5 Keys to Attracting, Recruiting, and Retaining the Best Sales Talent for Your Mortgage Broking Business

As many of us have learned, running a successful mortgage broking business requires more than just great lending products and well-refined processes. It’s the people who drive these businesses, especially in sales, where skills and talent directly correlate to results. As the General Manager of Broker Performance at Recludo Group, I work daily with businesses just like yours that want to bring in top-tier talent and retain them for the long term. Today, I'll share five essential strategies that will help you attract, recruit, and keep the very best sales talent.

Let’s dive in.

1. Define Your Talent Brand: Stand Out to Stand Apart

The first, and possibly most critical, element in attracting the best sales talent is defining what sets you apart as a workplace. Your "talent brand" is essentially what potential recruits see when they look at your business from the outside. Is your business seen as supportive, ambitious, and forward-thinking? Or is it just another broking firm in an increasingly crowded market?

To begin with, map out your unique value proposition as an employer. What are the core values of your business? How do these values translate into tangible benefits for employees? If you pride yourself on innovation, for example, show that through continuous learning opportunities or regular “innovation sprints” where team members can pitch new ideas. A brand that's consistent and visibly aligned with its values will attract talent who see themselves thriving in that environment.

Additionally, consider using digital channels to build your brand and presence. Share authentic success stories of your team on platforms like LinkedIn, and encourage employees to contribute their insights and experiences. Not only does this amplify your brand, but it also builds trust with prospective candidates who want to know what working with you is truly like.

2. Tailor Your Recruitment Process for Top Performers

The next key is structuring a recruitment process that not only evaluates a candidate’s skills but also aligns with their strengths and motivations. The top-performing salespeople are looking for clarity and value efficiency; they don’t want to be kept waiting or left in the dark. This means your recruitment process should be well-designed and efficient, keeping candidates informed at every step.

Be sure to include targeted behavioral assessments and scenario-based questions. Top performers typically display specific qualities, such as resilience, adaptability, and a results-oriented approach. By tailoring your questions to measure these qualities, you can better identify high-potential candidates. For instance, instead of just asking about past sales experience, ask how they’ve approached challenges in the sales process, or how they handle customer objections in high-pressure situations.

Finally, while it may be tempting to look only at sales numbers, I encourage you to consider a holistic view of each candidate. Great sales talent isn’t just about numbers; it’s also about cultural fit, commitment, and coachability. Top salespeople don’t just close deals; they build lasting relationships and foster trust – the hallmarks of sustainable growth in mortgage broking.

3. Offer Competitive and Flexible Compensation Packages

Salespeople thrive in roles where their success is recognized and rewarded. One of the biggest mistakes we see in mortgage broking is underestimating the value of a well-structured and flexible compensation package. Today’s sales professionals are not only looking for competitive base pay and bonuses but also flexibility in how they earn and grow.

Consider designing commission structures that align with both personal and company goals. A strong compensation plan often has tiered rewards, making it possible for team members to increase their earnings as they exceed targets. This not only encourages high performance but creates a transparent growth pathway.

However, compensation today is more than just numbers. Top talent is increasingly interested in work-life balance, career development opportunities, pathways to ownership, and job flexibility. Offering remote work options, or at least hybrid models, can be an attractive feature. If possible, add employee wellness, training budgets, or mentorship opportunities into the compensation package. By taking a holistic approach, you position your business as one that values employee well-being as much as it values revenue – a message that resonates deeply with high-quality candidates.

4. Create a High-Performance Culture with Clear Career and Equity Pathways

Retaining top talent doesn’t end once the hiring paperwork is signed. To keep your best salespeople engaged and motivated, establish a culture that rewards high performance and offers clear career progression paths.

Building a high-performance culture involves regular goal-setting, open communication, and recognition of achievements. For instance, adopt a “scoreboard mentality” where individual and team performance metrics are transparent and celebrated. Regularly recognizing and rewarding achievements – even the small ones – can go a long way toward fostering a positive work environment that high performers find motivating.

However, rewards alone aren’t enough. Ambitious sales professionals need to see a clear path for career advancement, including a pathway to equity/ownership. Define a structured plan that outlines how they can progress within your organization. Offer pathways that might include training, upskilling, or mentorship opportunities that help them achieve higher levels of responsibility. Be transparent and enthusiastic about how your people can earn equity in the business they are helping to build.

Mortgage broking is a challenging industry, and a well-documented career development plan helps reduce the risk of your top talent being poached by a competitor or going out on their own to compete with you.

5. Foster a Culture of Learning and Development

Finally, one of the greatest differentiators for any business aiming to attract and retain high-quality talent is a commitment to continuous learning and professional development. Sales talent, particularly within the fast-evolving finance industry, appreciates and values companies that invest in their professional growth.

Implementing a regular training and development program demonstrates to employees that you’re committed to their career success. This could involve formal sales training, professional certifications, or workshops that expand their product knowledge or refine their technical skills. Another option is peer-to-peer learning; set up a mentorship or coaching program where experienced team members can coach newcomers. This approach not only builds skills but also strengthens team bonds.

Additionally, encourage personal growth beyond direct sales skills. Consider including modules on time management, productivity, negotiation, and customer relationship management. The more well-rounded your team, the more resilient and adaptable they’ll be in navigating client challenges.

Top sales professionals are often self-driven and deeply curious. A workplace that actively fuels this curiosity with opportunities to learn and grow will retain those employees for the long term – even when competitors come knocking.

In Closing

The competition for top sales talent is as fierce as ever, especially within mortgage broking, where success hinges on trust, skill, and relationship-building. These five keys – establishing a strong talent brand, optimizing your recruitment process, offering flexible compensation, creating a performance-oriented culture with clear career pathways, and fostering continuous development – form a framework that can transform how you attract and retain your sales team.

Remember, great salespeople want to know they are part of something bigger than just a job. If you can build a business where they see personal and professional growth, where they feel recognized, and where they know their hard work has tangible outcomes, you’ll have not only hired well but also created an environment they’re excited to be part of.

With the right approach, you can bring in and keep the top talent that will drive your business forward. Here at Recludo, we’re dedicated to helping you achieve that every step of the way.

If you'd like to explore how we can help you find and keep the best talent book a chat here → [Discovery Call]. Until next time, keep pushing forward.

About your Author

Ash is both a dedicated BUSINESS STRATEGIST and MINDSET TACTICIAN who relentlessly pursues his 'higher calling'. Ash been has been building businesses personally plus continuously learning for more than 40 years, all of it deep inside the Mortgage and Finance industry. He's written thousands of loans, hired and mentored hundreds of brokers and business owners, started, built, and successfully exited, multiple award winning Mortgage businesses himself. When he's not immersed helping clients create massive value you can find Ash with his loving family, including his wife Kaz, two children, two dogs, two cats and three parrots! Ash believes in keeping physically and mentally fit and is constantly developing himself through exercise of body, mind and spirit.