Why Every Day Should be ‘Retention Day’ – Part II

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RISMEDIA, March 15, 2008-Last week, in the first of our three-part series, Sherry Chris kicked off the discussion of recruiting and retaining agents in today’s market. So, now that you know who is keeping up the pace, how are you going to keep them? Do you have a plan to bring in more agents who can walk the same tough line? Here, Sharon Michnay, director of Corporate Business Development for Halstead Property discussed the opportunities available to you in this market, the importance of a recruiting and retention plan, and why every day is “Retention Day.”

What should brokers look for in new recruits? Should they have a plan in place?

Getting Plugged In

Sharon Michnay
Director of Corporate Business Development
Halstead Property
www.halstead.com

While the prevalence of the Internet and new technologies has certainly changed the industry, the most basic elements of success remain the same. Great real estate agents must be knowledgeable, sociable, ethical and diligent. The companies who wish to attract them will need to supply the platform in which they will thrive.

It’s the platform that has changed. For example, last night I watched an episode of a popular TV drama, but not on a television. I streamed it from the television network’s website to my laptop. When I decided to take advantage of the after-Christmas sales, I didn’t rummage through the newspaper to find the best ones; I reviewed the sales and products available online through retail store websites. Finding myself in the position to purchase a gift for a tangential friend, I searched MySpace and Facebook for her page to discover what she might appreciate. When I began thinking about how to write this article, I posted a request to real estate agents through my blog on ActiveRain, asking what they thought makes an agent successful in today’s marketplace.

Many in our industry have already pulled away from classifieds and television to move toward websites and blogs for property marketing because we know it more effectively reaches the consumer.

How are we applying what we know to our recruitment efforts? Recruitment sections can be found on industry websites and banner ads can easily be spotted, too. We cannot, however, expect our candidates to join our companies from an online ad anymore than we can expect our clients to buy a property straight off our websites. Effective recruiting is more than a one-step process, and as with the sale of property, the relationship is paramount.

Recruitment is an ongoing event, and there are many tools available to assist companies with managing and maximizing their efforts.

I don’t recall a time when our industry required agents to know how to stamp an envelope or dial a telephone and so, I am loathe to add “tech savvy” to a list of job requirements. Yet, the real estate industry needs agents who are plugged in to the mediums that effectively reach, market to, and build relationships with the consumer of today. To effectively recruit these agents, we will need to plug ourselves in, too.

To read part one, click here.

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