUS, you’ll have access to entire libraries of recruiting letters and notes, emails, social media content, training webinars for recruiting and retention, and opportunities to network with the best of the best. Join today and take advantage of our special 50% off with the promo code 50OFF for any 6-month or annual membership.

Not sure if this is the right thing for your company? Watch this video on demand to 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.

Recruiting Experienced Agents?

Posted on October 24, 2021October 24, 2021 by The Profitable Recruiter

24 Oct

What You Need to Know

By Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur

First thing’s first. Ask yourself – “Do I have what experienced agents are looking for? How do I compare to my competition?”

Let’s take a look at some key deciding points for experienced agents:

Experienced Agent Hot Button List:

Technology and Tech Support
Advanced Training and Coaching
Comparative Commission Structure
Marketing Support
Quality Support Staff
Personal Assistants or Systems That Help Remove Detail Work From Agent Agendas
Agent Promotion
A Professional Image and Office Environment
Calls Off Their Own Signs

How many of these components do you have in place? What about your competition? If you don’t know what your competition has to offer – how do you know if you’re the best?

TIP: With experienced agents, your odds soar if you properly target them. So here is a PROVEN process for SUCCESS:

RECRUITING EXPERIENCED AGENT PROCESS:

Find your target: Set up your target ‘hit list’ of 50-100 agents that you will stay in touch with each month using a drip marketing campaign.
Connect: Send a letter designed to educate them about your company and to create desire and curiosity on their part to know more about you and your company. Or you can send a note or letter that compliments them.
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.
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!
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.
Promote: After each hire, send out a “Just Hired” postcard to your entire hit list.
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!
Set Your Goals and Do the Math!

A great goal to start is to conduct three experienced agent interviews per week. From that, you should average at least two hires per month. This will give you 24 experienced agents. 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!

We’re not saying it will be easy – but it will be worth it! Take your time. Put systems in place. Be persistent and consistent in your efforts. If you don’t have a system in place, we can help! Become a member of The Profitable Recruiter today, and put the power of done-for-you content and tools that make recruiting experienced and new agents easier, less time-consuming, and even fun.

Register today and use the promo code 50OFF to save 50% on any 6-month or annual membership. Got questions? Email us! We’d love to help!

Recruiting Season Skill Building

Posted on July 13, 2021July 14, 2021 by The Profitable Recruiter

13 Jul

Fine Tune Those Interview Skills

By Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur

If you’re consistently staying in touch with your recruiting process, now is the time to turn up the heat on your recruiting skills by practicing. While it might not feel natural at first – I challenge you to stick as close to the interview process as possible.

Here is an overview of the interview process:

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

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

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

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

The goal of asking questions for the experienced agent interview:

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

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

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

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

The Presentation:

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

This is your 3-step presentation process.

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

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

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

The RECAP = your ROI

The ROI = your Value Proposition

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

Dialog to start the recap:

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

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

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

With regard to Leads: You said… As you recall, our agents receive an average of (number of leads) per year, with most converting 25% of those leads within 6 months. If we gave you the same number of leads each year, how many could you convert?

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

Total all the opportunities and use this dialog:

“If we total up all the opportunities that you believe you could have with our office, the number is (number) additional sales and or listings sold. If we multiply that number by the average commission received, which is $(dollar amount), it looks like you could have an additional $(dollar amount) in income with our company. How does that sound?

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

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

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

Stalls and Objections: If you need help handling stalls and objections, please refer to the audio downloads in your Profitable Recruiter Membership platform.. I have all the solutions recorded. Here’s what others have found: When you follow the interview process, as described above, you will have fewer stalls and objections. Have a great recruiting season!

Want to learn more about hiring the best agents for your team, and keeping your team happy and productive? Join The Profitable Recruiter and gain access to 7 hours of training via downloadable links including interview skills, scripts, objection handlers, and more. PLUS, you’ll have access to entire libraries of recruiting letters and notes, emails, social media content, training webinars for recruiting and retention, and opportunities to network with the best of the best. Join today and take advantage of our special 50% off with the promo code 50OFF any membership.

Not sure if this is the right thing for your company? Contact us to 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.

Four Things Recruiter Should Do to Before October

Posted on September 3, 2020September 3, 2020 by The Profitable Recruiter

03 Sep

To Put Your Recruiting Plan in Place

By Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur

Smart recruiters aren’t waiting for the new year or even for the “new normal” to settle in. They are building their lists and putting systems and solutions in place to make sure they are ready to help agents move sooner rather than later! With heavy learning curves and agents anxious to find an organization where they can feel supported with the right tools and training to thrive regardless of market conditions – the time to get in front of them is right now!

Here are the four things you must have in place before October!

Get organized! Do you have your hit list in a database management program? Do you have categories set up to easily locate and communicate with your potential recruits? Are you talking to the right agents for your firm? Many brokers just jump right in and start randomly calling agents, without a specific approach or plan of action. Use this time of the year when many agents are busy with the spring market and get organized. Review the list of agents, and add some new agents to the list that you have not yet met or talked to. Here’s an article on creating your hit list. Don’t look at agents as they are, but rather as they could be with your organization and under your leadership. What are the compelling reasons for an agent to join your team? You should have 12-20 compelling reasons for an agent to join. Each of your systems or opportunities should also bring value to their career. Take this time to create a visual, showing results, for each compelling reason, to be used in the interview process.
Communication: Communication is one of the most important elements of the interview process. It pre-sells the agent on the benefits of joining your team. Your communication/ marketing consists of the following: email campaign, phone calls, social media interaction and comments, personal notes and personal interaction at REALTOR events, social events and open houses. Your communication is how you build the relationship. Most agents require at least 3 phone calls, 3 marketing pieces, and some personal interaction before they make the decision to even meet with you. Take the time to create compelling marketing pieces to get their attention. January is the beginning of winter recruiting reason. Start your marketing/communication now so that you are ready to recruit the agents that you want, then.
Positioning: Once your marketing and communication is in place, the key is to stay constantly positioned, in a positive, no – pressure way. Not every agent is ready to make a move, but someday they will decide it’s time for a change and you want to be the broker that they think of first. Use occasional texts, emails, social media comments and phone calls every three months to stay positioned. One of the best tools to stay positioned are the weekly motivational emails in The Profitable Recruiter marketing platform. Each one is motivational and inspirational, which agents enjoy recruiting and reading. Not yet a member? Take advantage of our special offer to take 50% off before October 1st with promo code 50OFF.
The Ability to Discover and Convey Value: When you are face-to-face with a potential recruit, your job is simple. Learn what it is that they want through asking the right questions, and then present what they want in a way that conveys value to them. Your questioning process should last 20-30 minutes. Dig really deep to uncover needs, wants, desires and those things which they do not like at their current company. If you ask the right questions, they will tell you what they want. Once you know what they want, present only those systems and opportunities which they indicate an interest in. Tell them what others have experienced when they joined your team. Results show and convey value, so testimonials are great too!

Is recruiting a challenge for you? We can help. Join The Profitable Recruiter and gain access to 7 hours of training via downloadable links including interview skills, scripts, objection handlers, and more. PLUS, you’ll have access to entire libraries of recruiting letters and notes, emails, social media content, training webinars for recruiting and retention, and opportunities to network with the best of the best. Join today and take advantage of our special 50% off with the promo code 50OFF any 6-month or annual membership.

Navigating the New Normal

Posted on April 28, 2020April 28, 2020 by The Profitable Recruiter

28 Apr

by Judy LaDeur

There is a new normal; not just a new normal in real estate but an entirely new normal throughout the world. It’s too early to know the full impact of the Corona-19 pandemic but we do know that life as we knew it will no longer exist. There will be changes, and some of those changes are good.

How has your company adapted to the Covid-19 situation and what changes has your company made? Which of those changes do you think will be permanent?

This is what we as an industry have learned:

Agents are more likely to show up for zoom training meetings than in person meetings
In times of crisis, they need to “see you, the Broker” even if it is through video or zoom meetings and feel your strong leadership
How you respond determines the success of your agents and the confidence of your clients
Open houses can be held virtually
Agents love Zoom Happy hours with their Broker and peers
Staying in touch with friends and family via Zoom calls is fun
We are survivors and have the ability to pivot instantly and emerge with a new business model
We learned to take the necessary steps to navigate new tech tools (which we needed to do anyway) and it definitely be better positioned for business
Agents are, for some the first time in a long while, working ON their business, not just IN it by putting systems like CRMs in place

The #1 thing that we have learned is that communication in all forms is the vital key to keep business moving forward.

Brokerages who are emerging as the winners all have these things in common:

They are supplying relevant information to their agents, clients, customers, and recruits on a consistent basis
They are staying positive, providing encouragement, and giving solid direction.
They have created “safe showing guidelines” and “safe listing guidelines” to give clients and customers the confidence to move forward with their home sell or home purchase decision
They have a “can do” attitude and it shows
They are willing to do what it takes, and they are doing it
They are providing powerful and ongoing training and resources for agents and recruits
They’ve got their CRM systems locked and loaded

Another thing that all of our leaders have in common is that they each of the leaders that we have talked to confirm that they are working harder than they have ever worked, but they are seeing results for their organizations and their agents.

We are not out of the woods yet, but we have a path to follow. Keep your compass handy, stay FOCUSED and FLEXIBLE.

We are here to help!

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Looking for a simple system for staying top of mind AND motivating your agents and prospective agents? Try The Profitable Recruiter. Take 50% off any membership with the promo code 50OFF. 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.