You might think of Valentine’s Day as being reserved for your significant other, but it’s also an opportunity to show your office staff some “love.”
Here are some ideas.
1. Be a great mentor
Every agent had to start somewhere. Many of us would not come close to achieving top producer status without our transaction coordinators assisting with the paperwork in background or our devoted assistant making calls and getting traffic to our open houses.
One of the best rewards you can give your support staff is being a great mentor.
Mentorship is gold in the real estate business. And more often than not, support staff have aspirations to go as high as possible in this business too. Perhaps they want to get licensed and sell homes, or maybe they want to make a splash in marketing and learn how to sell a development.
Whether they love combing over the transaction details or feel they might want to be an agent someday, mentorship will go a long way. You can do this by taking the time to nurture relationships, build up your team, and understand individual support staff goals.
When you form great relationships with support staff, they work that much harder for you, and in turn, know that their work pays off.
2. Do something out of the ordinary
This could be extra vacation days or a team building experience like going to a ball game, concert, or that restaurant that no one can get into. Doing something out of the ordinary will make your support staff feel appreciated and worthy of their role on your team.
In addition, a simple “thank you” can go a long way. Think about the power of getting somebody a cup of coffee and how grateful that makes them feel. Take it a step further and chat with your support staff. Practice being a good listener and make them feel heard. This is by far one of the most important aspects of retaining staff. And it’s also something that I’m currently working on myself.
When I’m working with one of my people in the office, I aim to give them my full undivided attention. I want them to know I care about their thoughts and ideas, as well as the company culture and how they fit in.
3. Donate to a charity of their choice
Find out what tugs at your staff’s heartstrings. Ask them what they are passionate about. If you can, find ways to give back together as a team or empower the staff member to plan a weekend to give to the charity of their choice.
This could be buiding a house for Habitat for Humanity or helping fundraise for the organization that is near and dear to their hearts.
Getting involved outside of the fast-paced world of real estate will make your staff feel appreciated and heard.
4. Make their workspace more inviting
We all work long hours and weekends in real estate. If your support staff’s desk or office area is looking lackluster, make an effort to give them an upgrade.
This could be gifting a new laptop or buying them an ergonomic work chair, ordering bulk of their favorite supplies or allowing them to pick out a new piece of art or an indoor plant to bring freshness to the space.
This lets your support staff know you care about their work environment and want them to be comfortable when working early mornings and late nights.
5. Present them with good old fashioned dough
Everyone loves money! Why not surprise your support staff with a bonus from a significant sale or small percentage from a record quarter?
After all, you wouldn’t be able to do it alone. And we all know a little dough can go a long way. This gesture not only helps to motivate your staff, but it also lets them know it literally pays to work hard and contribute to the team.
What do you do to treat your support staff? I would love to hear in the comments.
Troy Palmquist is the founder and broker of The Address in Southern California. Follow him on Facebook, or connect with him on LinkedIn.
