Kristin Shanahan | The Locker Room Northeast National Director

Let’s talk about recruiting.

This topic comes up almost daily in conversations with our Brokerage Partners. And here’s the deal- as a broker and/or agent where there is a monetary value placed on recruiting, you need to consider this a main focus as part of your ‘job description.’ The calls might be uncomfortable. You may not want to ‘steal’ agents from other brokers who are your friends/colleagues. The hard truth is, if an agent is considering a move, they’ll do it with or without you. And whether or not you have the opportunity to speak to them, is up to you. Are you doing your job at the highest level?

First things first, in order to appropriately attract talented agents who will fit into the culture of your office, you have to be a student of the industry.

What is changing in our industry? What can you capitalize on that other brokers may or may not even know about? What exactly is your value proposition and what are you doing to make sure that the ideal agents know about you? It’s important to be able to clarify and express your mission and core values, in order to be able to hold your agents to the same standard that you hold yourself to.

Set the appointment.

Once you’ve established your mission, and you can articulate what sets you apart, it’s time to start setting appointments. There are various ways to do this, but what’s SUPER important is that you are striking a balance between personal and systematic methods. One example of time blocking around recruiting might look like this:

Monday: Call my agents- congratulate, coach, ask for referral

Tuesday: Call cooperating agents from transactions that have closed in my office

Wednesday: Call agents that you follow on social media and ask to catch up over coffee etc.

Thursday: Reach out to agents with full time careers- offer to put them on a transition plan.

Sunday: Stop into open houses and introduce yourself to the agents there.

Next up, what to say!

It’s important to understand that there are really only 3 types of agents when it comes to attracting talent:

1. The agents that are a fit.

2. The agents that are not a fit.

3. The ones in the middle that you have to take your chances on.

To determine whether or not they are an ideal match, ask some questions! Remember, the person asking questions is in control of the conversation. The KEY to a successful conversation is to ask the right questions, and be sure to LISTEN to the agent’s responses. Truly evaluate whether or not you can help them move forward in their career, without being attached to the outcome.

Keep it conversational: How are you doing? What’s going on in your life? What are we doing right/what do you like most about what you’ve heard? What are some opportunities that we can improve on? What is it I can do for you, for your business? Are you ready to join me?  What are you the proudest of since you graduated from high school? College? Tell me about your goal- how much money do you need to make/live on? This is our commitment that we are looking for: a b c. Is there anything standing in the way of you coming to training and classes? How can we work that out? Do you have the funds/budget/to get started.

Follow Up

So, now that you’ve had the conversation, how do you keep in touch with the agent? Create a follow up plan! Do you have a TRAINING CALENDAR? If you don’t have one, you need to have one. Consistent dates for training/career nights/that everyone in the office knows about. Invite recruits to classes, encourage your agents to invite their friends and/or cooperating agents that they’re doing deals with. Make yourself and the environment you’ve created a big deal, you weren’t called to be a leader to play small.

People in general are afraid to take risks. Being genuine in your approach allows agents to trust you and know what you truly care. So while having a numerical goal to recruit to is important, is it MORE important to portray your authentic self, and to attract agents through meaningful, effective conversations that show glimpses into what you could offer them that will enhance and further their career.