Ask any real estate broker what their biggest business challenge is and they'll tell you–almost across the board–one of two things: recruiting younger agents and recruiting top talent.

No matter which answer, one thing is crystal clear: brokers have a problem. Old recruiting techniques just aren't working the way they used to. In order to fill your desks not just with bodies, but with talented people who are a solid fit for your culture, something must change.

Recruiting the right people is critical to your success.

Imprev Inc., a Washington state-based provider of integrated marketing tools, recently conducted a survey of approximately 260 real estate brokers in the Bellevue, Washington area. The results bolstered a National Association of REALTORS® statistic that says 40% of all REALTORS® are 60 or older, and that 1 in 4 is 65 or older.

"The real estate business is aging out," said Imprev CEO Renwick Congdon in a statement. "Broker-owners and other top real estate executives are under pressure to find new talent."

Many of those surveyed said that recruiting agents is harder now than it was a decade ago. Further, there were complaints that "brokers are attempting to just put 'butts in seats' by giving away the farm as they attempt to recruit agents without paying attention to future profitability."

What's the answer?

The best recruiters already know they need more than headcount. Rather than simply filling an office with warm bodies, they are committed to adding people that are a cultural match. As Dan Stewart, serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Happy Grasshopper, says "It's not about the split, it's about the fit."

What he says there is spot-on. Brokers that lack vision, those that have only mediocre growth in mind, will settle for simply filling their offices with bodies. Brokers who want to see exponential growth and the greatest success, however, will only be satisfied with people who are just the right fit for their teams.

Better recruits = better teams = better results.

Happy Grasshopper is hosting a special webinar about how to take your recruiting to the next level and how to recruit the right people for your team. The webinar is for brokers, team leaders and other salespeople who need a better strategy for growth.

Further Reading

Read our overview of HG-Recruits, Happy Grasshopper's recruiting tool for brokers. For more on recruiting, see:

• Using Technology in Your Recruiting
• Recruit Top Agents with Technology