The Golden Rule of Recruiting
The Golden Rule of Recruiting: Deliver the Right Message to the Right Agent at the Right Time.
Recruiting in real estate typically can be a long and lengthy process which requires you to invest time, energy, and money, there is one simple rule you can use to make you and your company better recruiters today: Deliver the right message to the right agent at the right time. This will help you get started on the best path to build the relationship you need to with your prospective agents.
What is the Right Message?
The agents you are recruiting deserve better than to be lumped in with everyone else on your mailing list. They need to know that you are interested in them specifically, that you are tuned in to who they are and what goals they have.
Say you like golfing, crave Chick-fil-A, and follow Tony Robbins. What if you saw an ad that said “Come play a round of golf with Tony Robbins and then have lunch sponsored by Chick-fil-A,” Don’t you think that would get your attention?
So how do you know what message to send to the right people? The first step to crafting the right message is knowing who you are talking to - what is in their psyche? Ask yourself what is it that your ideal agent needs to hear from you right now? Are they working toward a big goal? Are they ready to sunset their business? Are they looking for accountability and growth?Depending on where the agent is in their personal and professional journey, you can craft the right message to reach them and let them know that you and your brokerage are the answer to what they are working toward.
Tips to Developing the Right Message
The message should always be about them and never about you.
The message needs to be something personal, direct, and that will speak to them.
Using this Target Agent “Persona” Worksheet, you will take a deep-dive into the psyche of your ideal agent
Organize or segment your mailing list into categories with specifically tailored messages that will speak to your target agent.
Who is the Right Agent?
How do we find the right agent? Look internally at which agents you best align with already. Who do you help the most and who’s going to be the best fit for your company and for your culture?
Ask yourself, “If I could clone a few of my agents, what traits would they have?” If you could, you might have an entire brokerage made up of this one person. Look at those people and start to figure out what it is about them that makes them a good fit. What characteristics, values and behaviors do they have? Are they hard workers? Are they amiable? Do they like to be left alone? Do they enjoy a team culture? What is it about them that you enjoy that you would like to clone? Take those details and create messages that would appeal to them. Find other agents in your market that are similar to them - who are the “lookalikes”.
When is the Right Time?
ALL THE TIME. The truth is we don’t always know when an agent is ready to make a move. So, you need to be marketing and talking to them all the time. Once you’ve identified that an agent is your ideal agent, start talking to them ALL THE TIME.
Don’t forget about your relationships with mortgage brokers, title agents, etc. If you have a good relationship with them, they might have insight to share. So, start with them to check-in and see who of your ideal agents might be expressing interest in moving.
Where do I Get Started?
Practice recruiting on your existing agents: Think about messaging - what would I put in the email, say on the phone, post on social media that would appeal to my target agent?
Talk to your existing agents: Sit with the agent you would like to clone and talk to them about it and see what excites them about their business or the culture of your brokerage. Find out what they find exciting and start using that “language” to engage other agents like them.
Get a tool to help: I’ve developed a worksheet, Target Agent “Persona” Worksheet that has proven to help brokers and managers to identify who are your prospective agents, why they are your prospective agents and how you can best get in front of them.
