In the following interview, Ron Copus, managing broker of Realty ONE Group – Glendale in Glendale, Ariz., discusses his approach to agent development, recruitment and retention.
Region Served: The Northwest Valley, including Glendale, Peoria and Surprise
Years in Real Estate: 41
Number of Offices: 1
Number of Agents: 509
Best Way to Stay in Touch With Agents: Because we have a large agent population, it’s hard to get everyone together, so I use weekly newsletters to stay in touch and disseminate information.
Key to Running a Successful Meeting: Focus on something timely. It’s also important to encourage interaction.
You recently hit the 500-agent milestone. What factors played a role in reaching this agent count?
While there were a lot of variables at play, the fact that our company treats its agents as customers is one factor that has led to our tremendous growth over the years. That being said, when an agent walks in the door, they won’t find drama. Instead, they’ll find a broker with an open door, quality service, support, and the tools they need to succeed. My 40-plus years of experience in the Northwest Valley has given me a good reputation in the local market, which also helps, but I truly believe my agents are my biggest and best recruitment tool. In fact, I would say that about 70 percent of our new recruits have been referred by my agents.
In what ways are you planning to play off this momentum to continue to grow the firm?
We’ll continue to do more of the same because it’s working. In addition, we’ll also send emails out to the industry in order to leverage the name recognition we’ve created. We plan to continue increasing our agent count by visiting licensing schools and making presentations.
How do you see the market evolving throughout 2017?
We’re seeing a lot of interest in those looking to attend real estate school in order to get their license, a sure sign that there’s a high level of optimism in the market. Looking ahead to the next year or so, I believe we’ll see a steady, strong market with mild appreciation.
How does your market stay flexible and current?
Because we have one owner—Kuba Jewgieniew—we’re able to adapt easily and change direction quickly if we need to. The fact that we cover a wide range of properties is another key reason we’re able to stay flexible and current. As agents see the market moving, they can adjust their target market to the range that’s doing the business and selling.
What are you doing to prepare your agents for the future of real estate?
I’m still old school in that I like to teach my agents one-on-one, person-to-person negotiation skills they can use to build business. No matter what happens, and what technology you use to generate incoming leads, real estate is still a person-to-person business once a lead has been received. I work hard to show my agents the importance of building and maintaining that personal relationship.
For more information, please visit www.realtyonegroup.com.
Paige Tepping is RISMedia’s managing editor. Email her your real estate news ideas at paige@rismedia.com.
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