Recruiting top-tier real estate professionals is critical for both agencies and brokerages, but the approach to recruitment often varies. Agencies may focus on niche markets or specific regions, while brokerages tend to offer more independence and a broader scope of opportunities. Understanding these differences and using the right tools will help you successfully recruit realtors who align with your organization's culture, values, and goals.
In this guide, we’ll explore essential recruiting practices, along with specific tools—beyond
LinkedIn
—that can help both agencies and brokerages build strong teams of real estate professionals.
1. Clarify Your Ideal Candidate and Work Environment
Before recruiting, it's crucial to define your ideal realtor. Agencies tend to attract candidates who are looking for specialized roles—whether it’s luxury properties, a particular neighborhood, or commercial real estate. Brokerages, on the other hand, may appeal to candidates who value independence or want to tap into a broader client base.
Having a clear picture of the type of realtor you're looking for is essential to your recruitment efforts. Understanding whether you’re seeking a seasoned professional or a fresh recruit will influence where and how you source talent.
2. Utilize Niche Job Boards and Real Estate Platforms
Real estate-specific job boards and platforms are invaluable when recruiting realtors. These platforms focus on candidates with industry experience, providing a targeted approach to hiring. Here are some tools to consider:
-
indeed
: While Indeed serves all industries, it remains one of the best places to post real estate job listings. It allows employers to filter resumes and target specific keywords, such as "real estate agent" or "luxury homes," ensuring you attract the right candidates.
-
Glassdoor
: Known for providing company reviews and salary transparency, Glassdoor also has a dedicated real estate job section. It allows you to promote your agency or brokerage’s work culture, which can be appealing to candidates seeking a good fit.
-
ZipRecruiter
: This platform offers great functionality for targeting real estate professionals. It lets you set filters based on location, experience level, and expertise, helping you reach the most relevant candidates. Plus, ZipRecruiter’s “One-Click Apply” feature makes it easy for candidates to express interest in your listing.
- RealJobs.com: A specialized job board for real estate careers, RealJobs.com connects employers with agents, brokers, and property managers across the U.S. This niche job board ensures your listings reach an audience that already has the experience needed for a real estate career.
3. Leverage Redfin for Recruitment and Market Insights
Redfin
is a unique platform in real estate, offering more than just a home search engine. For recruiters, Redfin’s professional services are a valuable tool to attract agents to your team. Redfin offers a range of services for brokerages and agencies, including recruitment assistance and access to their talent pool. Here's how Redfin can help in the recruitment process:
- Redfin Partner Agent Program: By becoming a Redfin partner agent, you can connect with a pool of candidates who are actively engaged in the real estate business but may be looking for new opportunities. The Redfin Partner Agent program allows your team to tap into a motivated and experienced talent pool that may be a good fit for your organization.
- Market Intelligence: Redfin’s data tools provide valuable market insights, allowing you to understand local trends and areas of growth. By sharing this data with potential recruits, you can position your agency or brokerage as a market leader. Realtors value working in areas with high growth potential, and Redfin’s data helps you identify these areas for recruitment purposes.
- Redfin’s Referral Network: Realtors often seek recommendations and referrals when deciding which company to join. Redfin’s robust referral network allows you to connect with former agents who may want to return to the industry or work with an agency that provides more opportunities.
4. Create Engaging Video Content for Recruitment
Real estate professionals are highly visual by nature, and video content is one of the best ways to highlight your organization’s values and showcase the day-to-day reality of working with your agency or brokerage.
-
Vimeo
: Vimeo is ideal for creating high-quality recruitment videos. Use it to showcase your work environment, team-building activities, and success stories of agents excelling within your organization. These videos create a lasting impression and help attract candidates who are looking for a specific company culture.
-
YouTube
: Many agencies and brokerages post client testimonials, agent success stories, and "day in the life" videos on YouTube. These videos give candidates an inside look at your operations and help build trust.
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Instagram
Stories: Utilize Instagram’s short-form video option to post behind-the-scenes content that shows the day-to-day activities at your agency or brokerage. Instagram also lets you connect with potential recruits through comments, direct messages, and stories, creating a more engaging environment for outreach.
5. Host Virtual Job Fairs and Webinars
One of the most effective ways to recruit a large number of real estate professionals is through webinars or virtual job fairs. These online events provide a platform to discuss your agency or brokerage’s opportunities, share your values, and answer potential candidates' questions in real time.
-
Zoom
: Zoom is an excellent platform for hosting virtual recruiting events. You can create interactive presentations and engage with candidates through breakout rooms and Q&A sessions. Make sure to share your screen to showcase your agency or brokerage's website, training programs, or resources.
-
CareerBuilder
's Virtual Job Fairs: CareerBuilder allows you to create virtual job fairs where real estate professionals can explore job listings, chat with recruiters, and attend informational sessions. It’s a great tool for agencies or brokerages looking to cast a wide net in recruiting top talent.
-
Meetup
: If you're looking to recruit in specific locations or for a niche real estate sector, organizing a Meetup event can be a great way to engage directly with local talent. Whether it's a networking event or a casual meet-and-greet, Meetup is a great tool for building relationships with potential recruits in real time.
6. Promote Professional Development and Training Opportunities
Offering professional development opportunities is key to attracting top talent, particularly for agencies and brokerages that wish to ensure their recruits succeed long term.
- Real Estate Training Programs: Provide access to accredited training courses such as those offered by the
National Association of REALTORS?
,
Colibri Real Estate
, or
The CE Shop
. These courses allow you to recruit both experienced and newly licensed professionals.
- Mentorship Programs: Establish a mentorship system where experienced agents guide new hires, helping them navigate the complexities of real estate transactions and client relations. Many candidates are attracted to roles that offer opportunities for skill development and long-term growth.
- Real Estate CRM Tools: Equip your recruits with industry-leading tools like BoomTown, KVCore, or Top Producer. These tools streamline lead generation, client management, and transaction tracking, which not only boost agents’ efficiency but also make them more likely to stay with your organization. Access to these tools can be a major draw for new recruits.
7. Engage with Real Estate Associations and Attend Conferences
Networking is critical in real estate, and attending or sponsoring events hosted by industry groups can help you connect with talented professionals.
8. Leverage Employee Referral Programs
Word-of-mouth remains one of the best ways to recruit qualified candidates. By offering incentives for current employees who refer successful candidates, you create an internal recruitment pipeline that works to your advantage.
-
Referrizer LLC
: This tool helps you set up and manage referral programs. By offering bonuses or other incentives, you can encourage current real estate professionals to refer candidates who may be a good fit for your organization.
-
ReferralCandy
: If you’re looking to scale up your referral program, ReferralCandy can help automate the process, track referrals, and provide rewards to employees who refer successful candidates.
9. Offer Competitive Compensation and Flexibility
Compensation plays a major role in recruiting top-tier real estate professionals, but flexibility is also key to retaining talent. Agencies and brokerages that offer competitive commission structures, remote work opportunities, and flexible work hours will have a significant advantage in attracting the right candidates.
- Commission Structure: Ensure that your commission structure is not only competitive but also flexible. Offer tiered commission plans, where top performers can earn higher commissions as an incentive.
- Work-Life Balance: Offer flexible schedules and remote work options, allowing agents to balance their work with personal commitments. Tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams can facilitate remote collaboration, while mobile apps like BoomTown and KVCore allow agents to work from anywhere.
Whether you run a real estate agency or a brokerage, attracting top talent requires a combination of the right strategies and tools. By leveraging real estate-specific platforms, networking at industry events, offering professional development, and promoting a flexible work environment, you can successfully recruit agents and brokers who will thrive in your organization. With the right approach, both agencies and
