eXp Realty Names Leo Pareja as CEO to Drive Next Era of Growth and Innovation
eXp Realty announced the appointment of Leo Pareja as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective immediately. He succeeds Glenn Sanford, who will now fully dedicate his efforts to his position as Founder, Chairman, and CEO of eXp World Holdings. In his previous role as Chief Strategy Officer, Pareja was instrumental in solidifying eXp Realty's standing in the competitive real estate marketplace. His visionary leadership and remarkable track record has greatly enriched the company's value proposition to its agents. For example, the successful launches of strategic initiatives like eXp Exclusives, Revenos and significant enhancements to eXp Solutions. "Leo's innovative and recognized industry leadership has elevated our agent-value proposition by reshaping referrals and lead-generation," said Sanford. "His deep industry experience and influence on our community have been profound, and I trust that under his direction, eXp Realty will further fortify its competitive advantage and deliver unparalleled value to our agents, further cementing our position as a groundbreaking leader in the real estate industry." The announcement comes as eXp Realty is recognized in the top spot in five categories on the coveted RealTrends 500 report: Transaction Sides, 5 Year Top Movers (Sides), 5 Year Top Movers (Volume), Best Brokerages and Public Independent. The company also moved up to No. 3 in two categories: Volume and Billionaires' Club. The company continues to prove its model as it gains market share, welcoming the best agents in the industry. "As we step into this new chapter at eXp Realty, I am honored to lead a company that has always placed innovation and agent success at the forefront of its mission," said Pareja. "Together, we will not only continue to redefine the real estate landscape through technology and unparalleled agent support but also empower every member of our community to achieve their full potential." Having joined eXp Realty in 2022, Pareja brings over two decades of real estate experience, highlighted by numerous accolades including recognition in RealTrends' The Thousand report, topping the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals' (NAHREP) Top 250 list, and being named a 30 under 30 agent by Realtor® Magazine. His entrepreneurial spirit is evidenced by his co-founding of one of the largest private lending companies on the U.S. East Coast and a rapidly growing MLS technology vendor. He has also played significant roles in the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, serving as the founding president of the Metro D.C. chapter and later as the national president.

Dan Troup Becomes Broker Public Portal CEO
Broker Public Portal (BPP), a collaborative venture between real estate brokerages and MLSs to create a national consumer home search experience, announced the appointment of Dan Troup as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Troup brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record in the real estate and technology sectors, establishing him as the ideal leader to guide BPP through its next phase of innovation and growth. As the former Director of Data Operations & Strategy at RE/MAX, LLC, Troup has a demonstrated history of driving strategic initiatives, fostering collaboration, and delivering exceptional results. His extensive background in real estate technology and deep understanding of industry dynamics and the business needs of brokers make him ideally suited to steer BPP towards new heights. In his new role as CEO of Broker Public Portal, Dan Troup will be responsible for the organization's strategic vision, partnerships, business model, financials, product development roadmap, and launch. His leadership will play a pivotal role in enhancing the BPP platform, ensuring it continues to provide immense value to real estate professionals, brokers, and consumers alike. Reflecting on his appointment, Troup stated, "I am honored to step into the role of CEO at Broker Public Portal during this pivotal moment in the real estate industry. BPP has already made significant strides in demonstrating the importance of a national MLS consumer-facing property search site. I am eager to amplify these achievements, driving innovation and assembling a dynamic team at BPP. Together, we will not only uphold, but surpass the industry standards, ensuring a property search experience that is both impartial and captivating, guided by the principles of the Fair Display Guidelines." BPP's Vice-Chair of the Board, Rebecca Jensen, expressed confidence in Troup's ability to lead the organization into the future. "The incredible successes Dan has delivered in his career have prepared him to take on the role of driving this important initiative. He has the experience, skills, and relationships to deliver business generation opportunities for brokers and MLSs across the country in a very important time. Dan's strategic vision, leadership acumen, and passion for helping the real estate industry deliver valuable information, education, and support to consumers make him the perfect fit for BPP. We are thrilled to welcome him aboard and are confident that his technical expertise and infectious enthusiasm will drive BPP to next-level success." "Each industry expert that the BPP is composed of, in collaboration with Dan, will lean on their technology expertise and leadership skills to continue to execute on its mission – to deliver a consumer experience provided by people who sell homes, not ads," said Chairman of the Board, Dana Strandmo. For a complete list of board members, visit the BPP Leadership page.

[Podcast] The Fundamentals of a Lasting Brokerage with Christan Bosley
In this insightful episode of Million Dollar Question, host Billy Ekofo is joined by real estate maven Christan Bosley. Christan shares her unique journey from sales agent to president of a brokerage, highlighting the significance of personal connections and the value of transparency in leadership. She delves into the intricacies of the Toronto real estate market and underscores the importance of viewing real estate as a business venture. This episode offers a blend of Christan's seasoned perspectives on innovation in long-standing companies and key strategies for agents aiming to thrive in the ever-evolving real estate landscape. In this episode of Million Dollar Question: The evolution and stability of long-standing real estate companies Leadership and human-centric approaches in real estate Common pitfalls and best practices for real estate agents The role of brokerages in agent development and education The dynamics of the Toronto real estate market Connect with Christan Bosley: LinkedIn: Christan Bosley Website Instagram: @bosleyrealestate Listen to this podcast on: Spotify Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts RadioPublic Visit the episode homepage for show notes and more detail.

[Podcast] Thriving Empire: Why the Keyes Company Thrives Through Change with Mike and Christina Pappas
In this episode of Million Dollar Question, host Jess Edgerton has the pleasure of talking with two executives from the Keyes Company, a family led, South Florida-based real estate company. Mike and his daughter, Christina Pappas, are a lesson in action on how intergenerational governance and family owned companies can get it right. With annual sales and services north of $8.3 billion, making them one of the largest independent brokerage firms in the U.S., The Keyes Company's resume speaks for itself. Tune in to hear the charismatic spirit, tried and true philosophy and disciplined approach that has allowed The Keyes and the Pappas family to consistently magnetize and retain the best talent in their region. In this episode of Million Dollar Question: The Keyes Company's approach to attracting top tier agents Assisting agents amidst the down market The essence of family style business leadership Making an important distinction between balancing and balance What raising a toddler has taught Christina about herself in the workplace Why you should surround yourself with people who have different skill sets Connect with Mike and Christina: LinkedIn: Mike Pappas and Christina Pappas Website: keyes.com Listen to this podcast on: Spotify Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts RadioPublic To view the original article, visit the LeadingRE blog.

The Top 5 Questions (With a Few Extras!) Recruiters Should Ask Prospective Agents
Recruiting the right real estate agents is a crucial task for any brokerage hoping to thrive in the highly competitive real estate industry. The success of your brokerage largely depends on the talent and skills of the agents you bring on board. To ensure you make the right choices, it's essential to ask the right questions during the interview process. In your initial meeting with your recruitment prospect, the objective should be to get to know each other while setting the stage for future conversations. You want to spend more time listening than talking, so be sure to focus on open-ended questions that allow your prospect to open up about themselves and their expectations. Setting the Stage for a Successful First Meeting Create an Agenda Provide your prospect with a brief overview of what to expect during the initial meeting. This should include any information you'd like to receive (such as production numbers over the past three years), general topics of conversation (for example, professional goals, company culture), and the general "tone" ("a relaxed one-on-one conversation at my office"). Providing this insight ahead of time will give your prospect time to prepare for a productive experience, as well as help them to feel more comfortable and relaxed. Choose an Appropriate Location It's important to choose a meeting location that feels safe and provides a sense of privacy. You want to be 100% focused on your prospect, and vice versa, so select a space that eliminates distractions. Your meeting is a time to practice active listening, so set aside the cell phone, turn off Slack, and resist checking email. The Top 5 Questions to Help Break the Ice and Create Meaningful Conversations 1. What Is Your Experience in the Real Estate Industry? One of the most critical questions to ask prospective real estate agents is about their experience. Experience can speak volumes about an agent's ability to handle various aspects of the job. Ask them about the number of years they've been in the industry, the types of properties they've worked with, and any notable achievements or certifications they may have earned. Interestingly, this very simple question will provide you with a lot of insight into what the agent values and can open the door for plenty of follow-up questions. 2. How Do You Stay Informed About the Real Estate Market? In the ever-evolving world of real estate, staying informed about market trends, local developments, and economic shifts is essential. Ask prospects about their methods for staying up-to-date with market information. Do they subscribe to industry publications, attend relevant seminars, or have access to robust market analysis tools? An agent who is well-informed can provide valuable insights and guide clients effectively. 3. What Is Your Approach to Client Communication? Effective communication is a cornerstone of success in real estate. Clients need to feel heard and informed throughout the buying or selling process. Ask prospects about their communication style and how they handle challenging client interactions. Inquire about their preferred methods of communication, whether it's through phone calls, emails, or in-person meetings. A responsive and proactive approach to client communication is a strong indicator of an agent's dedication to customer satisfaction. 4. How Do You Generate Leads and Build Your Clientele? Recruiting agents who can bring in clients and generate leads is essential for brokerage growth. Ask candidates about their lead generation strategies and how they plan to build their clientele. Are they skilled in digital marketing, networking, or social media outreach? Their ability to generate leads and expand their client base can significantly impact your brokerage's success. 5. Can You Provide References or a Portfolio? To assess the credibility and reliability of potential agents, ask for references or a portfolio of their recent transactions. Speaking with past clients or reviewing their work history can give you valuable insights into their professionalism, negotiation skills, and overall performance. A strong track record and positive client feedback can be an excellent indicator of an agent's potential success within your brokerage. Additional Questions That Provide Great Insight What do you like to do outside of work? What are your one-year, three-year, and four-year career goals? What accomplishments to date are you most proud of? What does success look like for you in your first 30 days at our brokerage? What expectations do you have about joining our brokerage? What makes you feel valued at work? Undervalued? What is your ideal working environment? Do you have any work-related pet peeves? What support do you need? How can I help you achieve your goals? What do you want to know about me? Our brokerage? What's wonderful about all of these questions is that they are open-ended and allow you and your prospect to engage and explore together. There are no right or wrong answers, but you should gain valuable insight into a prospect's experience, market knowledge, communication skills, cultural fit, and unique talents and interests. A successful first meeting allows you and your prospect to become acquainted and begin building trust and rapport that will carry into future engagement. Remember that not every prospect will be the perfect fit for you and your brokerage, but regardless of the outcome, you want to have a professional, respectful relationship with all who pass through your door. Also, cut yourself some slack! It can take a little trial and error to perfect the one-on-one, but with practice and attention, you will master representing yourself and your brokerage properly and professionally. Just relax, talk less, listen more and enjoy the opportunity to get to know someone. Join us on Tuesday, October 10, for a webinar on Recruitment Success: The First Meeting. To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

5 expert insights on how to recruit the best agents
Finding good help is never easy, and that might be more true in real estate than anywhere else. Recruiting and retaining top agents is a big priority for most brokers, and if you're not up-to-speed on the latest recruitment strategies, then you might be at a significant disadvantage to your competitors! A recent WAV Group webinar featured recruiting experts who shared their thoughts about how to win in today's environment. WAV Group extends our heartfelt gratitude to Barbara O'Rourke of Allen Tate Realtors® and Brenda Thompson of HomeSmart Stars, who participated in our recent webinar, "Winning Recruitment Strategies for Finding the Right Agents." This insightful webinar, moderated by Bondilyn Jolly, WAV Group's Marketing Division Leader, shed light on invaluable agent recruitment best practices by top agent recruiters. Here's a recap of the key takeaways and talking points that were discussed: 1. The Power of Storytelling: Making Facts Memorable One of the most compelling points highlighted during the webinar was the effectiveness of storytelling. Research indicates that people are 22 times more likely to remember information when it's presented in the form of a story. In the context of recruitment, this insight emphasizes the importance of sharing your organization's narrative to create a lasting impact on both prospective and current agents. 2. Key Differentiators: Connecting Uniqueness with Prospect Needs Discovering what truly sets your organization apart is pivotal. The webinar emphasized identifying and leveraging unique aspects of your organization that directly align with the desires and requirements of your target prospects. This personalized approach can significantly enhance your recruitment strategy and aid in building long-standing trust and rapport. 3. Balancing Short-term and Long-term Recruitment Strategies The discussion on recruitment strategies delved into the delicate balance between short-term goals and fostering long-lasting relationships. If recruiters are solely incentivized by short-term outcomes, it can potentially hinder the establishment of enduring partnerships. Striking the right balance ensures sustained growth and a positive agent experience. 4. Setting Appropriate Expectations for Prospects Effective agent recruitment goes beyond monetary considerations. It involves transparently discussing various aspects such as financial models, compensation, commitment, mutual growth contributions, training, support, resources, and access to administrative teams. Setting clear expectations lays the foundation for a successful agent relationship. 5. RED: Recruit Every Day for Enhanced Engagement The concept of "RED" (Recruit Every Day) was introduced as a year-round recruitment approach. This strategy not only aids in agent retention but also builds trust, rapport, and top-of-mind awareness. Barbara and Brenda both emphasized the significance of active listening, asking questions, and engaging in meaningful conversations. Voice-to-voice interactions were highlighted as essential, and intelligent marketing campaigns were suggested to warm up leads, facilitating a deeper understanding of prospects and minimizing cold calls. Our "Winning Recruitment Strategies for Finding the Right Agents" webinar provided valuable insights into creating a successful recruitment approach. The expert panelists shared many great examples of what works in their business and that can help you successfully recruit new agents. Watch the full webinar: Struggling with recruiting and retaining agents? Schedule your one-on-one consultation with WAV Group to explore how we can assist you in your marketing and business growth strategies. Receive recruitment tips direct to your inbox! Join our NEW recruitment email newsletter to receive recruitment and retention information direct to your email inbox. To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Announces Ginger Wilcox as Brand President
Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate (BHGRE) announced a new leader for the BHGRE brand. Effective immediately, Ginger Wilcox will serve as brand president of BHGRE, stepping into the role that was long occupied by industry icon Sherry Chris, who recently became an executive advisor for Anywhere Brands. Wilcox will serve BHGRE's global network of more than 12,000 affiliated brokers and independent sales associates and approximately 420 offices across the United States, Canada, Jamaica, The Bahamas, Australia, and Turkey. Wilcox moves to the helm of BHGRE after holding several prominent leadership roles spanning real estate technology, brokerage, and transaction services. She brings a proven track record of developing and growing unique brands in the industry, having served as Head of Industry Marketing and Relations for Trulia, an online real estate marketplace, where she focused on marketing innovation and digital engagement. Early in her career, Wilcox developed an award-winning online real estate brand and brokerage, Marin Fine Properties, which was honored as a finalist for the Inman Innovator Awards for most innovative real estate website, as well as a finalist for the National Association of REALTORS® Center for REALTOR® Technology Spotlight Awards. Wilcox most recently served as Co-CEO and Chief Revenue Officer of RealSure, the joint venture between Anywhere and Home Partners of America that developed innovative solutions to reduce friction in residential real estate transactions. Prior to RealSure, Wilcox was Chief Experience Officer at Homepoint, a leading mortgage lender that, under Wilcox's strategic direction and brand building efforts, grew into the third largest wholesale mortgage lender and the 10th-largest non-bank mortgage lender in the United States with over 400,000 customers. "Ginger is the perfect person to lead the premier real estate lifestyle brand of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate as she is experienced at growing companies and differentiating the unique value of brands," said Liz Gehringer, president and CEO of Anywhere Franchise Brands. "She continues to showcase herself as a force of change through the broader real estate industry and will be a huge asset to the network of dedicated franchise owners, brokerage leaders, and affiliated agents." She has consistently been recognized by the industry for her impact and distinct experience, including recognitions as a member of the SP200, an Inman Top Real Estate Influencer, a 2020 HousingWire Tech Trendsetter, and a multi-time HousingWire Woman of Influence. "Ginger has demonstrated a laser focus on customer experience and high output results in fast-paced environments throughout her career," said Sue Yannaccone, president and CEO of Anywhere Brands and Anywhere Advisors. "She understands how to harness the power of a brand while keeping an eye toward innovating for the future, and we're so excited to bring her perspective to further elevate Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate in the industry." "As a third-generation real estate agent, I am fortunate to have an insider perspective on how the real estate industry is rapidly evolving and challenging us to adapt and innovate," said Wilcox. "I am thrilled to have this opportunity to lead the BHGRE network of affiliates and agents. I look forward to leveraging my passion and skills for building strong brands and exceptional customer experiences so that, together, we can create a sustainable future for both the communities we serve and for our industry." Chris, who previously served as the leader of BHGRE and ERA Real Estate, is collaborating closely with Yannaccone and Gehringer in her capacity as executive advisor to facilitate continued growth throughout the Anywhere network of franchisees across its six brands: Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate, CENTURY 21®, Coldwell Banker®, Corcoran®, ERA®, and Sotheby's International Realty®.

Charlie Hunt Promoted to President of HUNT Real Estate Corporation
HUNT Real Estate announced that, effective immediately, Charles F. Hunt has been promoted to President, Residential Brokerage and Chief Operating Officer for the company. The great-grandson of Charles S. Hunt, the founder of HUNT Real Estate Corporation, Mr. Hunt joined the company in 2007, and has served as a sales professional, branch director, regional general manager, and most recently as Chief Operating Officer of the corporation, a position he will maintain. The residential brokerage consists of 60 residential branch offices throughout New York state, Massachusetts, and Arizona. According to Chairman and CEO, Peter F. Hunt, "It is important that the next generation is positioned to take this key element of our organization forward, given the rapid changes in technology and how we transact business. The real estate industry is facing challenges, as are many industries in today's economic conditions. Charlie represents the best of the leadership cadre in our industry today and will move us forward, building on our 112-year history." Mr. Hunt is a graduate of Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts, and later received his Master of Business Administration from the State University of New York at Buffalo. HUNT Real Estate Corporation was recently ranked 34th nationally among all residential real estate companies in the United States and fifth in terms of ancillary unit sales.

Best Practices for Retaining Your Agents in a Tight Market
Holding onto your team's talent is critical for the long-term success of your real estate business. But, in the past few years, brokers and team leaders may not have had to worry so much about agent retention — because the market was doing the heavy lifting for them. Business was booming, so it's likely that many agents were enjoying the growth and opportunities of a thriving market. Now that the market has settled and we're looking at a tighter, more normalized real estate landscape, it's time for brokers and team leaders to bring out best practices for talent retention. 5 Ways to Retain Talent in 2023 Here are five things you can do to maintain your talent when numbers might be down. 1. Invest in Agent Development The most talented agents want the best for their careers. If you want to retain your top agents, your business needs to foster growth and development. Invest in your agents so that your business provides them with unique opportunities to advance their skills. This can be a major incentive to stay with your real estate business even in slow markets. 3 Must-Do's for Strong Angent Development Give them access to professional training by offering to cover the costs of courses. Offer to send agents to industry networking events so they can grow their spheres. Help your agents establish and grow their own personal brands. 2. Create a Great Team Culture Your culture is everything. One of the best ways that you can boost agent retention is by refining and improving the experience that your agents have at work. Curating an inclusive, welcoming, comfortable, and supportive environment for your team to come together and work is essential for keeping your agents happy. 4 Ways to Upgrade Your Company Culture Plan team retreats or events to bond and connect with your team in a social-first setting. Offer access to lifestyle amenities, like fitness classes and in-demand food and beverage. Have a monthly breakfast buffet at the office to show your team you care. Foster a more inclusive workplace by educating team members about DEI and workplace bias through online courses and training events. 3. Keep Them Aware of New Market Trends and Industry Best Practices You have your eyes glued to the market. From what the best in the business are doing to new buyer preferences in your area or seller trends, you're keeping track of it all — so make sure your agents get access to those insights, too. Whether you send out a quarterly data report email to your team or are sharing every helpful tip and article when you come across it, do what you can to keep your agents in the know. They'll feel empowered and supported — and it will take the load off of them to juggle industry R&D on top of their busy workflows. Pro Tip: Consider scheduling a regular meeting with all of your agents where you discuss new trends in your local market and business best practices. By openly reviewing opportunities and risks on a monthly or bi-weekly basis, your agents will feel like they have the data and insights they need to best serve their clients. 4. Always Be There to Listen, Guide, and Help Talented agents who are looking to grow their careers crave the irreplaceable benefit of having an experienced professional guide them through their work. Keep your agents around by being there for them and making sure that they feel supported in everything they do. Another way to assist your agents is to serve as a mentor. Talk to agents about lessons you learned throughout your career, tell them any of your secrets to success, and maintain an "open door" in case they ever have questions or need help. Providing them with general tips and dealmaking strategies, like this guide to mastering the fundamentals of real estate, can also show your support. 5. Provide Access to Best-in-Class Technology Solutions In today's market, agents want access to technology tools that streamline their workflows and help them be more efficient. Equipping your real estate business with industry-specific tools that foster automation and mobile access is crucial for retaining agents. Give your agents the tools they need to generate strong leads, create a seamless sales funnel, and simplify the transaction process. This will allow them to spend less time at their desk doing repetitive, manual tasks, and more time to spend on the go at client meetings, site visits, and other important transaction to-dos. To view the original article, visit the BoomTown blog.

Good Luck Recruiting: Fewer Real Estate Agents Say They're Willing to Change Brands
Coldwell Banker Real Estate announced the results from its annual "Agent Priority Report," which found that the majority of agents surveyed say staying that they are staying where they are, potentially creating a new recruiting challenge for brokerages. Conducted by Quester Research, the report surveyed the Coldwell Banker-affiliated and non-affiliated agents to gauge how they are feeling about today's real estate market, their priorities and their views on the industry's leading real estate brands. Fewer agents say they are willing to change affiliation Agents are sticking to their brand, with survey results showing that across brands, a significant number of respondents are less willing to change brand affiliation. In fact, compared to 51% in 2019, 75% of agents surveyed in 2023 say they will not change affiliation in the next two years. Agents want top-of-the-line resources and experiences 95% of respondents agreed that best-in-class service to customers is the most important brand attribute. The power of brand image marketing to bolster an agent's business, more tech and tools to enhance an agent's overall experience and value proposition, and more leads are the top items agents are looking for in 2023 "Amid economic headwinds, it's no surprise agents are reticent to move. However, agents should remain open to the opportunities a more established brokerage can offer," said Liz Gehringer, president and CEO of Anywhere Franchise Brands. "Real estate agents are committed to helping their clients find their dream home and expect prime resources and services from their brand."

Industry Veteran Bondilyn Jolly Joins the WAV Group Executive Team to Launch Marketing Agency
At WAV Group, we are constantly striving to deliver the best possible service to our clients. Today, I am thrilled to announce the latest addition to our Marketing division, Bondilyn Jolly! Bondilyn is an incredibly talented marketing executive with over 20 years of experience in the industry. Her skills in brokerage, technology, and MLS/association marketing are unparalleled, and we are excited to have her join our executive team. With her help, we are confident that we will be able to help you take your marketing strategies to the next level. Bondilyn's passion for the industry, proven track record, and unique blend of experience make her an invaluable asset to our team. I cannot wait to see the innovative ideas and strategies she will bring to the table. Her appointment will significantly deepen our marketing bench and ensure that we can deliver powerful marketing solutions to our clients. Please join me in welcoming Bondilyn to the WAV Group family! Please see below for the full press release. WAV Group Expands Marketing and Branding Division with Industry Veteran Bondilyn Jolly Former Elm Street Chief Marketing Officer and Managing Partner of bcollective.agency joins WAV Group Marketing and Branding Division Arroyo Grande, Calif. – Feb. 28, 2023 – WAV Group, residential real estate's leading consulting firm, is expanding its Marketing and Branding division with the addition of Bondilyn Jolly, a highly successful marketing executive with deep skills in brokerage, technology, and MLS/Association marketing. From complete rebranding to new product launches, or on-going marketing and advertising support, WAV Group Marketing assists companies in shaping their marketing strategies, honing their brand message and delivering breakthrough creative that delivers. Bondilyn Jolly will be bringing her 20+ years of real estate marketing experience to WAV Group's Executive Team. "In an uncertain market, marketing dollars have to go further than ever," stated Bondilyn Jolly. "I am excited to bring my experience with proven, data-driven marketing approaches to expand the depth of strategic and executional support WAV Group can provide to its clients. WAV Group is highly respected for their thought leadership, passion for the industry, and outstanding reputation. I look forward to joining this group of business professionals and expanding the WAV Group's footprint across the industry." Having led her own full-service creative and digital marketing agency, Bondilyn and her team delivered highly effective business growth services for many of the nation's leading real estate organizations. After selling eMerge, her email marketing software to Elm Street Technology in 2018, Jolly joined the Executive Team as Chief Marketing Officer, overseeing all marketing initiatives across Elm's many business units. Jolly has a strong reputation for her work with franchise organizations, brokerages, and software companies in developing, executing, and analyzing business marketing and growth strategies related to recruiting and retention, market expansion, and mergers and acquisitions, while serving as a leader and mentor to many across the real estate industry and beyond. "Bondilyn brings a unique blend of experience. She's a marketing strategist with proven entrepreneurial skills who will deliver powerful marketing solutions for our clients at WAV Group. Like all WAV Group leaders, she is passionate about overdelivering and creating waves of business success for the great work she delivers. She will significantly deepen our marketing bench," said WAV Group Founding Partner Marilyn Wilson. "I look forward to her strategy, creative, copyrighting, innovative executional ideas, and analytical skills to help our clients achieve their growth objectives." If you would like to learn more about WAV Group's Marketing and Branding Division, click here. About WAV Group WAV Group delivers innovative and effective guidance to help each of its clients continually evolve and expand. Specializing in the real estate industry, WAV Group is the industry's leading full-service consultancy and trusted advisor for many of the industry's most successful brokerages, MLSs, associations, proptech and fintech firms. Our key service areas are strategic planning, public relations, marketing, technology, research, recruiting, venture capital, and mergers & acquisitions. Learn more at WAVGroup.com. To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

[Podcast] Jay Voorhees on Building Your Brokerage Team with Virtual Assistants
Jay Voorhees is a broker and the Founder of JVM Lending. He's been in the mortgage arena for over 25 years and has built a super team with no loan officers, very low rates, and the best client experiences in the industry. Hear how to build your real estate team with virtual assistants (VAs), find the right VAs, establish a consistent hiring approach, train VAs in the most helpful fashion, and document your processes. This episode covers everything from staying dedicated to training to building a business with your spouse. Here's a small sample of what you will hear in this episode: What is the scope of JVM Lending's employees? How did Jay start JVM Lending? What will the future of mortgage lending look like? Could JVM implement tech to find more efficiencies? What tasks should you hand your VA? How do you get yourself to delegate? What does Jay attribute their growth to? Real talk...not Real talk: 30-year fixed vs. 15-year fixed Connect with Jay at JVMLending.com. Listen on: Spotify Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Visit the episode homepage for show notes and more detail.

Top 4 Tips for Today's Recruiting
With everything that's going on in the real estate industry today, many agents are jumping ship for a more stable market. If you're a team leader, it's up to you to make sure that your real estate business is still able to retain and attract top talent. For your business to grow and thrive, you need to hold on to the amazing agents you already have and attract new talent to empower your team. Remember, there's an opportunity in this market to set your real estate team apart from the rest. It's likely that there are many single agents out there looking for the safety net of a stable team or brokerage. If you can provide a hedge from the market turbulence, you can lock in new talent that can help grow your business. To do that, you'll need to follow today's top four recruiting tips. 1. Prioritize the Success of Your Agents When mapping out the next best move for their careers, agents want to work for leaders that care about their success. In today's world of company culture, success is more than transactional — it considers lifestyle, wellness, and happiness. If you make it a point to prioritize the holistic success of your agents, you'll improve your ability to retain and attract the market's top talent. The best way to retain your talent is to make sure that your team members are happy and are cultivating success as a member of your team. The best way to attract new talent is to give agents looking for a new place to call home the opportunity to build a successful career and the lifestyle they want to live. When your agents are empowered, they'll be better equipped to generate success for your business. If they choose to stay with your business, it will be a success that lasts — and that's what brings a team to the next level. 6 Ways to Help Agents Achieve Success Provide the tools and resources they need to streamline their daily workflows. Offer industry training opportunities. Invest in the latest technologies. Mentor your agents, sharing your insights, experience, and knowledge. Create a team culture of open communication. Offer attractive benefits that support their household, health and wellness, and lifestyle. 2. Don't Only Look at Experience Level When sourcing new talent, prioritize agents that bring a unique edge to your business. Hire for what your team needs. Look at the skills and training that an agent brings to the table, not just the number of years they have under their belts. There may be candidates trained in a specific niche, or with a background that gives them a specialized perspective on the market. Think about the skills that would be the most valuable to your team and pursue them. In many cases, this may be more effective in choosing the right candidate than simply hiring the agent with the greatest number of years on their resume. Pro Tip: Hiring new talent gives your team the chance to nurture promising agents. If you do onboard a new agent, make sure that you support them as they get accustomed to their new roles and responsibilities. This gives team leaders the opportunity to mentor the younger generation of real estate professionals. Pass along your knowledge and insights! 3. Take Hiring Slow and Don't Rush the Process The real estate business is fast-tracked, and it can be difficult to take it slow when recruiting. If there's a gap in your team's operations and you need to fill it, it's natural to rush and strive to get the quickest person in the position. In these cases, it's best to think from a long-term perspective. What's going to be the best for your business — the wrong fit who can start immediately, or the ideal candidate that takes a little longer to sign? Pro Tip: Even when you find the perfect new employee, don't make the mistake of rushing onboarding. Help new hires kick off a successful new role by investing time in training and introducing them to the business. 4. Always Follow Up with Candidates Don't think that the applicant always has to make the first move to stay in touch. Many businesses miss out on the chance to onboard great candidates because they break the stream of communication and don't follow up. Just like your real estate leads, your applicants might need several touchpoints before responding to you. You never know what's on their plate that may be distracting them from getting back in touch with you to take the next steps. You never know, your next best employee might be just a phone call, email, or text message away. Wouldn't it be worth it to reach out and see? Pro Tip: Automate your recruiting follow-up by leveraging your CRM! Add your applicants as contacts in the recruiting bucket and tag their contact. This allows you to leverage bulk outreach, helping to save you time as you stay connected with professionals during the application process. To view the original article, visit the BoomTown blog.

Time to Fire Unproductive Agents
The real estate industry is famous for hiring any licensed adult with a pulse. The number of agent members of the National Association of REALTORS (NAR) is at an all-time high. Firms would be hard pressed not to discover a significant number of agents on the roster who are not producing. Is it time to fire them? Years ago, after the acquisition from Brookfield, WAV Group collaborated with a team at Pacific Union to take a historical snapshot of the brand from the eyes of the consumer and the agent. We identified that the local, boutique essence of the Pacific Union brand had been eroded over time by efforts to grow through recruiting anyone and everyone. An interview with one long-time, top producing agent summed it up in a nutshell. "Years ago, when you were invited to become a Pacific Union agent, you knew that you had put in the hard work to become one of the elite agents in the San Francisco Bay Area." To some extent, Pacific Union had lost that pride. The new management team came up with a healthy plan to restore the brand reputation to its golden luster. Step 1: Fire unproductive agents Step 2: Build a P&L for every agent and work with the manager in each office to have a discussion with those who were driving losses. The goal was to get those agents back on track in 90 days. This was done with compassion for life events (death, divorce, etc.), but it got done. The outcomes were impressive. In a short period of time, top producing agents were sharing feedback with the management team in support of the decision. Hard working agents hated being in office meetings dominated by unproductive agents who have an opinion but do not sell. They prefer to surround themselves with other professionals, and even lend a hand to hard workers who are putting in the effort to improve. Moreover, the move inspired agents from competitors to join Pacific Union to surround themselves with other top agents. Remember, you drive broker dollars through transaction revenue, not headcount. The industry is on track to sell about 5.5 million homes this year. If you want your top agents who deliver the best services to clients to get their unfair share of those deals, then let the bad agents go. They can move across the street to another broker and drink their coffee. This may seem a little harsh, but brokers need to own their role in raising the bar of professionalism in real estate – one agent at a time. To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

eXp Realty Names Michael Valdes as Chief Growth Officer
eXp Realty has promoted Michael Valdes to Chief Growth Officer. Valdes will lead the eXp Realty and eXp Commercial global expansion efforts, reinforcing aligned growth strategies and leveraging the company's scale to accelerate growth. Valdes brings more than 17 years of real estate experience, including senior-level growth positions at global residential and luxury brokerages. He joined eXp Realty in 2020, and as President, eXp Global, led 18 global market launches, with at least two more markets expected to launch in 2022. "With our rapid global expansion, we recognize the importance of consolidating our global growth strategy under one leader to strengthen our efforts and deepen market share," said Jason Gesing, CEO of eXp Realty. "Michael has been instrumental in growing our global footprint, and we're excited about the value he will bring to our domestic and commercial businesses. He is well positioned to deliver on our ambitious growth goals." "I am thrilled to take on this new challenge with eXp, continuing our trajectory as the fastest growing brokerage in the world," said Valdes. "By combining the growth opportunities in our residential and commercial businesses while continuously enhancing our agent value propositions, we can further our domestic and international momentum."

Despite Layoffs in Headlines, MooveGuru Continues Its Expansion
At a time when the headlines are covered with job loss, it is great to see prop tech companies continue to expand. Today, MooveGuru announced a 20% increase in their head count. The company has seen remarkable growth in the new segment of real estate moving and homeownership services. MooveGuru allows real estate agents to subscribe their clients to a service that provides discounts and concierge services to help consumers move, then follows up regularly with offers to save money on other home ownership services. In addition to the newsletter, consumers gain access to YourHomeHub for searching other services. Please see below for the full press release. MooveGuru Grows Employee Count by 20% Jobs placed in Georgia, Colorado, Illinois, Utah June 21, 2022 — ATLANTA — As massive layoffs cover the headlines in prop tech, MooveGuru continues its expansion, adding 10 more employees representing a 20% growth in staff to support rapid expansion. This growth comes on the heels of last month's announcement of franchise partnerships in 26 additional States. As the real estate industry refocuses toward serving clients, MooveGuru has emerged as the leading provider of support for consumers with services throughout the homeownership lifecycle. "Our service is resonating with real estate brokerages, franchises, and mortgage brokers," said Kathleen Kuhn, President of MooveGuru. "We help deliver concierge services that makes moving less of a hassle then remain engaged with the agent and their client to access commonly used services like painting, lawn care, plumbing, and other household maintenance services. The impact is to support the relationship between real estate professionals and their clients between property transactions." The MooveGuru delivers a home ownership portal called YourHomeHub that allows homeowners to gain access to preferred local services at a discount. The success comes from being local. YourHomeHub, is the first consumer portal that is "Everything Home," meaning it allows homeowners to manage both the financial details and physical elements of their home. Consumers can monitor extensive information about their home and local market conditions, store important documents, generate accurate estimates for home repairs and find a local contractor for over 1,000 different home service categories. Each YourHomeHub is sponsored by local real estate brands, driving top of mind marketing and revenue from consumer purchases. The platform, provided by real estate professionals, gives a powerful homeowner resource to their customers. To learn more about a Your Home Hub Franchise and available territories, please email [email protected] or visit yourhomehub.com. About MooveGuru MooveGuru Inc. is based in Roswell, GA. In 2016 the company launched a free mover engagement program to real estate agents and brokers with the idea of connecting home buyers and sellers to convenience and savings on moving services. Using just-in-time delivery through artificial intelligence algorithms, MooveGuru Inc. ensures consumers receive agent-branded savings and convenience from national and local retailers and utility connections as they step through the relocation process. Today, more than 2,000 brokerages, 316,000 agents, and millions of homeowners are connected to the MooveGuru and YourHomeHub platforms. Learn more at MooveGuru.com. To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

Web3 and NFT Professional Nelson Diaz Joins the WAV Group Team
Real estate technology is an important, strategic decision and a key differentiating factor for many of WAV Group's clients today. With the development of Web3 -- and the growth in that community -- we are confident that real estate technology has a prominent place and a bright future with Web3. It is important that we establish this new division and center of excellence to help our clients navigate the opportunities that lay ahead — and practically limitless inventory. Also, in case you missed it, WAV Group held a highly informative webinar last month that barely touched the surface of what we know to be the future. Marilyn Wilson, Nelson Diaz and Victor Lund lead a phenomenal discussion introducing this world called the Metaverse. You can watch it here. Please see below for the official press release and join us in welcoming Nelson Diaz, WAV Group Web3 and NFT Strategist, to the team! WAV Group Stakes Claim to Web3 Territory in Real Estate Web3 and NFT Professional Nelson Diaz Joins the WAV Group Team Arroyo Grande, CA – March 3, 2022 – The birth of Web3 has become comparable to the emergence of the internet or the industrial revolution. This is not just another technology or an evolution of the internet; this advancement is bringing a scope of technology and changing social norms together to create a new way for brands and brokerages to deepen the engagement and relationships with their customers. Recognizing the importance of Web3 and its potential impact on the real estate industry, WAV Group is launching a Web3 division, headed up by Web3 pioneer and NFT strategist Nelson Diaz. Nelson has led Web3 initiatives to expand highly respected global brands into the Metaverse including Deepak Chopra, Christie's Auction House, and a host of well-established streetwear and luxury brands. He is also working on a soon-to-be-announced real estate initiative. Marilyn Wilson, Managing Partner, WAV Group, says, "We see so much potential of Web3 for real estate and know we have to help our clients figure out the digital real estate path. Nelson, a trailblazer for taking well-established companies into a new realm, is going to help our clients craft the path to Web3 profitability and achieve first-mover status." Nelson Diaz says, "I see expansive opportunities for real estate in the Metaverse. There is a digital land grab happening right now, and I'm here to help real estate companies figure out the best way to expand their scope and capture a whole new way to engage with real estate consumers. I have been friends and colleagues with WAV Group for many years, and I welcome the opportunity to bring my knowledge, passion and experience to their real estate clients." The pioneers of the Web3 movement are creating massive online communities through selling digital land, digital properties, and even digital rentals. Fueled by $35 trillion in cryptocurrency wealth, there is a brand-new set of buyers for a brand-new type of real estate available. High net-worth individuals and companies are engaging in NFTs and cryptocurrency as a hedge that benefits tax strategy and currency fluctuations, too. Others are reinventing business operations in the Metaverse. Victor Lund, Managing Partner, WAV Group says, "Nelson possesses a unique blend of creative vision and business development talents, coupled with proven success in taking a Web3 project from its ideation to a highly successful launch. He knows how to create energy and bring attention to a project to provide huge returns. I believe the opportunities that lay ahead are incredible, and bringing Nelson onto the team will help our clients stake a profitable claim in the digital real estate space." Click here to learn more about WAV Group's Web3 division. About WAV Group WAV Group delivers innovative and effective guidance to help each of its clients continually evolve and expand. Specializing in the real estate industry, WAV Group is a full-service consultancy and trusted advisor for many of the industry's most successful brokerages and Proptech and Fintech firms. The company's breadth of veteran executives deliver breakthrough, yet achievable solutions for better understanding customer need, gaining insightful competitive intelligence, setting strategic direction, launching new businesses and technology solutions, and building market share with engaging storytelling and targeted promotion. Learn more about WAV Group at wavgroup.com. To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

5 Marketing Tips on Hiring Agents for Your Real Estate Brokerage
To promote your business online and start recruiting real estate agents for your brokerage, you must have a strong and effective marketing strategy. Not only will a marketing strategy help you save time and money, but it will also ensure that you get qualified agents at your doorstep. If you are interested in learning more ways to develop your marketing strategy, keep reading. Invest in Real Estate Technology Real estate technology is a necessary part of improving your agents' selling process. Agents often rely on tech tools provided by their brokerages. Due to this, a good way to promote your brokerage is by investing in real estate technology and advertising it to your prospective agents. By researching the type of technology that helps agents excel at their work, you can easily determine the recruiting process for your future agents. Provide an Online Listing and Search Presence By providing your agents with a website with searchable MLS listings, you can ensure a drastic boost in the engagement of their future clients. You should also make sure that your candidates can easily find your recruitment ad by using the right keywords on Google. You can, for instance, add your brokerage to the list of ads shown on Google with the help of Google Ads. This tool will help you target agents within your preferred location. Make Use of Video Marketing Video marketing is quite an important yet effective to promote your brokerage to potential agents. If done correctly, it can drive successful results. Video marketing, in general, is widely used by different organizations. The reason why it's much more effective than standard marketing methods is that it is more intriguing. It helps you stand out from other competitive brokerages and demonstrates your company's overall aim. With the help of video marketing, you can easily show off your office space. That way, you can show prospective recruits that they will have a comfortable working environment. Send Out a Recruitment Email Email is a great communication tool. For example, you can create a recruiting email for your brokerage. Here are some tips that will help you write a good recruitment message: Do your research: Before sending out your recruitment email, make sure you have done your research. Know what type of agents you want to recruit. If you have a specific one in mind, find out more about them. The best way to do that is through social media sites. LinkedIn, for instance, is a great platform that provides you with information about your candidate and their job history. Write a good subject line: The subject line is a significant part of making your email stand out. If your subject line does not impress your client, they are more likely to ignore it. So while writing the subject line, make sure it is interesting and eye-catching. However, you don't want to overhype it. The best way to go is by making it short, yet informative. When your recipient sees your email, it should have an immediate impact on them. Write a clear CTA: A call-to-action is another important part of your email. It's what's going to get your clients to write a reply. The whole point of including it in your email is to drive your candidate to action. So you must ensure that it is clear what you want your candidates to do. Document your performance: Finally, don't forget to document your performance. Keep a list of all the candidates that replied to your email, keep count of the number of emails opened, and document your progress. Focus on Career Growth and Opportunities Last but not least, focus the overall aim of your ad on the agents' growth and development. Talk about the opportunities that this position will bring to them, list all you have to offer, and be prepared to answer any questions. By appearing professional and well-mannered, you have a better chance of attracting qualified candidates to your real estate brokerage. To view the original article, visit the Realtyna blog.

Career Opportunity: Strategy-Driven Technologist for a Brokerage
A leading real estate brokerage located in the southeast US has an opportunity for a strategy-driven technology leader. This position is an opportunity to collaborate with the executive leadership to develop a strategy and then deliver the technical implementation plan with the technology team. The brokerage is looking for a dynamic leader who can communicate well at all levels of the organization and can articulate technology in business terms. You will be leading a technology team that encompasses five individuals in roles that manage and maintain in-house applications, corporate networks, cloud services and deliver an exceptional experience in customer service and support. In addition, you are accountable for managing a technology budget, developing and maintaining vendor partnerships, and establishing policies and approaches in governing technology practices and tools. To learn more about this opportunity, please get in touch with David Gumpper or Marilyn Wilson Lund. To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

Want to Hire Great Agents? Look for Emotional Intelligence
No matter what stage your business is in, you're probably drawing up plans for growth. Of course, in order to grow you know you need to build your team. Strategically. Maybe you've already designed the right roles for your team's needs, but what's the method behind the magic of finding great agents? Hiring emotionally intelligent people. Emotional Intelligence in Real Estate Emotional Intelligence (EI) is a person's ability to perceive, understand, and manage human emotions. High EI makes for socially savvy folks. They're attuned to the cues of other people's tone and body language and can adjust their own emotional response effectively. Real estate professionals with high EI are adept at building relationships, developing a strong rapport, and creating loyal clients. Unfortunately, even in a relationship business like real estate, not everyone scores big on the EI scale. Forty-six percent of agent and client relationships have weak emotional communication, and only 26% are effectively operating on the same "emotional wavelength" according to a Keller Center Research Report. Success in real estate requires a keen attention to emotions. The nature of the job involves supporting people when their lives are changing significantly. Most transactions come about because of a major life shift like: Marriage Divorce A new baby A new job On top of that, the home buying or selling process is exciting and stressful all on its own. Clients want to work with someone who demonstrates emotional leadership during the buying or selling process, and can help them cut through the stress and make strong choices. Hiring for Emotional Intelligence Top producers use their emotions, moods and feelings, as well as the emotions of others, to work for them. They stay motivated in difficult times, bounce back quickly from setbacks, and use their customer-oriented selling to boost the bottom line. When it comes to qualities like these, they can't be easily taught. You have to hire for them. Here's your checklist of what to look for: The Likability Factor The person clients say "gets it." You want someone relatable who can quickly gain the trust of prospects and clients and easily build relationships. Clients identify with this person from the start, enjoy working with them, and will remember the experience and refer more business. Trust and Street Cred Of course, anyone you hire should be trustworthy and well-versed in all that the job entails, but some are much more skilled at positioning themselves this way than others. Look for someone who immediately comes across as genuine, honest and an expert in their role. Clients will sense this and be much more inclined to do business with your company. The Great Negotiator Here's where the empathy comes in. It's more than communication skills, saying the right things or active listening. It's about understanding how words and actions affect others and being able to better represent your point of view tactfully. Someone who can do this will do wonders for the customer experience, fully understanding where your clients' thoughts and perceptions are coming from and validating those concerns so they feel heard. A Strong Sense of Self (Awareness) This is the person who knows their own strengths and weaknesses and how to manage them. They can stay motivated, understand when mistakes were made, and resolve them quickly. These qualities also lend themselves to a level of confidence that helps them stay even-keeled and guide their clients through the often choppy seas of real estate transactions. Hiring the right people may seem daunting, but following this guide will keep you on course. It's easy to determine where someone sits on the EI scale during the interview process, so keep this list in mind and take special note of how each interaction goes. It's the first step to building a team that will perform and grow your business. To view the original article, visit the BoomTown blog.

Howard Hanna Real Estate Services Names Leah Gibbons as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Brokerage
WAV Group congratulates Leah Gibbons and wishes her well in the new role of Senior Vice President and General Manager of Brokerage. We look forward to collaborating with her. Please read the full press release below: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services Announces New Position: Names Leah Gibbons as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Brokerage CLEVELAND, OH (August 31, 2021) – Howard Hanna Real Estate Services is pleased to announce that Leah Gibbons has recently been named as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Brokerage. This is a brand-new position, created to streamline operations between the various departments in the organization and continue to build strategic initiatives in Howard Hanna's core markets. Gibbons holds a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing and Communications from Baldwin Wallace University and a Juris Doctorate from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. She joined Howard Hanna in 1993 and has held various positions throughout the company including Corporate Director of Marketing and sales office manager. Most recently, Gibbons held the role of Vice President and Ohio East Regional Manager, where she led the region to more than $1.7 billion in closed sales volume in 2020. "Leah's dedication to the industry and our company will truly be demonstrated on a new level as General Manager of Brokerage," said Howard W. "Hoby" Hanna, IV, President of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services. "I look forward to working with her to integrate the best of our family of companies and support our associates and leadership team." With more than 27 years in the real estate industry and proven successes in leadership, the executive team at Howard Hanna is excited to have Gibbons take on a new challenge as she grows within the company to fulfill this new role. "I am thrilled to have the opportunity in this role to act as an operational liaison between our departments in our organization and the different market centers across our footprint," said Gibbons. "I look forward to working side-by-side with the State Presidents in furthering our commitment to growth and innovation and equipping our agents with robust, industry-leading resources, so they may provide the finest real estate experience to all of our home buyers and sellers." About Howard Hanna: Howard Hanna Real Estate Services is the #1 family-owned and -operated independent broker in the U.S.A. The full-service real estate company has more than 400 real estate, mortgage, insurance, title, and escrow service offices across 11 states, including Allen Tate Realtors® in the Carolinas and The F.C. Tucker Company in Indiana, with more than 13,000 sales associates and staff, including many of the industry's top-producing real estate agents. For more information, visit www.HowardHanna.com. To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

Lone Wolf Launches Recruit, Real Estate's First AI-powered Recruiting Solution
Lone Wolf Technologies today launched Recruit, real estate's first AI and machine-learning powered recruiting solution that helps brokers find the best talent and who represent the best fit for their brokerage. The new solution joins Lone Wolf's end-to-end technology suite, Broker Cloud, and is available for purchase today in most markets across North America. Recruit leverages AI, machine-learning and data science to identify agents who are a best fit for a brokerage. With Recruit, brokers can create custom search profiles based on the traits of their best agents. Custom search profiles Recruit's AI technology then crunches over 30 industry-specific metrics to calculate a "Fit Score" for each agent. With this Fit Score, brokers can easily and more accurately identify and recruit the best agents—who are also a best fit—and are most likely to contribute to the brokerage's bottom-line. Fit Score "We're thrilled to launch Recruit today," said Jimmy Kelly, CEO and President of Lone Wolf. "This year, we're on a mission to provide more cutting-edge technology to the real estate industry than ever before. Recruit is a unique and incredibly innovative solution that will provide brokers in the U.S. with a simple and intuitive way of finding and recruiting the best talent and fit for their brokerage." Recruit solves the age-old problem that brokers face—finding and recruiting the right talent. When it comes to running a successful brokerage, there is a direct line between crafting the right team of agents and profitability. Recruit simplifies this process and gives brokers insight into agent performance and other key performance indicators, so they can recruit and retain agents who will positively impact their bottom line. Recruit's use of AI and machine learning makes it a first of its kind solution in real estate. "Recruit is the real estate industry's first-ever AI and machine learning tool for better recruiting," said Chris Egan, Chief Strategy Officer at Lone Wolf. "Our unique algorithm analyzes key agent performance metrics to help brokers define who they should recruit to their brokerage. Recruit delivers a total experience for brokers and agents in that it ultimately brings together the right team so brokers can dramatically increase sales and profitability." "Recruit is the long overdue answer to the recruiting challenge that real estate faces," said Matt Keenan, CRO at Lone Wolf. "Real estate is evolving at a faster pace than we have ever seen, and Recruit helps brokers not only keep up but stay ahead of the game, all while remaining efficient, informed, and profitable."

5 Keys to Rock Your Recruitment and Retention [FREE GUIDE]
What's the secret to long-term, sustainable growth? Every broker/owner must ask themselves this fundamental question, hopefully earlier in their investment versus later. When our team is consulting with brokerages regarding their growth strategies, we look at five key components of the business model: Financial Analysis Staff Brand and Marketing Systems and Processes Recruitment and Retention You know the saying, "You're only as strong as your weakest link"? That's 100% true here. All five of these key elements need to work in harmony in order for a brokerage to build and maintain long-term, sustainable growth. Many of the brokers with whom we meet are naturally strong in some area, and weak in others. If left unaddressed, this causes an imbalance that will seep into other areas of the business model, resulting in a larger systemic problem that makes determining and addressing the root of the issue both difficult and frustrating. In this FREE DOWNLOAD – "Rock Your Recruitment" – we dig into each of these five key components of your business model and how each directly contributes to a strong, successful recruitment and retention initiative. The guide also includes tips, tricks and insights from top real estate minds and recruiters, including Tami Bonnell (CEO, EXIT Realty), Brenda Thompson (broker/owner, HomeSmart Stars), Kevin Johnson (broker/owner, Century 21 OneBlue) and more. [ DOWNLOAD GUIDE NOW ] As you explore this guide, ask yourself the following questions: Do I have a strong grasp of each of the five key facets of my business? Where am I strong? Where am I weak? Do I have the right administrative staff around me to balance my strengths and weaknesses? Am I properly leveraging technology to accomplish my brokerage's goals? What value proposition am I offering prospective agents—and is it competitively attractive? What is my brokerage's overall reputation in my market—and is that accurate? Happy recruiting—and, as always, if you'd like to explore 3sixtyfive.agency's recruitment services, you can schedule a one-on-one consultation with a member of our business development team. We're here to help you, your brokerage and your agents be successful.

Real Estate Websites: Build More Business with Secondary Websites
Why build a stand-alone recruiting website? Because they are effective and make you stand out from your biggest competitors. All major national franchises have separately focused websites that appeal directly to sales associates looking for different career opportunities. If you have a RE/MAX brokerage, Compass agents, or any Realogy brand in your marketplace, then you can look at those franchise recruiting websites as a start. Having a secondary website that is not built to generate leads on properties, but instead leads to potential recruits for your business, is critical if you are looking to grow in size and scale. These career sites should not just be a copy/paste version of your residential website, but a site with its own identity. Over the last year, I worked with some of the largest real estate firms in the country to develop beautiful career websites that have done a fantastic job of bringing in more quality associates.

Luxury Portfolio International Names Mickey Alam Khan President
Paul Boomsma, CEO, along with the brokerage leadership at the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World--led by Diane Ramirez of Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales and Chairman of the Board of LeadingRE--made a really smart, strategic move this week by naming Mickey Alam Khan as President of their Luxury Portfolio International Division. Mickey's position as one of the world's top luxury experts will undoubtedly open up all types of partnership and marketing opportunities for the largest and most progressive independent brokerages in America. From his New York-based office, he will also head up global expansion of Luxury Portfolio International.

Recruit Top Real Estate Associates with Technology and Tools
Real estate is a competitive and fast-paced arena. To recruit and retain top-notch sales associates for your firm, you need to supply easy-to-use, state of the art real estate technology and tools to deliver the best customer experience. Continuous learning is the name of the game, but adopting the right technologies can make your sales team's life so much better.

How to Recruit More Real Estate Agents Using 6 Core Sources
You've had enough. You did a great job building your real estate brand, and customers are coming to you in waves. You're feeling swamped and less in control by the minute. You don't want to stem the tide, just make it more manageable, so you start recruiting agents to add to your team. And realize they're not coming in as fast as your customers are. Ask any broker/owner about their top five biggest challenges, and we guarantee finding real estate agent sales talent is at the top of the list. And since NAR stats show only about 6% of licensed agents move shops in a given 12-month period, the challenge gets even tougher. If you want to scale your real estate brokerage, mastering this recruiting challenge is a must. Here are six sources to recruit more real estate sales talent used by agents on top teams. You may have attempted some of these with varying degrees of success. Some, you may not have thought of trying. Be sure to check out the Pro Tips following each source to make sure you are getting the most out of your agent recruiting efforts.

How Commission Advances Can Help You Retain More Agents
Recruiting and retaining talent is a paramount challenge for real estate brokerages, MLSs, and associations alike. Ambitious and effective agents are what truly drives the success of the real estate industry. According to NAR, 50% of agents have been at their current brokerage less than four years. This is a brief period when you consider the time and resources that were poured into training, coaching, and developing each agent and their book of business. And the average tenure for agents overall? Just eight years! So, why do agents leave? There are many reasons an agent might leave a brokerage, or the industry altogether. Some of these include commission split models offered by different companies, training programs (or the lack thereof), or just the general culture of the brokerage. But for new agents in particular, the reason is often much clearer. With a median gross income of just $9,300 for REALTORS® with two or less years of experience, leaving the industry is often their only realistic option. Lack of access to capital to pay for business cards, signage, dues, advertising, etc. prevents these agents from utilizing the skills instilled in them. They say for most businesses, it is somewhere between five to 25 times more expensive to acquire a new customer rather than to keep an existing one. Can't the same be said for keeping your promising agents? Outside of the skills you teach and the technology you provide, what are other tools your agents need to fulfill their potential? The answer is simple. Agents need easy and timely access to working capital. Access to Working Capital We've all heard that old adage, "It takes money to make money." That's true for every business, including real estate. Agents need access to capital in order to market and sell a listing, to pay critical business expenses, and to stay afloat during cyclical or seasonal lulls. eCommission solves the problem of inconsistent business cash flow by advancing commissions prior to closing. Here are a few ways that commission advances can benefit your real estate organization: Retain agents at risk of leaving the business due to inconsistent cash flow Attract new real estate agents who are concerned about earning enough money to stay afloat during their first few months Ensure agents keep up with business expenses like member dues and desk fees Keep agents productive and motivated with access to cash flow during slow times eCommission currently partners with various MLSs and associations across the United States, as well as some of the most recognizable brands, including Realogy, Keller Williams, and RE/MAX. How It Works The process is simple. The application process takes minutes and is 100% digital, with no supporting documents required. eCommission offers both pending sale advances of up to $15,000, or advances of up to $4,000 on active listings. Agents can advance whatever portion of their commission they'd like – as little as $750! While agents do pay a fee to advance, the cost is tax deductible. In addition, there is never any financial liability on the brokerage, MLS or association, even when a sale that an agent has received an advance on falls through. In the rare instances where an agent leaves a brokerage or never earns another commission, the liability is still zero. Highlighting eCommission as a partner or member benefit allows you to help your agents pay for expenses like overhead, payroll, transportation, advertising, technology, and more. Access to cash flow helps keep them more productive, relieves them of financial worries, and motivates them to focus on growing their businesses. To learn more about how your brokerage, MLS, or association can offer commission advances to your agents, visit eCommission.com.

Veteran Steve Ozonian Joins Inside Real Estate Board of Directors
There is a tremendous amount of private equity capital backing many of the leading broker platform providers today. As we recently announced, Inside Real Estate closed a transaction that led to Lovell Minnick Partners joining their investor group. Last week, the company announced that real estate executive Steve Ozonian will represent Lovell Minnick on the Inside Real Estate (IRE) board of directors.

IXACT Contact Launches Broker Portal, Recruiter Enhancements
IXACT Contact announced the addition of significant new features to their Brokerage Program. The first is the Broker Portal, which represents the next step in the evolution of IXACT Contact from a best-in-class CRM for individual agents and teams to a broker-level solution. The Broker Portal makes it easy to administer an organization-wide CRM and further leverage IXACT Contact in order to attract and retain the best agents and teams. The Broker Portal lets brokerages create and publish consistent branding and marketing collateral for their agents by taking advantage of the following features: A fully customized version of the Monthly e-Newsletter Custom graphical email and letter templates Custom Marketing Activity Plans (including drip email) Custom Listing and Closing Activity Plans Pre-loaded company logo and agent customizable standardized branding The Broker Portal also includes the following agent roster management features: A searchable list of all agents with CRM accounts Visibility to key data points on each agent including account status, created date, last login and number of contacts The ability to deactivate and reactivate accounts This first release of the Broker Portal is just the beginning, as IXACT will continue to add new features based on feedback they get from their broker partners. IXACT Recruiter Enhancements Their recruiting CRM, IXACT Recruiter, is another key part of IXACT Contact's Brokerage Program. Along with the release of the Broker Portal, IXACT Contact announced some important new features that will help you do more with IXACT Recruiter. The new Goal Setting feature takes you through a series of simple questions in order to set your annual prospecting and hiring goals. And the customizable Dashboard now includes a new Prospecting Activities widget that summarizes your prospecting activities and allows you to see how you are performing against your goals. The contacts Advanced Search function now includes a number of new ways to search your contact database, including 'keyword' searches on your contacts' history and notes, as well as the ability to easily search for those contacts that are missing key data points like email address and phone number. If your organization is a member of IXACT Contact's Brokerage Program and you're interested in the Broker Portal or IXACT Recruiter, or you want to learn more about the program, please reach out to [email protected].

Small and Midsized Brokers Power Recruiting with Core BackOffice
When recruiting top agents and teams, commission calculations constitutes one of the most difficult hurdles for small and midsized brokerage firms. America has about 85,000 brokerages and over 1.2 million Realtors and teams and, truth be told, there may be hundreds of thousands of different commission calculation programs. Actually working out the commission program needed to recruit agents presents much less of a challenge than tracking these unique commission programs designed for each agent on something other than an Excel spreadsheet. Small and midsized firms need to support variety in their compensation plans in order to recruit. No doubt, enterprise systems like Profit Power and brokerWOLF support any type of commission calculation imaginable for firms with hundreds of agents. But smaller firms require an affordable solution that integrates with QuickBooks. In 2016 and 2017, entrepreneur Jeremy Shoenig developed software for exactly this purpose, called BrokerSumo. In 2017, the company was acquired by one of America's largest brokerage software companies, Inside Real Estate. Since the acquisition, Inside Real Estate made a massive investment in expanding the features and functionality of BrokerSumo, and renamed the product Core BackOffice. Today, Core BackOffice is recognized as one of the most flexible and easy to use broker back office commission management systems in America. Core BackOffice manages office financials and agent financials, processes agent monthly billings, and handles customized commission plans and closing net sheets. Core BackOffice even handles commission disbursement sheets and third-party direct deposit. QuickBooks does the rest. Even large teams are using Core BackOffice to run their financials. Yes, there is more... A key feature of the system is the seamless workflow for new agent and team onboarding. Transactions also sync with popular transaction management systems like dotloop, DocuSign, EZ Coordinator, and SkySlope. When you grow sick of using spreadsheets in your business to do all of the things that QuickBooks fails to do for real estate companies, check out Core BackOffice. Its affordability and ease of use make it a premium product.  

Hiring a Gen-Z Intern May Be the Best Thing You Ever Do for Your Business
There comes a point when your company is bringing in more business than you can manage on your own. That's when most people start hiring help or looking for a business partner. Another option is hiring an intern. A large portion of Generation Z are graduating high school and working their way through college. As they do, they'll be looking for job experience and career opportunities. They'll likely make up the bulk of your intern candidates. Members of Generation Z were born from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s and make up approximately 25% of the U.S. population. They grew up surrounded by advanced technology and are the most social media and tech-savvy generation yet. If there's a technological aspect of your business that could use some help, a Gen Z intern can probably help.

Brokers: Does your real estate tech stack really help recruit and retain agents?
If you ask real estate brokers to list their primary pain points, their answers will converge around three things: recruiting agents, retaining them, and keeping them productive. These broker challenges are, of course, fundamentally linked. If you can't attract top agent talent and keep them productive, they'll leave, and you will never grow a thriving business. In fact, the average stay for agents at their current brokerage is just four years, according to NAR. You read that right: as a broker, you have just a few years (if you're lucky) to keep agents around before they jump ship.

Why the Idea of Recruiting Isn't What It Used to Be
"There used to be a time when you could smoke in the office. There used to be a time when you could work nine to five. And there used to be a time when if your organization had a job that it wanted to fill, it would put up a posting, and people would line up, wanting to take that job." -Jacob Morgan A few weeks ago, I was watching a quick clip from a TED talk when the speaker said this. It really resonated with me; especially when he continued to explain that these people, lined up, waiting for their nine-to-five job, would wait their turns to show off why they should work for that company. It's true that our industry used to be like this. But we shouldn't expect that it's like that today.

5 Key Recruiting Insights for Real Estate Brokerages
Not too long ago, Engel & Volkers released its State of Real Estate Recruiting Insight Report with a plethora of interesting information for broker/owners across the continent. The goal of the report? To survey residential real estate agents to see just how satisfied they are with their brokerages, as well as what would make them move. So what did those agents say? Let's have a look at some of the key insights and what they mean for you.

Success Breeds Success: How One Leader Builds Up His Agents
Dan Lee is a team leader and broker unlike others. "I don't consider myself a savvy businessman," he says. "I consider myself as someone who took the responsibility to provide for everybody else's livelihood." Lee's focus on cultivating his agents' success has led to his own success in retaining and recruiting top salespeople. In this interview, Lee shares his approach to keeping agents happy, why he doesn't hire until he has leads for a new agent, and why he's never had to fire an agent. Read on to learn more!

Is eXp Realty Taking Your Agents?
eXp Realty is an agent-owned cloud brokerage. It is quoted as one of the "most innovative real estate companies in the world" by Inman News. At eXp, there are no desk fees, no royalty fees, and agents get to keep somewhere around 80-100 percent of their commissions. What's more is they offer every single agent the opportunity to buy into the business and become a shareholder. A "we're in it together" mentality, surely leaning towards trying to make traditional brokerages look bad. Never heard of them? They're kind of a big deal. They're listing agents for properties like these, so you can bet their agents know what they're doing.

Why You Should Always Be Recruiting Your Existing Agents
Recruit, recruit, recruit. Getting new agents through the door is the number one thing on every brokerage owner and manager's mind, but does it deserve that top spot? While it's a major pillar of every brokerage's survival plan, we argue there's another aspect of recruiting that deserves the number one slot, and that's existing agents. An agent only spends four years at a brokerage on average. How many of your agents are coming up on that four-year mark?

Why You Need an Open-Door Policy Right Now
In their latest round of funding, OpenDoor scored $325 million in funding. Late last year, SoftBank invested $450 million into Compass. VC money is alive and well, and it's found a home in real estate tech, pouring into the industry. And as we all saw at Inman Connect this month, the competition is as hot as five-star Thai food. It literally hurts to digest.

Defend Your Brokerage Fortress: The Solution to Margin Compression
As we all know too well, there's a feeling of impending doom when it comes to the future of dollars retained by the brokerage. Brokerage margin compression has been accelerating in the past few years especially, but no one seems to be discussing legit ways to battle it. And last I checked, hope is not a strategy. Here's what the retained company dollar average for brokerages across the nation looks like over the past several years, according to the Gathering of Eagles event:

Recruiting 101: What Agents Really Want
With new brokerages entering the market with aggressive recruiting strategies, brokerages are universally placing a lot more weight on the importance of recruiting. It's easy to spend a lot of cash winning over agents, but we believe the key is to focus on what really matters. What do agents actually want? As you review this list, you'll notice we don't talk about commission splits. You already know commission splits are important to agents and we're sure you're doing what you can to offer competitive compensation. Here are some other things that agents are looking for when comparing brokerages.

3 People Who Should Absolutely Consider a Career in Real Estate
Do you know someone who wants to break free of the nine-to-five, set their own hours, and be their own boss? A career in real estate may be just what they're looking for! To become a real estate agent, you just have to be 18 years old (19 in some states), be a legal US resident, complete prelicensing education, and pass a licensing test. Some people who may excel in real estate include recent grads, parents, and people coming from a second career.

A Top Real Estate Team Shares Their 3 Keys to Success
The Kevin Blain Team closed 1400 transaction sides last year--their volume was over a quarter BILLION dollars in 2017. With 18 years in real estate and 75 team members, they're the number one team in California, according to Real Trends. So what are their secrets to success? They shared their approach to customer service, recruiting, and lead generation in recent interview with realtor.com®. Here's a transcript of the conversation: Customer Service You worked hard to establish your name and reputation over the past 18 years and to grow your business. Your team in itself is now larger than some real estate companies. How do you keep that high quality relationship going when you are managing 1500 transactions? Are the customers expecting you to be personally involved? How do you maintain that level of quality and care when delivering through a team? To be able to offer the same level of service with that many transactions we have specialists in place—there are sales specialists, listings specialists, support team specialists. With each having a defined role, it has allowed us to keep a high quality relationship with each of our customers. We have an expression: one client at a time. Each client gets individual attention; that's how we work. Recruiting How do you recruit team members that give you that level of professionalism? We are always looking looking for talented agents. We recruit here in Central California and we look for three things: integrity, attitude and intelligence—and maybe four, as I like to throw in energy. Bringing to the team the quality of service the right people will provide gives us what the customer is looking for. You may ask if the customer is looking for me to be personally involved and the answer is not usually—they expect the same quality of care as if I was. As long as the specialists on the team are delivering that, we will get a five star rating. And what are the agents you recruit looking for in return? What is your value exchange? When they look at our team, we need to exceed the value of what other companies may offer. We have the best support staff—a listing coordinator, a transaction coordinator, sign people—and we have the best training. They are getting training from the number one team in California. When they walk into a listing appointment, they can say that their team is the top team in all of California. We add value by providing leads—internet leads and from other media. Those leads do provide value. Here is a true example: We had an agent who was just starting on our team and after just 60 days in real estate, had closed five and had eight more pending. That does not typically happen, but it shows these leads can help an agent get off to a good start. Lead Generation We understand you have worked with realtor.com to bring in more leads for your team. Do you introduce your lead program when in a recruiting discussion? They bring it up—they know there is value in being on the team. They know there are several ways of getting business and one of those is online leads How have the leads from realtor.com contributed to the growth of your team or your plans to grow? About two and a half years ago, we started our inside sales department and that's when we started to purchase online leads, including realtor.com leads. From there, we have been able to expand to four counties in the Central Valley of California. When you are working with online leads, you need to respond quickly and have the wherewithal to follow up. We know it takes eight or nine contacts to have someone convert to become your client. If that work is not put in, then you may as well not purchase leads. We plan to engage up to 12 times knowing the conversion tends to happen after the eighth or ninth attempt. These are viable people and they get busy, so you have to call or contact them and they will finally respond when it is most convenient for them. What do you do to make sure that the investment you make in leads is not wasted? How do you track what actions are taken with them? I check numbers weekly with our inside sales dept. I look at lead measures every week so there is accountability on both sides. As I see them come in, I can see the follow-up efforts and appointments set, and address any issues if the follow-up is not happening. Is it all worth it? After investing your time and capital in realtor.com leads and following up, what kind of return are you getting on your investment? We get a good return on our investment and we work every day, every week, every month to get better. If you hear complaints that the these leads are not good, I don't believe that. What we have seen is that if we are doing our part to mine these leads and to provide good customer service, then they do pay off. We are continuing to enlarge our territory and go into new locations with online leads. Without them, we could not have made this happen so quickly.  

A Broker's Recruitment Success Story
A conversation between Kevin Johnson, OneBlue Broker/Owner and Bondilyn Jolly, eMerge Founder and CEO BJ: The growth story behind OneBlue is really amazing, Kevin. Not only have you successfully introduced a new real estate brand into the Orlando market, you've also recruited a large number of agents in just a few months. What's your secret? KJ: I'm very focused on the concept of building "mindshare" with my sales and marketing efforts. If I ask you what company has a green gecko as their mascot, you'd tell me Geico. Why? Well, they have done a killer job of building mindshare with you. You may not be a customer of theirs or even in the market for insurance, but when you are in need of insurance, they want you to think of them. I'm taking the same approach with what I call the 1-2-1 punch. BJ: Great analogy. Let's dig into your 1-2-1 approach, specifically in regards to your agent recruitment.

This Brokerage Does Onboarding the Right Way
Some brokerages just get it. They embrace change. They prepare; they future-proof their brokerage. And they totally rock agent onboarding. William Raveis is a shining example of just that.

The Secret Broker CRM You Haven't Heard Of (Yet)
There are certain real estate tools that we subconsciously tend to associate only with one segment of our industry—a back office app that's aimed at small brokers, for example, or a vendor that provides websites primarily to agents. So it's a pleasant surprise when we discover that a solution that we thought was only for one group can also serve another. Today, we're looking at one such tool. IXACT Contact, a CRM highlighted in our 2017-18 Technology Guide, has historically been an agent-only solution. For years, the company's customers were real estate agents whose brokers either didn't provide a CRM, or didn't offer a CRM that the agent wanted to use. That's all changed, however. IXACT Contact now offers a brokerage version of their CRM that includes features like:

The Importance of Quality Agent Onboarding for a Successful Team
The real estate profession is unique when it comes to joining a new brokerage or firm. Unlike with traditional job onboarding, there is a combination of requirements to be successful as an agent. New agents need a thorough and effective onboarding process. Many new real estate agents drop out of the industry simply because they didn't receive proper training when they started out. Here are a few tips for how to improve the onboarding process for new agents.

How to Recruit the Best Agents for Your Real Estate Firm
To be the best agency, you need the best agents. How do you recruit the best? It's definitely a challenge to find talent to join your team, and the industry is competitive. How do you stand out as the firm of choice for top agents to join? What benefits are agents looking for, and what are they looking for in terms of a firm? Here are some tips for real estate agent recruiting:

3 Clear-as-Day Signs It's Time to Hire an Inside Sales Agent
If you've read Chris Smith's The Conversion Code, you may already know these two statistics: For every home that was sold in 2011, there were .65 leads generated online. For every home that was sold in 2014, nearly eight online leads were generated And if you've been paying attention to the number of new portals, lead gen sites, landing page offerings and the explosion of Facebook ads in the last three years, you know that those numbers have only continued to explode in the years since. Going strictly off the numbers, you have (less than ) a 1-in-8 chance of converting a lead you generate online. Are you really doing enough to win a lead's business from competing agents? The answer, likely, is no. And that's okay — because it's never too late to change a failing strategy and turn it into one that works better for you and your business. Inside Sales Agents: How real estate companies are turning cold calling on its head to build relationships with leads Cold calling is nothing new, but it does conjure up a negative image of someone in a headset, calling from hundreds of miles away to aggressively push a deal on an unsuspecting customer (whose name they invariably pronounce wrong). Within real estate, however, we're seeing an exciting shift in how cold calling can be used to shore up new business. Rather than hiring "dialers" who explicitly sell a product or service the minute a lead picks up, many real estate companies are leveraging "inside sales agents" (ISAs) to build relationships with new leads over time. And when the average lead can have eight (or more!) agents working them due to online lead generation, it pays off in spades to be the business that is eager to make a connection before asking for a sale. Here are three signs it may be time for you to hire an inside sales agent. Sign #1: You hate the follow-up (and it shows) Do you hate following up with new leads? The good news is you're not alone. Forty-four percent of salespeople give up after just one attempt (Scripted). The bad news? Eighty percent of sales are made on the fifth to twelfth attempt to contact a lead (Curaytor). If your first call is an aggressive attempt to win the deal, and you aren't willing to call back again, you are unlikely to get anywhere with unqualified, dime-a-dozen online leads.ISAs have the right tone and delivery, and because they're paid to build up relationships with leads, they are able to focus on naturally qualifying leads over time. Imagine the difference between talking to an eager professional who wants to get to know you better, and a Realtor who is clearly hoping for a quick buck on the first call. Who would you prefer to talk to? Sign #2: You're busy (really, really busy) with active clients Calling, texting and emailing new leads isn't easy. It's time-consuming and it creates a strange paradox: Knowledgeable, successful agents often have a harder time converting new leads than rookie agents with plenty of time on their hands. By hiring an ISA, you can spend time on your active clients and most-qualified leads while allowing a professional to build a relationship with brand-new prospects and leads who aren't quite ready to sign a contract yet. Sign #3: Lead conversion just isn't your thing Real estate is a unique profession that requires dozens of skillsets. A typical agent has to master everything from marketing and brand-building, to contract-writing and hard-line negotiations, to market statistics, to staging and interior design. Oh yeah, and then add in that small task of maintaining great relationships with everyone in your sphere and converting leads with the ease of a Fortune 500 company. Not every aspect of real estate can be "your thing." It's important to recognize your weak spots and outsource related tasks as soon as possible. If you simply can't or won't prioritize lead conversion, even though you're paying for new leads, then it's time to release yourself of that expectation before you burn through any more money. Inside sales agents can be extremely affordable and if you hire the right resource, your ISA might be pre-trained on best practices and pre-loaded with scripts so you don't have to spend weeks creating the right documents and onboarding processes. Starting on day one, a great ISA can do what they do best — qualifying and nurturing prospects and leads — and so can you. Ready for an ISA who converts predicted, nearby sellers? What if you narrowed your sights to predicted, qualified sellers in your area? With SmartZip Outreach, you can do just that. Our algorithms predict the homeowners most likely to sell in your area and our highly trained ISAs call to build a relationship and qualify their moving timeline. Meanwhile, you can focus on a short list of ready-to-sell homeowners waiting to hear from you. Reach out today to get a killer deal on SmartZip Outreach. To view the original article, visit the SmartZip blog.

The Real Estate Recruiting Questions Checklist
Interviews are intimidating no matter how many you've gone through or how confident you are, but they all have the same end goal. The goal of interviews with prospective agents, specifically, is to understand their qualifications, personality, and general way of doing things in relation to your firm. In order to accomplish this, you often need to ask a comprehensive list of questions that will cover the basics – and then some! There is such a wide range of things to ask that we encourage brokers to be creative and ask unique questions that will get agents talking about who they are and what they're passionate about. While there's nothing wrong with the routine questions,(for example, "Why did you become a real estate agent?"), these sometimes generate rehearsed responses, which are of little value. Rehearsed responses make it challenging to determine if an agent's a good fit!