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I recently had the opportunity to sit down at Inman Connect Las Vegas with Michael Valdes of eXp Realty. The name of our panel was “An Honest Conversation About Recruiting and Retention in Today’s Market,” but it soon turned into a discussion of attracting vs. recruiting new agents and team members.
The difference, of course, is self-evident. Recruiting suggests that you’re going out there as a team leader or broker and beating the bushes for agents, selling yourself and your business and trying to convince them to join up. There’s a reason that the only other places we normally hear recruiting used is in the military and sports worlds: the energy is similar.
Attraction, of course, is very different. It suggests that the agent is motivated by what you have to offer and maybe even seeking you out, either directly or indirectly. It means that there’s a win-win that’s clear to both of you so that instead of having to sell your team or brokerage, you simply have to answer questions and ensure a smooth transition.
The superiority of attracting, in this case, is self-evident. The question then becomes: How do you make your company so attractive that it draws in agents this way?
Here are 5 ways you can attract the agents you need in your business right now
1. Define your unique value proposition (UVP) — and make it irresistible
If you haven’t perfected your elevator pitch, it’s way past time. You need to be able to say what makes your business different and answer the question, “Why should I work with you?” off the cuff at a moment’s notice. Make sure that you communicate your UVP to all of your agents and staff members so that they can do the same.
2. Cultivate your presence throughout your geographic area
Make sure you’re getting out of the office and encountering other agents in your area, either through networking or community events. Talk to your corporate or regional leaders to make sure they’re advocating for your brand in local markets, helping to tie the professional community together.
For example, rather than putting so much time, money and effort into a big annual conference at headquarters, franchise companies can invest in pop-up events or influential guest speakers at local or regional events. Offer to help coordinate and host these at or near your brokerage and work to ensure local media coverage.
3. Emphasize a collaborative approach with others in your market
Host trainings, workshops and masterminds in your local market and make them open to other brokerages. Become a trainer yourself at the state or local association and create a positive impact on the career of newer agents in your area.
4. Make sure your content is adding value
Nobody wants to follow a brokerage’s social media accounts unless they’re getting something value-added. Create content that’s focused on making agents more successful and has a positive impact on their lives and businesses.
5. Get your agents on board
Work with your current agents to initiate buzz about the brokerage. As a professional community, your agents need to know that what is good for the goose is good for the gander. What grows the team or brokerage pays dividends for them, as well.
Ask your agents to let you know about awesome cooperating agents they encounter during their transactions and for introductions to those agents. Reward agents who bring in exceptional new agents to your organization.
When it comes down to it, the people you attract can tell you a lot about your organization and its reputation. As Melissa Sofia, founder of The Avenue Home Collective, put it to me recently:
If you want less turnover and more results, care more about the quality of human you’re bringing into your organization than how much production they have. Drive and integrity can’t be taught but real estate skills can.
The energy you put out into the world matters, and it can make all the difference in how the best real estate professionals in your area think of you and your business. Come from a place of service and abundance to attract the right fit for your team or brokerage.
Troy Palmquist is the founder and broker of DOORA Properties in Southern California, a Side partner company. Follow him on Instagram or connect with him on LinkedIn.
