Finding talented agents for your real estate team can be challenging. Over the years, I’ve learned that being a great agent or running an exceptional team does not in itself attract agents. You need a solid recruiting plan.
Here are my top eight tips for recruiting and growing your team.
1. Don’t treat it like a part-time event
When recruiting agents to your team, you must stop treating it like a part-time event. If you’re only looking for talent when you need it, you might not have backup talent when you need it most.
When you hire an agent, don’t assume that they’re going to be around forever. Always have a database of great talent who you are always in conversations with, just in case.
2. Gratitude isn’t overrated, especially during COVID-19
Have a follow-up plan for every agent you work with during COVID-19, and keep it consistent within your business and team.
It could be a simple handwritten letter saying something like,
“Hey, thank you so much for doing a great deal with our team/me. We/I really enjoyed working with you. Our team is always growing and looking for talent. If you ever consider joining a team, please feel free to reach out.”
Be very honest. Tell them you’re always appreciating talent and on the lookout for it.
3. Leverage social media to showcase team culture
Use social media to show off your fantastic team culture. When someone hears you are looking to hire, they will look you up.
Do they see a fun team? Do they see someone with a sense of humor? Perhaps they see a community person.
Putting your team out there on social media will attract like-minded agents who want to be a part of it.
4. Be a 5-Star
If you want to attract 5-star talent, are you a 5 star? Check all the sites that give reviews on you and your team, and get those 5-star reviews posted.
Here are Inman contributor Jimmy Burgess’ top tips for maximizing your online reviews.
5. Call other top team owners
What do they say? Sharing is caring.
Reach out to other top team owners who have five or six key players, and say something like:
“Hey, I know you’ve got five or six great agents. I’m looking for one. By any chance, if you happen to have another amazing agent come in, and you don’t have room on your team because you’re at capacity, would you mind sending them my way?”
Alternatively, if you have a solid network, you might also reach out to some contacts who have teams as well. Also, don’t forget: Not all teams are the same. An agent on a large team might prefer a smaller one and vice versa. There could be opportunities for both team leaders on that call.
6. Look at agent awards and designations
Often, brokerages give shoutouts on social media to agents who receive awards. Reach out to them, congratulate them on their achievement, and let them know that you’re open to recruiting top talent if they might ever consider joining a team.
Also, look at awards like Top 30 Under 30. Connect with those award-winners, and build a relationship with them. For instance, you could invite them as a guest speaker to your mastermind while letting them know that you’re always looking for talent.
7. Look for agents who are at $300K for the past 4 years
Don’t ignore agents who are consistently producing $300,000. During COVID-19, they might have reconsidered whether or not they want to build a team or scale it up. However, if their business isn’t growing and they’ve been stagnant at $300,000 for the past four years, they might be interested in a senior position on your team.
You can acquire that talent by taking everything off their plate. These agents are at that level where they’re doing many deals and paperwork, and they may love having some extra team support.
8. Offer hiring incentives
You can ask other brokers or even your team members to refer great talent. In return, offer them some incentives to do so, for example, a check cut from the talent’s second transaction or a gift card.
Alternatively, you may also donate to their favorite charity on their behalf. Come up with a reasonable amount, maybe $1,500 per talent.
Talent yields such a great return on a team! Why not offer an incentive to existing team members and people who help you find talent?
Finding talent for your team isn’t a one-and-done thing. Instead, it’s a continuous process. Therefore, you must have a plan in place and implement a multitude of ideas. Hopefully, these tips will help you find some rock-start talent.
Mary-Anne Gillespie is the CEO and owner of Red Apple Coaching and Consulting in Canada. Connect with her on Facebook or Instagram.
