RECRUITING...LET'S TALK.

LET'S TALK RECRUITING....

Everyone in the real estate industry that is a manager or owner understands that recruiting is a VERY important part of your business. Much like building a winning NFL team, recruiting determines the success, culture and longevity of your team. Let's face it, it is about the relationships and the work you are willing to put into it.

Coaches study, interview and consult the rest of their staff to determine if a player is a good fit for the team. It is based upon the values of the player, cultural fit, work ethic and talent, The potential of the team relies heavily on the coach (you) and the decisions made building your team. But before you can build a team, you need a team that players want to be part of.

You can take the approach of some and try to buy the talent but that only breeds discontent and jealousy and there is no real loyalty. You can also try to develop the talent, but that requires extensive commitment and sacrifice (in time) to see the end goal achieved.

It all sounds exhausting and expensive...

What if we never recruited? What if we only retained and built a culture so strong and visible that you needed to selectively turn recruits away because they did not fit with your vision of the future?

It is not easy. In fact, it is very difficult...the first time.

I am not a recruiting expert. But I do know that people want to be part of a winning team- something bigger than themselves. A culture of enough, not more, not the most but enough. Give me "work-life balance" and I am happy. Give me "work-life balance" and a little more than I expected and I work a LOT harder. Give me "work-life balance", a lot more than I expected and I am stunned and I can't wait to tell every potential recruit to join the team.

But before you can expect to build this team, you need to start with the right recruits. SO - we still need to recruit for now.

A complete tactical plan and strategy is essential to successfully recruiting the right people. The key words being “the right people”. Many times we are just so excited about someone saying yes, we overlook the fact that they may not be a good fit for your business.

Your tactical plan should include:

? Identifying your target recruits

? Research

? Crafting your message

? Delivering your message

? Working your culture

? Projecting success

We have all heard the quote “A failure to plan is a plan for failure”. The trouble with this quote is that it’s true.

IDENTIFYING YOUR TARGET

Chances are, you have a very specific person in mind for the ideal recruit. You may want a performer that fits in with your culture and will elevate your business overall. Or, you may want an agent that is in the business but needs help getting to the next level. Someone who is ready to learn and is malleable to your culture and business goals. Remember, you are recruiting a team member that will be your responsibility. Make it someone you really want.

Make a list of the attributes you are looking for. Your list can include:

? Performance history (GCI and sides)

? Experience

? Personal interests

? Cultural preferences

? Public reputation

Hiring the right recruits will not only help you accomplish your recruiting numbers but will potentially help with retention in the long run.

RESEARCH

Now that you know who you want to recruit, how do you find them? How do you get in front of them with a message that is personal and meaningful?

1. Identify everyone in your local area in the MLS with the performance history you are looking for.

2. Note who they work for and research the culture of that brokerage and office.

3. Bookmark the recruits social media channels and pay attention to their activity.

4. When you have the opportunity, comment on a post or engage somehow in an organic manner.

5. Pay attention to others in the recruits office and notice the pain points and success stories.

6. Review their Google listing and see their reviews and if they are active.

7. Make a note of who their friends are on social channels. You can tell a lot about a person by who their friends are.

8. Note the areas they work frequently and the style and price of the homes they are working.

The research may seem tedious but in the long run it will improve your chance of having something meaningful to say to a recruit when you finally get the opportunity.

CRAFTING YOUR MESSAGE

When being recruited you want to know that whoever is interested in you - is really interested. This means the messaging has to be personal. The recruit needs to know you have done the research and that you have taken the time to get to know a little about them. The more you understand about them, the easier it is to craft a message that is meaningful and will get their attention.

Ask yourself, why would you move? Rarely is it just for the money. You have taken the time to get to know them and you have an idea of what their pain points are, what culture they currently have and what they prefer. What their interests are and where they are in their career stage.

If you are going to get them to switch brokerages, you need to give them tangible incentives that are sustainable. Your value proposition should include:

? Your companies mission and culture?

? How will they enjoy their work more?

? How you will help them get to the next stage in their career without having to work harder?

? How you will support them in ways they are not currently supported?

? How you will make the transition easy and quick?

? How will you be accountable to them?

? Proof of all the above?

It is never easy to convince people that you have the answers to their problems. And maybe you don’t. That is ok. Be transparent and real. Don’t make promises you can’t deliver and don’t panic. Desperation will put you on the defense and most likely end the conversation. Be complimentary and always be confident. People want to know that they are working for a strong, confident and truthful manager.

DELIVERING YOUR MESSAGE

Before you even think of delivering your message, make sure you are presenting yourself and your company in way that is attractive. That means your other brokers as well. A potential recruit will immediately do the same kind of research on you, your brokers and your company that you did on them. Make sure you are highlighting your culture every opportunity you get. Social media is a great place to let people get to know you.

? Start interest groups your brokers will participate in

? Post messaging that will speak to the type of agent you want to recruit

? Celebrate your agents and their success with not just real estate but also in their personal lives

? Show how your staff supports your agents

? Post about enjoying what you do and show your staff and others enjoying their work

? Illustrate how your office is working together for one common goal

? Invite brokers outside of your company to participate in a community event or social project

Always present in the best light.

If you are going to make a good first impression you will need to make sure that every public facing website, ad, social media channel and reference to your company looks as good as it possibly can.

? Help your agents get updated-professional head shots

? Make sure the content on your website is current and accurate

? Use the best photography you can afford on your social channels

? Be consistent in your branding

? Update and keep current your Google listing page and help your agents do the same

? Help your agents with their social posts so they can be consistent and professional

Email campaigns are not effective if they are not personal. On average, only about 10% of most email campaigns are even opened. Only 1% of those generally result in a conversion or click. That is because the message

is not directed to the recipient. I think the reality is that most email campaigns with a product offer artificially push those averages up. I expect for information or services those numbers are lower. How do you make it personal.

? Congratulate them on a recent sale or accomplishment

? Thank them for a comment on your social post or reference a post of theirs

? Compliment them on their marketing or advertising that you have seen

? Address one of the challenges they may have expressed Online

? Mention that you may have some interests in common

? Compliment them on their Google search results and address how you can help improve them

Use social media direct messaging. If you are Online in the evening and see that the recruit is actively posting, pay attention. If the post is in reference to a common interest or issue, leave a comment or send them a direct message.

Relationship building is always evolving. Using social media as a platform to get that process started is easy and informal.

Paid advertising works. You already have a message that your type of recruit will respond to. Why not get it out to as many recruits as possible? Build a landing page with your messaging and calls to action and advertise that landing page with Craigslist ads, social media ads, and display ads. It is difficult to target with Craigslist but with social media and display ads you can narrow down your audience and focus on the people you know will respond to your message.

Another alternative is to do an advertorial. A paid for article in a magazine that is intended for real estate agents/brokers. Make sure you hit all the pain points of the potential recruits and illustrate how you solve those issues. Video is a great platform for recruits to get to know you. The beauty of a video is that it is really difficult to fake who you are. For better or worse, the real you will eventually come out. Relax and be yourself. They are going to get to know you eventually, so don’t hide it. Make sure your message is relevant to what the recruit is interested in.

It is also a great thing to link to in your personal email. If you are not the type of person that wants to sit down and write a blog, video blogging or vlogging is a great way to share advice, insights, market activity and culture.

Blogging is a lot of work, but it’s worth it.

Writing interesting content is very time consuming but in the end, it is a testimony to your commitment to the business. Recruits will notice a well designed and written blog. I mentioned designed because blogs don’t have to be just text. A great blog will include photos, links to resources and video.

Share success and failures, insights into the industry, where you feel change is needed and other topics that agents will identify with. It is important to make sure you are illustrating your thought leadership. Be entertaining if you can. People like to have fun and work for fun companies.

WORKING YOUR CULTURE

What the heck does working your culture mean? Simply put, it means if you have developed a good culture in your company, then you need to expose that culture to as many people as you can...Work it. Agents want to know they are making the right choice. They want to feel that they are going to be supported and that they are important. It is not always about the money. Show off how you support your agents and how you make a big deal out of their success.

Get in touch with your feelings and write a heart felt appreciation post about your staff or your brokers or others that have contributed to your success.

Time for fun?

Schedule regular happy hours, lunch and learns or other events that you can record and post to

social media. The more energy you put into presenting the company in a positive light, the better the return on the time invested. Invite recruits and let them get to know you and your team in a relaxed atmosphere.

Webinars and Workshops.

Done correctly, these can be an excellent recruiting tool. Research what topics are of the most interest to your agents and invite guest speakers. Always have a time for questions and make sure you are available to answer some of them. This is a great time for the recruit to see how informed you are and that you are truly interested in all of your agents success.

The trusty old snail-mail.

Hand written note cards and letters have an almost 100% open rate. Letting people know that they are important enough for you to take the time to actually write a message to them by hand and mail it is a great way to get a conversation started. It doesn’t have to be a sales pitch or need to get into details. It can be as simple as - “Hello (agent), I have noticed that you are doing a fair amount of business in (area) and would love to chat with you about possibly joining our team. We could use an expert in that area. Give me a call or drop me a note on messenger and we can set up a time to chat.” or it can be as easy as an invitation to coffee.

PROJECTING SUCCESS

Every public facing part of your business needs to look it’s very best. Including:

? Your brokers head shots

? Your head shot

? The company and branch social media channels need to be consistent and on brand

? Your Blogs and or Vlogs

? Signs

? Physical location of your office

? Your personal social media channels

? Your advertising

? Your website

? Listing photos

? Google listing

? Reviews

? Listing marketing

Each aspect of you and your company will be under pretty close scrutiny if you are trying to attract the right agents.

RECRUITING IS CRITICAL

The success of every brokerage relies heavily on recruiting and retention. If you have a high retention rate and your brokers are happy, your recruiting efforts are much easier. Many times, happy agents are your best recruiting resource. The company collectively needs to make an effort to continually listen to the brokers and their needs in order to create a culture that makes the brokers feel appreciated, and supported. The goal of every brokerage is to be so successful that you can afford to turn recruits away because they are not up to the standards that you have set. Recruit the right people, build your team, support your brokers and eventually recruiting will become almost effortless.