Recruiting in Uncertain Times: Why Relationship-First Outreach Still Wins
One Quick Dialogue to Get You BACK on the Phones
21
Apr
Category Archives: Scripts
How to Identify & Hire the BEST New Candidates
23
Feb
From Personal Experience…
By Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur
If you’ve ever thought, “I need more agents, but where do I start?”—you’re not alone. The truth is, there has never been a better time to hire new-to-the-industry agents. The great news? These fresh recruits WANT support, training, and a broker who genuinely cares.
The challenge? Not all new agents are created equal. Some will thrive, while others will flounder. So, how do you identify the ones with the potential to succeed? And just as importantly—how do you set them up for success before they even step foot in the business?
Be Honest About the Realities of Real Estate
One of the biggest mistakes brokers make is sugarcoating the job. Real estate isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s commission-based, high-pressure, and demands relentless effort. That’s why I always lay it out in black and white during the interview:
“If I think you can make it in real estate, I will hire you today. If I don’t hire you, you should reconsider this career. Because while anyone with a license can find a brokerage, getting hired doesn’t guarantee you’ll make any money.”
At this point, I have their full attention. Then I continue:
“In fact, 90% of agents earn a poverty-level income. But the top agents—those who commit, hustle, and master their craft—can make well over $100,000 per year. If I hire you, I will do everything in my power to help you succeed. Does that sound fair?”
Being upfront about the reality of real estate does two things: it weeds out the uncommitted and earns respect. Serious candidates appreciate honesty, and that builds trust from day one.
Sell the Dream—But Keep It Real
Once they understand the risks, I paint a picture of what’s possible.
They have unlimited earning potential. Top agents earn six figures and beyond—but it doesn’t happen overnight. It takes grit, learning, and long hours.
They have a flexible schedule. Yes, they can be their own boss, set their own hours, and sleep in if they want. But freedom comes with responsibility. If they don’t work, they don’t earn.
They have no salary, no benefits, no guarantees. They get to pick their own insurance and retirement plans—but they also pay for them out of their commission checks.
Then I hit them with the reality check:
“So, does this still sound exciting?”
I watch their reactions closely. Do they lean in, eager for more? Or do they shift in their seats, hesitating? The right candidate will embrace the challenge—not back away from it.
Look for the Right Qualities
Real estate is a high-risk, high-reward career—so I look for agents who thrive in that environment. Here’s my personal checklist:
- They need desire and motivation. Why do they want to give up the security of a paycheck for real estate? If they don’t have a strong why, they won’t last.
- They need confidence and resilience. This business is full of rejection. I need agents who can hear “no” and keep going.
- They need work ethic. If they’re not willing to put in 60+ hours a week in year one, they’ll struggle. I ask about past jobs, challenges, and how they handle pressure.
- They need people skills and professionalism. Good agents don’t just sell homes—they build relationships. I pay attention to their eye contact, energy, and ability to connect.
- They need a financial cushion. If they can’t afford to survive without a paycheck for six months, they’ll be forced to take shortcuts—or worse, quit.
- They need a strong sphere of influence. Do they know a lot of people in the community? Real estate is a relationship business. Connections matter.
At the end of the interview, I don’t just go with logic—I trust my gut. Do I believe in them? If the answer is yes, we move forward.
Close the Deal on the Spot
Once I decide they’re a fit, I don’t wait. I set expectations immediately.
“If you’re serious about real estate, you need to sign up for pre-licensing classes today. No waiting, no second-guessing. Success starts NOW.”
This creates urgency. The right candidates take action. The wrong ones hesitate—and that tells me everything I need to know.
Final Thoughts: Build Your Own Hiring Playbook
If you’re serious about recruiting top-tier new agents, create your own checklist. What traits, skills, and mindsets do you value? Stick to your criteria and don’t compromise—because the agents you hire today will shape your brokerage tomorrow.
Not every new recruit will be a superstar—but by setting high standards, you dramatically increase your odds of hiring future top producers.
Now, go find your next rockstar agent!
Ready to kick up your recruiting and position yourself to attract the agents you want sooner rather than later? Join top brokers from around the nation who are members of www.TheProfitableRecruiter.com. You’ll get all the tools you need each month to position yourself as the broker to join when agents are ready to make a move. Fine-tuning your skills this summer? All pro members get access to over SEVEN hours of training via downloadable links, including interview skills, scripts, objection handlers, and more. PLUS, you’ll have access to entire libraries of recruiting letters and notes, emails, social media content, training webinars for recruiting and retention, and opportunities to network with the best of the best.
Join today and take advantage of our special offer of 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!
Everything You Need to Recruit the Agents You Want in 2025
04
Jan
It’s Never Been MORE Important to have Systems in PLACE.
Real estate recruiting speaker and coach Judy LaDeur has worked with thousands of brokers over the past 35 years and has fine-tuned the art of successful recruiting. Recruiting is essential to succeeding in today’s market. However, there are very few brokers who actually take the time to learn about recruiting and make it a priority. The truth is that a lot of brokers struggle. They struggle simply because they don’t understand recruiting. But the good news is that recruiting doesn’t have to be confusing or overwhelming! These are not complicated systems or techniques.
Judy started out as a highly successful REALTOR®. She figured out how to leverage the skills she already had to become a master recruiter. Now she will teach you how to do the same. In Judy’s systems, you’ll learn the tools necessary to increase your market position $50-100 million dollars, every single year. It all starts with simply recruiting two experienced agents per month. We’ll assume that these newly recruited agents are doing about $2.5 million in production each. That’s $5 million added to your bottom line each month, but more importantly, you are pulling $5 million from your competitor every month as well. That means in just 30 days; you would be 10 million dollars stronger in the marketplace. Or 120 million dollars stronger in just one year. What would that mean for your business? Would it make it easier to recruit the agents you want? When you increase your market position something very different happens…that “something” you’ve been trying to obtain all along. All of a sudden, your company has more signs in the market, and your agents get more calls. Your competition’s market presence suddenly drops – they have less signs and their agents get fewer calls. Your original group reaps the benefits of the bonus calls and the new activity, and each agent does a few more transactions every year.
Using the secrets that the top brokers in the nation already know, any company can bring in at least twenty-four producers every single year.
You already have 80% of the skills and talent that you need to be a dynamite recruiter. With the right strategies you can have agents lining up at your doors begging to work for you. Recruiting is your one-way ticket to success. You will have the power to stop your attrition, increase your production and increase your market position. These are proven systems that you can use. Dominate your market by leveraging the power of recruiting!
It is very important to keep in mind that much of recruiting is timing. You must be patient. Send them information on a regular basis to educate them on who you are and what you can do. Then, when the time is right, that person thinks of you. It’s much like “farming your area” as a sales agent. The perfect way to stay in touch and be positioned when the time is right is to register today for The Profitable Recruiter Marketing Platform. You will receive motivational emails each week that your prospects will love. You’ll also have access to a library of letters, phone scripts, notes, social media content, and master-class webinars for recruiters — even webinars for your agents and prospects to attend. All of this and more positions you to CONSISTENTLY get face to face with the agents YOU want to RECRUIT when they are ready.
How do I conduct the recruiting interview?
The key to the recruiting interview is…stay focused on them. It’s all about the agent. You must stay focused on them! In her advanced training audio system, Judy takes brokers through the 7-step process and teaches them how to know what the recruit wants, what to present and how to present your company and your systems in a way that builds value. When you hire on value, you do not have to “buy them” or compete on money. Judy will not only teach you how to conduct the interview, but you will hear Judy role-play the entire process with a broker. Every presentation must be customized to meet their needs.
How do I overcome stalls/objections from the agent?
The ability to overcome the stalls and objections that agents are giving you is one of the keys to a successful interview. However, we have found that the better your presentation skills, the fewer the stalls and objections. Brokers and recruiters who follow this process will hire an average of 70-80% of the agents that they interview that day, or they will get a commitment that day if the timing is right. It just goes back to making sure that you are not dragging people in off the streets who are not interested in joining your company and that you maintain that contact until the timing is right.
Every pro member of The Profitable Recruiter can now access Judy’s Profitable Recruiter Audio Training System (a $297 value). In this audio training package, you’ll have more than SEVEN HOURS of recruiting tools, scripts, dialogues, role-playing, and foundation builders. In her Profitable Recruiter Membership Platform, you’ll have weekly eNewsletters, recruiting letters, lumpy letters, retention tools, social media tools, a full library of webinars on demand (for you and your agents), and new scripts monthly as well. This power-packed duo of recruiting tools is literally everything you need to recruit the team of your dreams, but this offer won’t be on the table for long.
Register today for the six-month or one-year Profitable Recruiter pro memberships, using Promo Code 50OFF and save 50% off your memberships, and start using Judy’s incredible training tools right away.
Got questions? Email us for answers! Good luck and happy Recruiting!
Four Factors You CAN Control in Recruiting
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.
Powerful Phone Skills Can Be Easy!
21
Jun
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:
- Your office has a co-op transaction with that agent.
- Your agent has identified them as a great agent to do business within your market.
- Invite them to a social or educational event that you are hosting.
- Pay them a compliment. It could be on their production or just the way they conduct business.
- Introduce yourself if you do not know them.
- Suggest getting together to meet and exchange information over coffee.
- Check the progress of a first or second-year agent.
- Follow up with agents that you have met with but did not YET hire.
- Call to tell them about the special systems and services that your company offers.
- 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.
10 Great Reasons to Call Recruits
13
Apr
It Doesn’t Have to Be Difficult!
by Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur
While kicking your second quarter recruiting into high gear – keep an eye on the prize for your goals! Lead your competition by doing these three things:
- Get back to your broker business plan-review it WEEKLY
- Listen to the recruiting audio training in your Profitable Recruiter Platform
- Set these ten steps for making calls into strategic stone so start hitting the phones
To gain momentum — be willing to do what others are not to get the results you want! There are several steps to mastering phone calls and many great reasons to pick up the phone. Here are a few great reasons to call an agent:
- Your office has a co-op transaction with that agent
- Your agent has identified them as a great agent to do business within your market
- Invite them to a social or educational event that you are hosting
- Pay them a compliment. It could be in their production or just the way they conduct business
- Introduce yourself if you do not know them
- Suggest getting together to meet and exchange information over coffee
- Check the progress of a first or second-year agent
- Follow up with agents that you have met with but did not YET hire
- Call to tell them about the special systems and services that your company offers
- Invite those who left to come back
Regardless of why you are calling 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 on occasion, 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 during 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.
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 for 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.
Recruiting: Are You a Farmer or a Hunter?
27
Jan
Savvy Brokers Know the Difference
By Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur
Every broker or recruiter naturally falls into one category or the other: Farmer or Hunter. They are completely different ways of approaching recruiting. Most brokers, just like most agents, are farmers.
Farming is the art of developing relationships with a specific group of individuals, educating them about why they should want to work with you, and being positioned when the time is right for that person to make a change. A broker or agent who farms assumes, just like a farmer, that if they prepare the soil, plant the seeds, water the crops, and take care of the crops until harvest time, there will be a bountiful crop so the farmer will be able to eat and also feed his or her family. Farming is a passive form of prospecting.
Some facts about farming are:
a) Requires patience/waiting
b) Takes 6-12 months to fill the pipeline
c) Emotional agents need a relationship with you, so it works with most agents
d) Education and information are consistently sent out to gain trust
e) The goal is to stay positioned, educate them, to gain their trust so that when the time is right, the agent will join your team, or you will harvest your crop
Hunting is the art of full engagement. Going after the target, not waiting for it to come to you! The hunter assumes that he/she is not actively pursuing the target that they will not eat. Think of the lion. The lion does not sit in the meadow, just waiting for his prey to appear. The lion tracks their prey and pounces on it when the opportunity presents itself. A Hunter also looks for prey, stalks it, and pounces when they are not paying attention. A hunter does not assume that the food will appear on their table. The hunter believes that if it is not out there hunting all the time, it might starve. The hunter’s actions are assertive or aggressive forms of prospecting.
Here are some facts about hunting:
a) It is a numbers game. Lots of contacts/ fast results
b) Every day, someone is unhappy; the goal is to find that person each day, which means “who is vulnerable?”
c) When agents are unhappy or unproductive, they want solutions and results more than they need a relationship
d) You have more control over the numbers
e) Instant gratification
Both are important for long-term success. However, hunting is the key to survival in this market for you and your agents.
Here are some Farming activities:
a) Mailings to educate them about your company and to build the relationship
b) Having coffee to build the relationship
c) Invite them to company events
d) Personal notes
e) Calls, just to say ‘Hi’
f) Social media interaction/comments
Here are some Hunting activities:
a) Target Struggling agents
b) Target New Agents who are in school or just licensed
c) Target Logical agents from their photos
d) Target agents who fit the company profile from their website/social media.
e) Sending mass mailings/media/ email etc., playing the numbers game
f) Using social media to place ads and target specific groups via Linked In and FB.
g) Placing ads on the internet
h) Career nights
i) Approaching salespeople in other professions and suggesting a real estate career.
If you HAD to hire ten agents in the next 30 days or shut down your office, where would you look for them, and what would you do? That is how the hunter thinks at all times!
The GOOD news is that most of you planted a crop over the last few months and nurtured it until now, so you can harvest your crop and go hunting…because it is hunting season!
Hunting season is the time of year when agents are most vulnerable. They are vulnerable for a variety of reasons:
- Inventory is low
- Many agents took some time off during the holidays and aren’t fully up and running to build momentum for the new year
- They are just going into the first quarter, and many are not happy with last year’s production
- The market is changing – leaving many agents fearful of what that means for them
Even farmers should go out and take advantage of the opportunities that hunting season brings to their tables, and they do!
Which method of hunting do you want to focus on?
1. Struggling agents
2. New Agents
3. Logical agents
4. Career night seminars
5. Cold calling
6. Marketing to the masses
Here’s to your successful recruiting season! Remember, consistency is key! Good luck!
The Profitable Recruiter can help you with BOTH your FARMING and HUNTING techniques! Learn more here.
Do you want to hire more agents this season? Learning to handle whatever objection comes your way with ease is an important part of the puzzle! Not only will you learn many of these vital tools in the 7+ hours of audio training – you get as part of your Profitable Recruiter Pro membership – you have the advantage of learning on demand – individually or as part of 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. Make any Profitable Recruiter 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 – AND includes the SEVEN HOURS of recruiting audio training, more than 30 webinars on demand, scripts, letters, social media tools and more! What are you waiting for? Register today and hit the ground running for next year!
Make Those Calls!
11
Nov
A Recruiting Pep Talk
By Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur
Now, more than ever, making your phone calls should be your priority if your goal is to continuously build a great team. I do know that everyone has the best of intentions, and life happens. The world is crazy right now. There is so much distraction. However, now is the best time to get a great return on your investment of time spent on the phone and getting those appointments booked!
If you don’t make your phone calls, you could miss out on some great recruits this season. BEFORE everyone is in full winter mode – this may be a good time for agents who have not yet ramped up their business to make a move. That’s why we are seeing so many agents doing just that. I recently talked to one of my clients with a team of 12 managers that recruited 59 experienced agents in one month! Their combined production is $189,000,000! What would a month like that do for your results? The only way to know is to get on those phones. Of course, marketing, promoting your results, and networking also plays an important role. Marketing, promotion, and networking should enhance your results when calling. Would it be easier to make calls if you had just hired 59 top-producing agents in the past 30 days? Of course, it would, but it all starts with the call.
This time of the year, if you are not going to make the calls to book appointments, then hire someone who will. Someone recently told me that they thought that making calls was right up there with flying on airplanes, going to the dentist, or having a spider crawl up your leg as the greatest fears to the Broker owners of the nation. What are you afraid of? I have literally made thousands of phone calls, and I can count on one hand how many times someone has been rude to me. If someone even thinks of taking a tone with me, I’m quick to remind them, “I just wanted to remind you the fact that I’m calling you is a compliment to you today.” Usually, I’ll get a change of heart “I’m sorry, I appreciate your call; I was just…” Whatever their reason, stay on task and stay positioned.
One of the best movies I have ever seen that helped me with sales calls is the movie Boiler Room. Ben Affleck plays the role of a recruiter for new sales reps in a finance firm. While training a group, he tells them, “There is a sale made on every phone call; either you sell them to buy something, or they sell you why they can’t, but either way, a sale will be made.” What a powerful reminder. Keep Ben’s line in mind as you make your calls this month. Set yourself up for success. Plan your calls out ahead of time. Know who you are calling before you get to work. Many of the top recruiters still use the “old school technique: which includes a notebook with the names and numbers of those they are going to call written out. In the movie The Pursuit of Happyness, the true success story of Chris Gardner, this is the best example of discipline in phone prospecting I have ever seen. Chris is limited in the time he can call prospects, so he doesn’t drink water, which saves trips to the bathroom, and he never hangs up the phone, which saves him eight minutes a day. I’m not suggesting anything that extreme; however, have a plan before you arrive at the office tomorrow of who you will call and have their numbers handy. This organized plan will hold you accountable for your success.
Bottom line? Fire up those phone lines and make the calls. There are six specific audio-training downloads that revolve around phone scripts and strategies in your Profitable Recruiter classroom. The tools are right there at your fingertips – let us know if you need help accessing them!
Continue to learn how to be the master recruiting skills and be the broker to join your market. If recruiting is 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, 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 for any pro membership.
We’re taking the guesswork out of recruiting for brokers — and they love it. We can do the same for you! Questions? Email us today.
Creating Your Fall Recruiting Hit List (Don’t Wait)
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!
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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.
4 Keys to Keep CHANGE from Creating VULNERABILITY
07
May
Recruiting Secrets to Stay AHEAD of the Competition
By Real Estate Recruiting Coach Judy LaDeur
Agents are, understandably, nervous about what market change and looming headlines mean for their businesses, and they are eager for the skills and tools they need to navigate an industry that has seen tremendous CHANGE, especially in the last year and a half.
We have all heard the saying; the only constant thing in life is change. The same is true for your business. Change is necessary and needed to move forward. However, change is also the #1 reason for vulnerability in a real estate office.
When you are vulnerable, you can lose agents. There are also times when you should NOT implement a change.
Change is the #1 reason for vulnerability. When you implement change, there are a certain number of agents who will be unhappy with the change. It has the potential to create some resistance in your office. We understand that it’s impossible to implement a change and have everyone be happy. But here are some tips for implementing change to control vulnerability.
#1: Try to involve your agents whenever possible: If you are changing locations, ask a team of agents to help you locate a new location. Go out with them to scout out new office space. 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. Let them spend their time with the designer, but you can make the final decisions.
#2: Use the exchange method: When you take away or add a service, use that opportunity to evaluate all your existing services and tools. Whenever a company tells me that they are going to add a tool or service, I usually ask them, “Are you planning to discontinue any services or tools in the near future?” Or if they want to discontinue something, I want to know their plans for the near future. This allows you to hold a business meeting with your agents and explain that after careful evaluation of all your tools and services, you are making some changes to support them in their business better. You can explain that a certain tool or service is not yielding great results, so you are implementing something better for them. Another example is: If you are changing compensation, or implementing a new fee, time it with the implementation of a new service. “We are implementing a transaction fee of ($Amount), but you will no longer be charged for (service).”
#3: Grandfather your existing agents whenever possible when you are changing compensation or fees: Money is always a tricky change, possibly the most delicate one. When possible, “grandfather” the existing agents and apply the change to those new agents who will be joining after the implementation. Another idea is to grandfather all agents whose production is above a certain amount. You could say, “If you are generating GCC of $90,000.00 or more, you will be grandfathered with regard to the new changes.” You can also grandfather agents who have been with the company a long time. “If you have been with our firm for 10 years, or your production is $(Amount), you will not be subject to the new changes.” Keep in mind that emotional agents will usually not leave because of the money, but they are hurt that after so many years, or at their level of production, that you would take money out of their pocket, or not honor the original agreement that they had.
#4: A management change is also tricky: 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 would be more vulnerable with a new logical manager. If the manager that you want to put into place is a different personality, you can decrease your vulnerability by putting in an interim manager, or yourself, while they go through their mourning period over the loss of the manager they liked. What I found worked well was to personally manage the office for a period of 6-12 months. During that time, I would look for a new manager. When I found the new manager, I would bring them in as a manager in training and co-manage with them for 3 months. After 3 months, I would turn the office over to the new manager and ease out over the next 30 days.
Times to avoid change: There are two times that you want to avoid making a change, if possible. Do not make changes during “recruiting season” or when their production is at a low point. The months of August/September and December/January are probably the two most vulnerable times to make a change. Agents typically have fewer listings and pendings during this time, so making a move is easier. You also do not want to make a change while you are already vulnerable from a prior change. For example, if you just changed the name of your company, don’t change the compensation plan the following week.
Bottom line: The best way to retain your agents if you are vulnerable, is always to be working on retention. Start today by sending thee notes a week to your agents. Think of something nice to say about them and let them know how much you appreciate them. If you always practice retention, the competition will have a tough time raiding your office.
Continue to learn how to master recruiting skills and be the broker to join in your market. If recruiting is a challenge for you, we can help.
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Not sure if this is the right thing for your company? 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.