Take 5
Brokers: Recruiting is not just a numbers game
with Judy LaDeur, founder
Judy LaDeur International, Saint Charles, IL
TRT: 4 minutes 18 seconds
Video Transcription

Judy LaDeur directly addresses camera:  One of the most common mistakes I see brokers make when recruiting is that they treat it like a one-hit system. They get in front of an agent, give them all kinds of information and fail to follow up.

I’m Judy LaDeur, founder of Judy LaDeur International and a real estate coach specializing in building strong skills in brokers, managers, recruiters, agents and team leaders. Let’s take five minutes to talk about some best practices for recruiting real estate agents.

When it comes to recruiting, relationships are key. Our industry has become a rating industry. Agents look at experiences other agents have had with the firm, and the relationship has taken a front seat in recruiting. It’s not a numbers game anymore. You shouldn’t randomly go through a bunch of agents and ask them to join your team. Instead, build a relationship with the agents you WANT on your team. This will make it easier to get a commitment when you are face-to-face with the agent.

First, determine who in your company oversees recruiting. The manager is often tasked with the job of recruiting. However, most managers have a full plate, which prevents them from focusing on recruiting.  I highly recommend you hire a person dedicated to recruiting. Someone must stay focused on recruiting. If you, as the broker, or your managers can’t do that, then hire someone. This person’s entire job is to network with agents and build relationships. I’ve seen brokers call this person their business relationship manager. Their job is to stay connected with everyone you’ve done business with in the past few years. Another important role for this person is creating videos, handling social media, and doing all the marketing necessary to recruit. They would conduct the interview, follow up and everything a broker typically does.

Whoever oversees recruiting should also understand behavior. I’m a certified DISC profile instructor and have been studying behaviors since 1984. I’ve found that 70% of all sales agents are the Influence personality. They are social, results-oriented, individualists and like to resolve conflict peacefully. About 15% of sales personals are the Steadiness personality. This personality is adaptable, independent and an enthusiast. 85% of all agents are emotional decision-makers and will base their decision on how they feel about the broker and the agents in that office. However, most brokers are logical, decision-makers. So, most brokers want to get right to the point. Many brokers also think most agents are driven by money, but that’s not true.

For the emotional agent to have a relationship with you, they have to like you. You must connect with them because that will factor into their decision-making.

An easy way to determine how an agent will decide is to remember two words. Face and pace.  You can tell an emotional decision-maker by their smile. If they’re very smiley or they smile instantly when you smile at them, they’re likely an emotional decision maker. That means the broker or recruiter should smile a lot, chit-chat and connect face to face.

Pace is how fast does the person moves. Someone with direct eye contact who looks straight at you is typically on the fast side. They’re risk-takers and they make decisions quickly. If the broker has done everything right up until the first meeting, the agent is more likely to commit that day. An agent who is a bit shy will listen and observe rather than jump in and dominate a conversation. That person is more cautious and typically does make a quick decision.

Once you know pace and face, you can tailor your interview to the person. I always find social media a great place to start your research on an agent’s personality. Watch their videos, read their posts, look at their marketing. It will all provide clues.

Again, recruiting is all about building relationships with the agents you want. Studying their behavior and personality helps you start that relationship before you meet face to face.