The fourth quarter is an opportunity for many REALTORS® to change brokerages. Are you maximizing this time?
There are many agents who will be moving, and are considering making a move right now. This is a very important time for recruiting. Are you making contact with them and creating relationships to tell them that you would like to have them on your team? On the flip side, this is also a time your agents might think about making a move, so it is equally an important time for retention and building a relationship with your existing agents. Make sure your relationships with your current agents are strong and you’re adding value. Call agents you haven’t talked to in a while and check in, or thank them for their dedication and their service, and make sure they realize how valuable they are to your company.
Follow these methods to make sure you are maximizing this time for both recruiting and retention:
- Make sure you have a list of your top 20-30 co-broke agents. Make a point to know the agents you want to recruit and know what their business looks like. Get in contact with these agents and congratulate them on their recent listings or sales. Take a look at recent listing inventory and show them how they could double their income at your company. Get an appointment with them by showing your value and your brokerage’s value. These agents are considering making a move, and the worst thing that can happen is for them to join another company because you didn’t maximize this opportunity. Recruiting on-purpose in this market has never been more essential. Making sure you have blocked-out days or hours in the week to work on your recruiting will have huge dividends next year at this time.
- Have a pipeline of new agents. Making sure you have a consistent pipeline of new agents who are interested in getting into the business is also key to the sustainability of your office. New agents are easily trained and can add real dollars to your bottom line quickly. Advertise your brokerage on social media, hold a career seminar and invite everyone you know, and create opportunities with everyone you meet. Retail, restaurant employees and other people in your sphere who could be potential real estate agents are all opportunities for you if you maximize them. Get these new agents excited about a career in real estate and show them how joining you will benefit them immediately. You can also check out the pending real estate license list with the division of real estate and reach out to those people to recruit them. Brand new agents bring fresh energy to office and, with your coaching, can be making money for themselves and your office. Make sure you are recruiting new agents on purpose and you will see dramatic results.
- Retain your current agents. During this time of year, your agents are being heavily recruited by the competitor. Building and maintaining good relationships that are ongoing and mutually beneficial is so important. Make sure you are publicly giving your current agents praise and recognizing their yearly accomplishments. Reach out to agents you haven’t seen in a while and have them come meet in your office. Offer to help improve their business or help them with listings that haven’t sold. Have you added value to these existing agents, or do they just see you as a sales manager? Maintaining these relationships creates an environment that thrives on success and creates a culture of teamwork. Create a company culture where everyone wants to join your team and stay on your team. It is like re-recruiting these people to stay with you and continue the mutually beneficial relationship you have.
For a free copy of my exclusive Recruiting Assessment and Creating a Culture of Success tool, please click here.
Sherri Johnson is CEO and founder of Sherri Johnson Coaching & Consulting. With 20 years of experience in real estate, Johnson offers coaching, consulting and keynotes, and is a national speaker for the Homes.com Secrets of Top Selling Agents tour and the Official Real Estate Coach for McKissock Learning and Real Estate Express. For more information, please contact coaching@sherrijohnson.com or 844-989-2600 (toll-free) or visit www.sherrijohnson.com.
