In my previous blog I questioned what is causing some managers to put recruiting on the proverbial “back-burner” when it comes to prioritizing their regular responsibilities. Managers wear many hats, but for 
some they tend to leave the recruiting hat on the hook.
If the financial motivation is not enough to get this hat squarely on your head, perhaps discussing the tasks associated with recruiting and developing a comfortable process will help. How comfortable are you with recruiting? Have you implemented a process that doesn’t feel natural to you? Yes, getting outside of one’s comfort zone can push us to greater limits, but if the resistance is causing inaction you’re getting nowhere fast.
I came across an article on RISMedia in which Jeff Smith with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Bradfield Properties in San Antonio, Texas was highlighted for his recruiting strategy. According to Jeff, his recruiting success comes from going back to the basics…and that’s how he was able to recruit 35 agents during the summer of 2012.
It’s not only about executing specific tasks on a regular basis, but understanding why they are effective that might help you find a different comfort zone in your recruiting strategy. The excerpt of this article below speaks to Jeff’s understanding of why he is taking the actions he is taking. I have highlighted the top 5 steps.
Phone calls. Every day Smith dials between 30-100 agents, speaking to the ones he can reach and leaving messages for everyone else. His voice mail message often includes a call to action such as an invitation to one of his many training events.
Smith’s daily tasks: Smith spends a minimum of 1.5 hours daily making calls and sets goals for the number dials he will make. Looking back on his real estate career, Smith says he developed good phone habits when he used to spend five hours a day calling expired listings in his market.
Email. Smith understands that most experienced agents will say they are happy at their current company and not looking to make a change right away. Due to this, staying in touch over what can sometimes be a long period of time is incredibly important.
Smith’s solution: Smith uses email and handwritten notes to stay in touch with agents between face-to-face meetings. Writing three to five emails and notes per day can be a great way to stay personally involved with prospects. Never underestimate the power of a handwritten note, no matter how digital our world might feel.
Real Estate Schools. Twice a month Smith has lunch with the students at the local real estate school. He says he loves working with new agents because the process is shorter and he knows he can train them to be successful.
Smith’s Tip: This success strategy isn’t for everyone but will work if you have an item of value to offer. Smith most recently did a drawing and gave a way his new e-book as a way to capture the student’s contact information. He then makes phone calls and sends emails as follow-up and stay in touch with the students after they pass the exam.
Training. Smith understands that training is imperative, especially for new agents. Because of this, Smith will often invite students from the local real estate school as well as outside agents to join his regular two-hour training sessions.
A typical question is whether or not he is afraid that agents will attend training to simply swipe and implement his ideas on their own. ‘Absolutely not,’ Smith says. In fact, his mantra has always been to ‘give away everything I’ve got.’ He makes the point that the more REALTOR® signs seen out in the local market, the better it is for all real estate professionals. He believes that FSBOs are the only real competition.
Understanding the competition. Smith says keeping his eyes open to opportunity has served him well. In order to grow, ‘you need to know when to pounce,’ referring to his recent merger as well as the large number of new agents he’s added to the company.
Making sure that agents in his market know he is there to support them in their careers helps to position Smith as a true leader.
Staying in touch with agents through regular phone calls and emails means that when smoothing happens and that agent is ready to make a move, Smith and Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Bradfield Properties are the logical next choice.
With 19 years of experience in the industry and a track record of growing companies, there are certainly some lessons to be learned from Smith.
Getting back to basics, doing the work, and having the right intentions and attitude, and understanding your market could be all that it takes to hit your talent attraction goals.
So here’s to picking up the phone, writing a note and engaging old school style!
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Editor's Note: Lee Gray is the Senior Account Manager at Tidemark Inc. Lee is a guest contributor to WorkPuzzle. Comments or questions are welcome. .
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