Recruiting: Build It and They Will Come.

In Part One of this series, I took a look at what experienced agents want most, the reasons agents cited as factors in associating with a specific real estate firm, and, more importantly, why they stayed.

In Part Two, we looked at what agent's value most in a brokerage and the reasons behind them staying or leaving. And, more importantly, what brokers can do to find, attract and KEEP producing agents.

In Part Three, we will put it all together: What is the profile of the kind of agent you want to target? What kinds of incentives can you offer to attract interest? How can you keep good agents once they have joined your firm?

As we discussed in Part Two, a study conducted by the California Association of REALTORS® showed – surprisingly -- that money and commission splits are not the most important factor for agents leaving their current firm.

The top three reasons an agent leaves a real estate brokerage has to do with how they felt they were treated, not money. And, an overwhelming majority had to do with support services and/or recognition.

The reasons they stayed were very clear. The top three:

• Company's image/name recognition
• Broker's ethics
• Company's/broker's business philosophy

Depending on your firm, its location, market niche, size and other factors; the agent and/or agents you are seeking to recruit are all looking for the same thing: leadership and support.

Start there. Begin by creating a value proposition for your candidates. What do you have to offer that others don't? As we determined earlier, agents don't like to make changes unless they have to. They need to see the "me" factor loud and clear. And they need to see it at just the right time.

A lot of what you offer will be basic such as support, commission splits, marketing, training, and so forth. However, a good package will include items tailored specifically for that agent or the type of agent you are looking to attract. Remember, content is king.

Creating and designing an effective value proposition is just the start.

The next step is determining the type of agent you are looking to draw. An effective campaign will rely on many factors including your ability to target and attract agents that will not only survive, but thrive, under your leadership.

This is where your long-term vision and business plan come into play. Where do you see your office in a year, five years, 10 years down the road? Recruiting is not about filling desks, it's about building your future.

Creating and maintaining a list of agents to target can be a daunting task. There are no short cuts here. If you want quality candidates, you are going to have to put in the work. And remember, recruiting in masses is not the answer.

It's important to understand that once you get a quality, producing agent, you want to keep them. Too many firms are an endless revolving door with agents coming and going on a much too frequent basis.

The final step is creating a series of custom messages for your candidates.

In the recruiting campaign for CENTURY 21 Award, the goals were ambitious:

1. Increase local market share and prepare for future expansion.
2. Attract and retain agents who had the most growth potential.
3. Keep the benefits of working for the office consistently in front of agents.
4. Cut marketing, advertising costs through e-mail delivery systems.
5. Create follow-up system with accountability based on per-agent productivity.

In the end, the program allowed CENTURY 21 to expand at an incredible rate, doubling its size in less than three years and eventually being purchased by the corporation's National Real Estate Trust.

One thing is clear. Today's agent is looking for support, particularly when it comes to technology.

Remember, recruiting is a full-time job. It's not just something you do when you have empty desks. In fact, it might be the reason they are there in the first place.

To view the original article, visit the WebsiteBox blog.