How to Hire More Real Estate Agents
Are you looking to add an influx of qualified top-shelf real estate agents to your company? If you want to improve your real estate agent recruitment, you have to look for talent with different experience levels. Young workers can provide a fresh perspective, while seasoned professionals can provide gravitas to your company and mentoring to new hires.
For more ideas on how you can improve your real estate recruitment, click here to take a look at the helpful guide. That said, circling back to hiring agents with different experience levels, you need to know how and where to look. Otherwise, you’ll end up with less-than-stellar applicants.
Here are some tips on how to find the best real estate professionals, no matter their age or experience level:
Prioritize Team Building
If you want to organically attract talented agents, you need to focus on team building (not building a team). It’s simply unappealing to work in a company where people don’t get along. Besides, if your own employees don’t feel any connection with their coworkers, it’s not that hard to imagine how new hires will feel.
Focus on building camaraderie first. Take care of your people, make them feel welcome, and encourage collaborative work. Doing this will lay the foundation of successful recruitment, attracting talented real estate professionals of all ages.
Look at Their Social Media Profiles
Social media isn’t just a tool for sourcing candidates. It’s also a good way to understand your potential employees’ abilities and interests. For example, check their Instagram feed. Do they post a lot of travel photos? It may indicate that they’re more willing to be assigned to further locations. Perhaps you can also offer travel incentives as part of their compensation package.
Remember that while the commissions you offer to your real estate agents will be essential, other perks can go a long way as well.
The key is to know what kinds of interests or passions you think are relevant to the position. Then, look for these “markers” on social media. This can help you pinpoint candidates who are not only talented as an agent but are also passionate in related fields. As a result, your talent pool will be more diversified.
Be Forward-Thinking
Recruitment doesn’t stop when the agent signs the contract. Rather, recruitment is an ongoing process. What’s more, recruitment also looks forward. You may be looking for someone who matches the job description today, but you should also be thinking about the future. Ask yourself: will this person be able to work with the company in achieving its vision?
This question will help determine if the candidate is truly a good fit for the post. It’s even more important for senior-level candidates, whom you expect to last longer with your company. If the answer is no, it may be best to look for someone else.
Building a super real estate team takes time. You shouldn’t rush just to fill your office with agents. You could easily find yourself with a lot of deadwood that you’ll regret you hired.
Look Outside Your Immediate Location
The real estate industry is highly location-based. In order to become a good agent, you need to be familiar with the unique quirks of a neighborhood. That’s why it’s common practice to look for talented candidates within your immediate location.
However, thanks to technology, it’s now easier than ever to learn and educate oneself. You may find that someone from out of town is more knowledgeable about the area than a local. Besides, if you limit yourself to those applicants who live near your office, you’re already eliminating a huge pool of talented candidates.
It’s an excellent idea to cast as wide a net as possible. You may catch some bad fish, but you’ll catch more good ones. Keep in mind, too, that remote work is now possible and can even boost productivity. Candidates may even be willing to move if you make a good enough case.
Think Beyond the Paycheck
Talented young professionals will be more likely to join a company that gives them the chance to boost their careers. This simply means that, if you want to hire from the millennial or Gen Y bracket, you need to present them the opportunities for professional development. You can do this by creating a mentorship program, or sponsoring their attendance to trade shows or symposiums.
For senior-level real estate agents, consider sending them to international conferences. Leadership and management training is also valuable. Keep in mind that talented people are always seeking to further develop their skills. Let them know that you’ll help them do this, and you’ll naturally attract the best of the best.
Other things that can convince skilled real estate agents to apply to your brokerage include non-monetary benefits such as comprehensive health insurance or flexible world schedules.
Consider additional paid vacation days, too. The bottom line is to offer something more than a hefty paycheck because talented professionals want something more than money.
Promote People
Sometimes, the best real estate professionals you’re looking for are already within your agency. Consider promoting these top-performing employees to more senior positions and watch them flourish. Make it a point to conduct regular employee evaluations and appraisals as well, and promote people when you can.
How can this be helpful in attracting the best real estate agents? It’s because many of them also want to rise within the industry and be recognized for their efforts. Regular internal promotions can thus help convince the best candidates that they can also ascend the corporate ladder in your agency.
Final Thoughts on Recruiting Real Estate Agents
Keep these tips in mind as you continuously improve your recruitment programs to attract the best of the best candidates in the real estate industry. Watch what the industry is doing as a whole when it comes to recruitment and retention. A real estate office is only as good as the people who have been hired to work together.
Hopefully, you have found the advice on recruiting real estate agents to be useful.
About the author: The above article on how to recruit the best real estate agents was written by Monica Mendoza. Monica is a content writer and marketing professional who’s on the lookout for a new house. As part of her research, she’s taken a good look at how the real estate industry works and how she can find agents who can help her get a good deal. When she’s not working at home, she can be found baking and looking for new recipes online.