Teams are growing, changing and evolving rapidly, as new agent ranks swell, prices rise and uncertainty is ever-present. May is Teams Month here at Inman. Come along with us as we delve into teams today. Follow along with our weekly email newsletter Teams Beat to stay in the loop all year, sent every Thursday, sign up now.
A successful team can be defined by the thoughtfulness of its leaders. Being a standout agent leader can take many forms and often requires you to stand back and give support instead of grabbing the spotlight.
Here are five ways you can be a standout agent leader on your team.
Build a standout support staff
Step one, make sure you have a standout support staff in place. Success is nourished from within; for agents to feel comfortable and supported, you must help build a positive everyday environment with like-minded staff members.
From the managing director to the office administrator, everyone employed on your team must reflect the same commitment to collaboration and service as your agents.
Make every interaction count
Whether it’s the transaction support agents receive from their office colleagues, the tone of the emails that arrive in their inbox, or the atmosphere curated for their client meetings — our goal is to create an incredible, boutique-style, service-oriented experience that feels good to clients and agents alike.
I always advocate for hiring people I know that we can trust and rely on for high-quality support. For example, when we were staffing our new Bal Harbour office in Miami, I was adamant that we promote and recruit staff members from within who have proven their commitment to service and client and agent care.
If you don’t have a network of stellar support staff to build your team, start putting the word out to trusted colleagues — everyone knows someone, and relationships are a great way to find reputable candidates. At our brokerage, we offer a referral bonus to employees who recommend a great hire — consider doing the same for your team to help stoke the fires.
Focus on quality over quantity
Bring in team players who collaborate naturally. Being a standout agent on your team does not mean you’re a one-person show. Collaboration is essential for success.
For the team in our new office, I chose agents and staff with a proven track record of being team players and lifting others up. When challenges arise, you have to trust that your colleagues will stay focused on the success and well-being of the group, not just themselves.
Remove obstacles to foster success
Doing this will further foster agent success and remove workflow roadblocks at every level. This is all to say that when standout leaders make sure smaller details are in good hands, the agent is free to focus on what they are there to do — advising their clients and selling real estate on their behalf.
Demonstrate and deliver concierge-level service
Standout agent leaders deliver concierge-level service at every step of the process. No matter where you stand within your team — whether you are just starting out or have years of experience behind you — my advice is always to practice what you preach.
Demonstrate and model the kind of service you want to be known for and see reflected in your team members.
Standout leaders can also demonstrate high-level service by working to remove obstacles and being proactive in solving problems their team faces to foster success. In a real estate setting, this can translate to having systems and a reliable support team in place to help agents move through the transaction process smoothly.
I also encourage all agents to recognize service-oriented behaviors in their team members and give positive reinforcement in a quick email, text or phone call. This goes back to lifting one another up and creating an environment of support, which fosters standout agent leaders at every level.
Santiago Arana is a managing partner at The Agency in Los Angeles. Connect with him on Instagram.
