Building a High-Performing Real Estate Team: Strategies for Recruiting, Training, and Retaining Talent
As your business grows, you'll see increased clientele, more closed deals, and far more awareness about your offerings in your local market. But you know you can't do it all alone, and the more consumers you have to serve, the more you'll need top talent to help. This is where building a high-performing real estate team is key. By assembling — and retaining — a real estate dream team, your business can expand alongside your profitability. Recruiting, training, and retaining superstar agents is within reach. Here are the steps you need to take to build out an effective, all-star real estate team. Attracting Top Talent Through Effective Recruitment Strategies As you're building out your team, you'll see a lot of parallels between attracting top talent and attracting prospective clients to work with you. You know you're the best, but they don't — yet. When you're seeking to recruit agents to build out your real estate dream team, it's important to highlight what sets you apart as a team lead or broker, as well as what they can expect from working on your team. Effective recruitment strategies to draw in top talent include: Showcasing your own expertise, history as a real estate pro, and your wins and achievements Sharing the training and support you offer when they're onboarded, as well as over time Displaying key team members they can partner with, learn from, and their own respective accomplishments and real estate experience Highlighting the tools you use to ensure your team's success in the long-term to help them work smarter and continue to drive business forward Agents have a drive and hunger to succeed, and they need a strong foundation to land on when they're choosing a new team to join. By shining the spotlight on what you offer as a leader, your team's successes and expertise, and how you'll support new agents as they join your team, you'll have a more seamless run way to attract top talent in your market. Providing Ongoing Training and Development Opportunities for Team Members Like we noted previously, it's crucial to provide ongoing training and development for your team. It's not just for the newbies: by investing in ongoing education and development for your current team members, you have a powerful opportunity to retain them. Providing training and education to your current team is crucial for: Demonstrating your willingness and commitment to investing in their ongoing success and growth Saving them time and effort on finding the right training, or selecting training not relevant to your business Supporting them in developing a stronger career trajectory Helping them explore new interests, skills, or areas of real estate By investing in your agents' growth, learning, and development, you can help support retention and drive them to continue to work on your dream team. Creating a Positive Company Culture that Fosters Loyalty and Retention If you want your agents to be loyal to you, your team, and to want to keep working with you, having a positive company culture is non-negotiable. Creating a positive work environment is one thing, but infusing positivity into your company culture is another — and it's a key component to long-lasting employee retention. The culture of your company is its heartbeat, the fabric its made of, the foundation it rests upon. In short, it's incredibly important! To create a positive company culture, you must lead by example and build trust with each and every one of your employees. Say what you mean, mean what you say, operate from a place of respect, and hold yourself — and others — accountable. By developing and instilling strong systems for your business, investing in your agents' growth and development, and setting goals effectively, you can start to foster a positive company culture. Yes, things like team building activities and offsite events certainly help. But having a culture centered around positivity in your company starts from the top and is reinforced all the way down. Leveraging goal-setting, effective communication, and supporting your agents, and committing to doing so consistently, will help build, strengthen, and reinforce your positive company culture. To view the original article, visit the Inside Real Estate blog.

Recruitment and Retention Tactics: How Brokerages and Teams Can Leverage Constant Contact
In a recent survey conducted by Inman News, 28% of brokerage leaders stated that recruiting and retaining talent will be their most challenging responsibility one year from now. As someone who works with brokerages and teams across the country on creating, executing and analyzing comprehensive recruitment and retention campaigns, I see this as an opportunity to be proactive and get ahead of the competition in terms of brand positioning, meaningful story-telling, and building a strong recruitment pipeline. That means that organizations should start NOW in terms of budgeting, evaluating needed technology, and developing marketing strategies that will resonate with key prospects. Knowing that many brokerages and teams don't necessarily have dedicated resources for recruitment and retention marketing, I'm always seeking solutions that will help streamline and/or consolidate multiple marketing channels into one snapshot, be intuitive and easy to implement, provide valuable feedback as to who is engaging and with what content, and allow custom, targeted communication based on user behavior. Oh yeah, and be affordable so as to not tax already constrained budgets! When I was asked to evaluate Constant Contact for recruitment and retention, I was initially hesitant because I had toured the solution years ago and found it to be limiting in terms of what I wanted to help my clients accomplish. So, imagine my (pleasant) surprise over the past few months that I've spent playing with and testing the platform. The team at Constant Contact has invested heavily in expanding and enhancing their platform to offer an incredibly robust marketing solution that far exceeds just email, and it really shows. Following are my favorite features within Constant Contact and why I like them for busy brokerages, team leaders and organizations seeking cost-effective, efficient marketing solutions for their companies. One Feature-rich Solution What started as an email platform now offers fully integrated social media advertising, SMS marketing, an enhanced AI assistant, CRM, landing pages, event marketing, ecommerce and more. Also, I was assigned a dedicated onboarding specialist who was legitimately a REAL human being (Hi, Jeff!). Why this matters: Recruiters many times have to use a variety of products and services to accomplish their outreach goals, leading to disjointed communication workflows, lack of comprehensive tracking and reporting, and higher costs. You know the story: your CRM doesn't connect to all of your marketing channels, you're running recruitment events off of a platform that doesn't report conversions back to your email invitation campaign, etc. When ALL of your marketing outreach lives under one roof, it not only saves time and money, but it provides the opportunity to build intelligent communication workflows and gain insight into every part of your prospect's user journey. WIN! Targeted Communications Too many organizations take a "shot-gun" approach to delivering recruitment messaging, which is not an effective way to initiate what should be a personalized conversation. Constant Contact allows users to create personalized communication workflows based on user behavior and engagement. This ensures that prospects receive relevant, timely content that fosters a sense of belonging and enhances their personal exploration journey. Real life example: In Q1, I was helping a client deliver an annual business planning guide to a mixed audience: entry-level agents, seasoned professionals, team leads, and active agents. Although this resource provided value to each audience, we wanted to ensure that we were speaking in different "voices" to each recipient, as well as automatically move recipients to different communication channels with appropriate follow-up activities based on their engagement (or lack thereof) with the guide. Constant Contact's custom automation paths made it very easy for me to build workflows for each unique audience, providing a user experience that felt authentic and personal. WIN! AI Assistance Let's face it, recruitment and retention is only ONE of the hats that busy brokers and team leaders must wear. And, developing meaningful marketing communication is most likely not the personal passion that entices you out of bed each morning. What other tasks could you focus on if you could free up an hour or two a week with the help of a marketing assistant? Wait, an assistant isn't in your budget? Think again. I've seen a lot of AI technology inside of marketing tech stacks and honestly, I've been underwhelmed. So much AI integration seems to be more about rushing to include the "latest shiny tech tool" instead of really thinking about where, how and why users would leverage the technology. I was pretty impressed with Constant Contacts' approach to leveraging the power of AI. They've found ways to integrate AI across their entire platform, allowing users to conceptualize and customize their communication, as well as use it for grammar and sentence structure, and tone checking (A very cool feature! Think professional, humorous, persuasive tones to match your audience, your brand and your desired voice). What this means: For those that don't feel that marketing is your key strength and don't have the budget to hire a professional marketer, you can lean into technology that will inspire your creativity and do 80% of the work. Even better, Constant Contact's AI is built into their platform at no additional cost for unlimited usage. Yes, you still should proof-read and edit what's been generated, but below is a legitimate example of me asking their bot to develop five email subject lines for an upcoming recruitment webinar (with no editing on my part): PROMPT: Write 5 email subject lines inviting real estate agents to a recruitment webinar where I will demonstrate the key benefits of joining my brokerage, using a professional tone. OUTCOME: "Unlock Growth Potential When You Join Our Brokerage - Webinar Invitation" "Elevate Your Career: Invitation to Explore Opportunities at Our Brokerage" "Discover Your Next Career Move: Join Our Brokerage Recruitment Webinar" "Maximize Your Success: Explore Benefits of Partnering with Our Brokerage" "Your Next Career Leap Awaits: Join Our Recruitment Webinar for Real Estate Agents" Not too bad! Now, all you need to do is tweak and customize. For example, I'd revamp #4 to read something along the lines of Your Next Career Leap Awaits: Explore The Benefits of Joining [Name of Brokerage]. WIN! Event Management I've spent tons of money inside of event platforms and when I found out that Constant Contact ALSO has an events tool that's included in the subscription, I was elated! This tool allows for webinar registration and follow-up campaigns (with surveys), which can be built into your communication workflow so that you can easily move webinar registrants into a new communication channel. Why I love this: First of all, say goodbye to additional costs with another third-party solution, and second, no more dripping on people to register for an upcoming webinar that they've already registered for, but you didn't know this because you were using two different platforms and now you seem like a dum-dum for not knowing! WIN! The Power of SMS Although SMS should NEVER be used for cold outreach, I'm a huge fan of the instant gratification it can lend to connecting with an engaged prospect to continue the momentum of the conversation. You know the "five minute rule" for engaging a consumer prospect? Constant Contacts' SMS marketing tool makes this super easy to integrate into your personalized workflows (see "Targeted Communications" above), allowing you to be responsive and timely even if you aren't readily available. Ideas for Usage: When a recruitment prospect "raises their hand" through your website or downloads one of your resources, you can send both an email and text as follow-up and to support next steps (i.e., a link to your scheduling calendar). Or, use text to send timed reminders for that upcoming recruitment webinar you are offering, as well as provide a link post-webinar to your follow-up survey. WIN! Data-driven Decision Making and Prioritization Recruitment marketing should not be a dark hole where you don't understand what's working and what's not. I'm a big fan of the saying, "You can't manage what you can't measure," so tracking, reporting and transparency is important to marketing success. Constant Contact empowers your recruitment and retention efforts with KPIs (key performance indicators) such as email open rates, survey responses, and engagement levels. Why this matters: Recruiters will gain valuable insight that will help prioritize outreach, refine marketing messaging, identify engagement trends, and deliver a more personalized experience leading all parties towards a strategic end goal. Knowing what's working and who's responding will support ROI and value. WIN! Real People Supporting You As I mentioned earlier, I was assigned a dedicated onboarding specialist (Hi, Jeff…again!) who was very proactive in understanding how I wanted to use Constant Contact for my client's recruitment and retention marketing. Although all users may not have access to Jeff, I was impressed with the expansive educational resources that the platform offers, both on-demand and live. I've seen too many good technology platforms fail because they lacked intuitiveness (think Apple versus Microsoft), or leaned too heavily on self-onboarding and support, leaving users confused, frustrated and unable to accomplish their goals. On behalf of frustrated marketers everywhere, I appreciate the fact that Constant Contact has invested in both an intuitive UI/UX experience AND in real people to onboard, support and educate their users. For those of you who really want to geek out, here's a few additional features that I love for more advanced recruitment and retention efforts: Permission / Brand Locks - This functionality allows admin users to lock areas / elements of marketing material to ensure brand compliance. For example, you are creating recruitment messaging for your regional directors and only want to allow them to edit a personal intro / outro, but no graphics or other areas of content. DONE! Parent / Child Structure - Building on my point immediately above, I love that I can create communication that can easily be assigned to "child" accounts. Also, I have full transparency into all accounts below me, including reporting, while each child account can only engage with their specific data. All in all, I'm very happy that I've made the switch to Constant Contact for my client's recruitment and retention marketing. It's allowed me to expand my marketing offering, while offering an even better platform price for my client. And, I truly believe that for brokers, team leaders and recruiters that don't have the budget for a professional marketer such as myself, they can still achieve success in their recruitment efforts without the frustration and headache that comes with many other marketing solutions. On top of it all, Constant Contact offers a no-risk free trial so that you can start building your recruitment campaign and check out all of the integrated features. Below are a few helpful links for those that are interested. Happy recruiting! To have a full-product FREE TRIAL for 60 days or meet with the Constant Contact Enterprise Team, click the links below: FREE TRIAL • REQUEST AN ENTERPRISE DEMO • READ MORE REVIEWS ON G2 Bondilyn Jolly is President of Marketing at WAV Group. Imagery in this product review was provided courtesy of Constant Contact.

Recruitment Success: Annual Business Planning with Your Agents
"If you fail to prepare, be prepared to fail." – Benjamin Franklin As we stand on the cusp of a new year, real estate agents across the United States are gearing up for the challenges and opportunities that the new year presents. This offers brokers a key opportunity for connection, mentorship and guidance in annual business planning exercises. Whether this is accomplished through group sessions, one-on-one mentorship, or virtual training and resources, assisting your agents with establishing obtainable goals and developing a measurable path for success plays a big part in your annual recruitment and retention efforts. I work with many brokerages each year in the development of strategic annual planning programs. Below are my tips, tricks and strategies for brokers looking to stand out from their peers and serve as true servant leaders. Setting the Course Though S.M.A.R.T. Goal Setting Business planning is akin to charting a course for a ship in uncharted waters. It involves a meticulous analysis of past performance, a realistic assessment of the current situation, and a forward-looking vision for the future. The key is to assist your agents with setting clear objectives, identifying potential roadblocks, and devising strategies to navigate the challenges that may arise. Brokers should focus on helping agents with S.M.A.R.T. goal setting to ensure realistic, obtainable growth. S = Specific (Clearly Identity Each Goal)M = Measurable (Ensure You Can Measure Progress and Success)A = Achievable (Sent Goals That Are Realistically Achievable)R = Relevant (Set Goals That Are Relevant to Your Values and Long-Term Objectives)T = Time-based (Establish Incremental Deadlines via Task Prioritization) Financial Forecasting One of the key components of effective business planning is financial forecasting. By evaluating past years income and expenses, agents can make informed predictions about future revenue, expenses, and profitability. This not only aids in budgeting and resource allocation but also provides a solid basis for making strategic financial decisions. Whether it's allocating funds for lead generation, investing in new technologies, or managing cash flow, a well-thought-out financial plan is indispensable — especially in a business that is many times "feast or famine." Risk Mitigation In today's volatile and competitive real estate environment, risk is an inherent factor that cannot be ignored. Business planning exercises allow agents to conduct a thorough risk analysis, identifying potential threats and vulnerabilities. Armed with this knowledge, agents can proactively implement risk mitigation strategies, ensuring they are well-prepared to weather unforeseen challenges in the market. Having a "Plan B" acts as a shield against the uncertainties that may arise. Alignment of Resources Strategic planning facilitates the alignment of organizational resources with overarching goals and objectives. This not only maximizes agent productivity but also fosters a sense of purpose and direction throughout the year. When everyone within the organization understands the broader strategy and their personal contribution, it creates a cohesive and focused environment, driving the entire organization towards success. Adaptability and Innovation A well-crafted business plan is not a static document; rather, it is a dynamic roadmap that allows for adaptation to changing circumstances. By regularly revisiting and updating the plan, agents can stay agile and responsive to emerging trends. It prompts agents to explore new opportunities, embrace emerging technologies, and continuously seek ways to improve the end-to-end real estate experience. Download Our Annual Business Planning Workbook for Busy Agents Empower Your Agents Following is a list of resources that I suggest brokers present to their agents for annual business planning. Once again, you can offer these resources via group planning sessions (I'm a big fan of these!), one-on-one meetings, or via your online training / resource center (if applicable). Regardless of your approach, I recommend some sort of personal outreach and/or follow-up during the annual planning process, as well as a mid-year check-in to see how things are going. S.M.A.R.T. Planning Worksheet Encourage agents to self-explore questions such as: What do I want my real estate career to do for my overall life? Why is this important to me? Who else will benefit? How? What will drive me every day to accomplish my goals? What will my life look like in 1, 3, 5 years if I don't grow my business? These open-ended questions are a great way to understand the motivation around each agent's business and what is most important to them. S.W.O.T. Analysis Having agents take a look at their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats helps in setting realistic goals. Have your agents outline their top 3 business goals along with daily, weekly and monthly actions that will help them hit those goals over the course of the coming year. Financial Analysis via Income and Expense Tracking Provide agents with an interactive spreadsheet that will serve as a guideline for tracking month-by-month personal and business expenses in comparison with their income. Is your agent upside down? Help them seek opportunities to eliminate or offset expenses to mitigate risk, and evaluate the past year's production numbers to see where income came from, exploring how to redirect or "double down" on growth opportunities. By committing time each year to help agents be successful, brokers foster an environment of collaboration. These types of exercises also help brokers evaluate the tools and resources they provide their agents annual. For example, if your agents are struggling with lead generation, what types of products and / or training can you provide to drive greater success? Do you see specific trends across your agents' productivity throughout the year that you can help compensate for through ancillary revenue streams? Successful business growth is a team effort, and taking the time to support your agent's businesses is the sign of true servant leadership. Your time and effort will be repaid with not only good karma, but also with happy, productive agents that will stay with your organization and stand beside you through the ups and downs of the real estate market. To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

Keller Williams Names Mark Willis as CEO
Keller Williams announced that Mark Willis has been named CEO, effective immediately. "We are excited to announce that Mark Willis has joined our leadership team as CEO," said Gary Keller, co-founder and executive chairman of KW. "With a deep knowledge of our company and our culture, Mark is well-suited to lead us through our next growth phase." "With so much uncertainty surrounding the real estate industry today, it's never been more important to have a leader who thoroughly knows us and understands business at the highest level," said Keller. "That's Mark Willis." As CEO, KW will leverage Willis' vast knowledge and expertise to continue to help its agents and market center owners grow their businesses. "I'm excited to remain partnered with our KW agents, leaders, owners, and Gary Keller, a once-in-a-generation business leader," said Willis. "Only together can we drive our vision to be the real estate company of choice for agents and customers." Willis, a former KW CEO, a current franchisee, and a long-standing member of the KW ecosystem, initially rejoined the executive team as a strategic consultant in July 2023. "Keller Williams has the best success models for agents and brokerages to thrive no matter the economic, industry, or business challenges," said Willis. Since 1991, Willis has served in various leadership roles within KW, including regional director, operating principal, team leader, and as a KW market center and region investor. "We face headwinds and change, and that's nothing new," said Willis. "As an innovative force since 1983, we remain optimistically forward-thinking and focused on serving our agents and brokerage partners as they provide powerful customer and business experiences." Willis served as president of KW from 2002 to 2005 and as CEO of KW from 2005 to 2015.

Recruitment Success: Tips for Overcoming Objections with Top Recruiter Pat McFarland
The interview process is a critical component of any brokerage's efforts to recruit the best talent. Both brokerage and candidate may be aiming for the perfect alignment, so it is not uncommon to encounter brokerage recruitment objections from prospective agents. These brokerage recruitment objections can range from concerns about the company, the products and services available to the agent, or compensation structures. Overcoming these objections is essential to moving the conversation forward successfully. Top real estate recruiter Pat McFarland has seen (and overcome) every brokerage recruitment objection that's been thrown at him. Having recruited thousands of agents for many of the largest brands in the industry, Pat is known for his attention to detail, calm demeanor, and friendly persistence. Below are some of Pat's tips, tricks, and words of advice on ways to overcome common objections and move the conversation forward. Want to see Pat's objection-handling for yourself? Stream this one-hour webinar where the audience throws common objections at Pat and he responds with the most eloquent answers! REGISTER NOW Build a Strong Foundation Creating a positive and inviting interview environment is the first step in addressing objections. Begin the interview by establishing rapport, sharing the company's values and mission, and conveying the importance of the candidate's role within the organization. A welcoming atmosphere can help candidates feel more at ease and reduce the likelihood of objections. Set aside other responsibilities and distractions while you are interviewing so that you are 100% focused on the conversation at hand. Listen Actively One of the most critical skills in addressing objections is active listening. When a candidate raises concerns or objections, it is essential to listen carefully, without interruption. Let the candidate express their thoughts and feelings fully. This not only helps you understand their concerns but also demonstrates that you value their input. Acknowledge and Validate Concerns Once a candidate has expressed their objections, acknowledge their concerns and validate their feelings. Let them know that it is entirely natural to have questions and reservations during the interview process. Showing empathy and understanding can help build trust. Provide Information and Clarification Sometimes, objections arise from misunderstandings or a lack of information. Offer the candidate the opportunity to ask questions, and provide clear and honest answers. Be transparent about the role, the company, and the interview process. By addressing the candidate's concerns with facts and details, you can often alleviate their objections. Stay calm and never allow yourself to feel defensive. It is not personal 99% of the time. Share Success Stories To reinforce the attractiveness of your organization and the role, share success stories or examples of agents who have thrived in similar positions. These stories can serve as powerful testimonials that demonstrate the company's commitment to the growth and development of its agents. Discuss Flexibility If the candidate's objections are related to specific job requirements or company policies, discuss the possibility of flexibility. Explore whether there is room for negotiation, adjustments, or accommodations to address the candidate's concerns while ensuring they align with the company's objectives. Highlight Career Development Candidates often have objections related to their long-term career growth and development. Emphasize the company's commitment to personal and professional development, including opportunities for advancement, training programs, and skill enhancement. Compare and contrast how these offerings differ from a candidate's current brokerage experience. Showcase Company Culture Address objections related to company culture by showcasing the organization's values, diversity and inclusion efforts, and employee engagement initiatives. Explain how the company fosters a positive work environment and how candidates can contribute to its success. Follow Up After addressing objections, follow up with the candidate to ensure their concerns have been sufficiently addressed. This further demonstrates your commitment to their candidacy and shows your dedication to building a positive relationship. Real estate is a very personal business, and people want to feel valued and know that their concerns are valid and addressable. Not every candidate is going to be right for your brokerage, but by understanding common objections, actively listening, and employing the strategies outlined above, you can create a more positive and transparent interview experience. When objections are addressed professionally and effectively, you increase your chances of attracting and retaining top talent for your organization. Remember, the goal is not just to fill a position but to build a successful, long-lasting partnership with your future team members. Happy recruiting! To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

Buyer Compensation, Discount Models, and Broker Commission: Recruiting Top Agents in 2023
To be successful as a brokerage, it's essential to work with quality agents: People who know how to uncover their clients' needs and then negotiate to get them the best deal, whether that's a buyer or a seller. That means offering agents commissions and compensation that reflects the hard work they do on behalf of both sides of the deal. As discount brokers and services become a more prominent part of the marketplace, and as some brokerages try to compete for top talent by offering very low splits, how can brokerages determine what model will work best for them — and for their agents? Here's Victor Lund from WAV Group explaining the current landscape and how brokerages can help give themselves an edge when it comes to recruiting. (Incidentally, he's not a fan of the term "splits," which he explains below.) WAV Group is routinely hired to help brokers understand their competitive strengths and improve areas of competitive weakness. One of our tactics is to look at compensation trends in the market, and cross referencing competitive brands. This article will provide a snapshot of our techniques so that you may deploy them at your brokerage. Since the offer of compensation is the leading conversation in the marketplace today, this is a good time to share. The offer of compensation is a confidential data field in the MLS — well, at least in markets where they have not changed that field policy. If you notice on Redfin, they display the buyer's agent compensation in every market where they are permitted to display it to the public — California Regional MLS is an example. For our clients who use VOW or Full Broker data feeds, you can easily pull the compensation data for analysis without looking for it single listing-by-listing in the MLS system. Full listing firm commission ranges from 4% (in extremely high-end markets) to 7% (in the lowest markets); where some portion of that is listed in the MLS as buyer-agent-commission. The offers of compensation to the buyer's agent in an MLS can range from $1 (sad, but true) to 3% of the commission, depending on the market. During the height of the foreclosure debacle, we saw buyer agent commissions surge to 3.5%, and some 4%. The first observation is that the MLS does not know the total commission in the listing agreement. The full seller commission is not recorded in the MLS. This is an important part of the fact pattern to understand. Many journalists presume that a 6% commission split is half because that is an industry average. In reality, it is highly probable that the client agreed to a commission percentage of some other amount, like 7% or lower at 5%. We don't know, and we cannot presume what is in the listing agreement based upon the offer of compensation to the buyers' agent. The second observation is that the industry should stop using the word "split." The word split has the tonal meaning of dividing into half. My experience leads me to believe that many transactions are split in half, but not always. The division of commission is heavily dependent on market conditions. When there are more sellers in the market than buyers (high foreclosure periods), the seller's portion of the commission may be lower than the buyer's commission. When there is a scarcity of listings and plenty of willing buyers (ergo 2022), the portion of the buyer's commission is often lower than that of the seller. Study the offer of compensation by brand By studying the offer of compensation across brands, the observations draw different realities into focus. Obviously, there is the commission pattern of discount brokers. However, even Redfin has backed off the discount broker business model. Generally, it is common to see discount brokers offer compensation to buyer's agents that are lower than the norm. It's their business model, so the lower offer of compensation is rational. (Interestingly, we also notice that discount brokers will often start off with a lower offer of compensation, then convince the seller to switch to a higher commission model as days on market goes over 60.) The franchise brands and leading independent brands in the market were very consistent — KW, Anywhere, RE/MAX, etc., offer compensation at about the same rate. They have the bulk of the market share as a group and normally offer 3% in a 6% market, or 2.5% in a 5% market. They tend to offer a 50/50 division of commission between buyer and listing agent. WAV Group has done commission studies more than 100 times — here's an example of a report we published. Today, there is a fast-growing brand consuming agents whose buyer commission offer is consistently 0.5% below the leading franchise brands. I will not name them here, but it will be self-evident if you do this research. Armed with this information, you can retain more agents. I will get to that at the end of this article. What does the offer of compensation say about your brand? Brands would do well to remember that the offer of compensation is universal. Universal has the meaning of putting a value on the work of a buyer's agent. To me, the .05% commission haircut by this broker sends a clear message that the buyer's agent is not worth the full market commission. Again, I could be wrong. I have not seen the listing agreement, so it's possible that this broker takes listings at a lower commission rate. Or, as I stated above, the buyer's agent in today's real estate market is less valued because there is a scarcity of listings. The point of this discussion is that brokers need to pay close attention to the offer of compensation by their competitors. If another brand in the market is consistently undercutting the offer of compensation, it signals that their agents are not getting full commission for their services. Use that data in recruiting and retention if agents operating under your brand are consistently getting a higher rate from the seller because of your brand's service offerings. Using the offer of compensation in recruiting Brokers should look at the trends of offers of compensation in the MLS to get smarter about recruiting. Brokerage brands that deliver the value to consumers because of the rich quality of their services will command higher commissions for their agents. Visually, 90% of a 4% commission is a lot less than 80% of a 6% commission. Back-of-napkin calculation for $100,000 house: 4% commission = $4000, agent commission for half at 90% = $1800 6% commission = $6000, agent commission for half at 80% = $2400 As an agent, would you rather get 80% of full commission or 90% of discounted commission? We hope that this insight helps you compete effectively in the market. Know your worth and understand that the percentage of broker dollars is highly impacted by the commission offered by the seller to the listing and buyer's agent. To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

Red Oak Realty Case Study: Reconsider Your Office Manager Strategy
Office manager strategy is very diverse in real estate. Some firms do not have offices or office managers, others have office managers who are selling agents, or office managers that do not sell. Somewhere between these three primary pillars of office manager strategies is a plethora of variances. Getting your office manager strategy is so important to your success. Whatever your strategy, a great office manager is among the top ingredients for success in your brokerage. They drive agent recruiting, retention, and performance. They can also be a huge risk. How many times have you witnessed an office manager going to a different company and taking a pile of agents with them? Matching a manager to an office is also very difficult. Relationships with agents are personal. Sometimes you have a group of agents in an office that love the manager, and another group that do not. Some firms have solved this challenge with a rotating manager strategy. This involves moving managers to different offices on different days of the week. This works pretty well, but agents can sometimes get frustrated by the inconsistency. Broker Resource Network subscriber Vanessa Bergmark of Red Oak Realty in the East Bay of San Francisco is operating an innovative sales manager strategy with great success. By way of background, Bergmark was licensed in her late twenties and was a Keller Williams team leader until having her first child. After her maternity leave, she was asked to run Red Oak Realty for four owners whom she bought out. In 2019, Bergmark acquired Marvin Gardens, a comparable firm in the same area. Today, the company has 180 highly productive agents. The firm had seven offices, but is targeting an office count of three. Red Oak Realty does not have any office managers. They have a CEO (Vanessa), a president, a broker, and a sales manager with four associate sales managers. The president is focused on business building — operations, recruiting, training, marketing, etc. Everyone else is focused on deal doctoring and working directly with agents. This structure has been highly effective at delivering excellent services to the agents. There is always someone available to help them, wherever the agent needs help. The company aims at high touch with each agent, and it is working. Agents are never assigned to just one, specific person. The president is focused on recruiting, but her bonus is paid on production and not on headcount. If you are rethinking your office manager strategy, you might want to reach out to Vanessa.

Broker Public Portal Looking for a Technology-centric CEO
The Broker Public Portal (BPP), the most successful collaborative real estate industry initiative designed to help consumers research properties and connect with the listing firm, is seeking a Chief Executive Officer. The CEO will be responsible for driving the launch and growth of the company's consumer facing website, mobile application, and suite of collaboration tools and integrations. Candidates must have a proven background leading an organization in growing its market share with a data heavy, consumer-facing application platform. The position requires a depth of technology strategy, leadership, and programming expertise, ideally with proven success leading a team to build a real estate specific application. Familiarity with structured data is a plus. We are looking for a visionary leader who has a track record of successfully launching technologies within budget and on time. The ideal candidate will be adept at articulating a vision to build a highly competitive, engaging, and profitable venture. They will be skilled in managing contracts and coordinating with a multitude of technology partners and stakeholders, including executive leaders from real estate brokerages, multiple listing services, and real estate associations. The CEO will be managing a small but deeply skilled technology team and a network of technology providers that will build/integrate their products into the Broker Public Portal ecosystem. The CEO will also be responsible for leading data licensing and aggregation as well as the organization's operations, marketing/PR, partnerships, strategic initiatives and financials. The ideal candidate will have a proven background as a Chief Technology Officer or Chief Information Officer with general management experience, or they will have CEO experience in a consumer-facing, data heavy, technology organization. Additionally, the candidate must be adept at presenting the company's vision and product roadmap clearly and passionately to both technical and non-technical audiences. The successful candidate will be comfortable generating excitement about the potential of the solution at conferences and private meetings. To learn more about the position, submit your resume for consideration, or recommend a potential candidate, please reach out to Marilyn Wilson at [email protected] or (805) 748-9118. To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

Carrie Lysenko Named CEO of Zoocasa
Zoocasa Realty announced that Carrie Lysenko has been appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO). "Carrie has been a driving force behind Zoocasa since late 2019, bringing product and technical leadership, lead generation and conversion capabilities to agents across Canada," said Glenn Sanford, CEO of eXp Realty. "Since we acquired Zoocasa in 2022, Carrie and the team have scaled services coast to coast and have begun expansion efforts into the United States. We are now leveraging Zoocasa’s expertise in online lead conversion to provide more opportunities for eXp Realty agents in North America." Lysenko takes over as CEO from Lauren Haw, who acquired Zoocasa in 2015 and grew it into one of the highest converting brokerages in Canada by agent count. Haw will continue to work with Zoocasa as Broker of Record and Industry Relations Officer. Lysenko brings more than three-and-a-half years experience as chief operating officer and 20 years of business, technical product and marketing leadership to the helm at Zoocasa. Prior to joining the brokerage, she was the vice president of product and growth at VerticalScope and was integral to the online expansion efforts at Pelmorex Media's The Weather Network for over 14 years as the head of digital.

Marc Kaplan Joins zavvie to Head Up Power Buyer Solution for Brokerages
zavvie, a software technology company providing real estate brokerages customized marketplaces for modern buying and selling solutions, announces the hiring of Marc Kaplan as its new Product Offering Manager. In this role, Kaplan will oversee the development and growth of zavvie's Power Buyer solutions, including Cash Offer and Modern Bridge services that enable clients to buy their dream home before selling their current dwelling. Kaplan brings extensive experience and a proven track record in supercharging the Power Buyer space to the zavvie team. "Right now, Power Buying may be the hottest area for real estate brokerages to help their agents win new business, with more opportunities for buyers and sellers than ever before," said Lane Hornung, Co-founder and CEO of zavvie. "Marc is uniquely qualified to help us accelerate our reach," he added. Before joining zavvie, Kaplan held a similar role as Revenue Operations Specialist at real estate technology company HomeLight. He helped to implement new acquisition channels, bringing Power Buyer solutions to mortgage lenders. Kaplan joined HomeLight through its acquisition of Accept.inc, the first iLender, which empowers buyers who qualify for a mortgage with all-cash offers. Kaplan helped Accept grow rapidly, leveraging his knowledge and skills as a licensed mortgage loan originator in Colorado. During his time with Accept.inc, Kaplan helped them to achieve the largest non-iBuyer Cash Offer market share in Colorado in 2021. "I can't think of a better place to be to create an immediate positive impact on helping brokers and their agents accelerate their businesses than with zavvie's Power Buyer program," Kaplan said. "zavvie's program is unique in that it is completely broker-centric, leveraging the client's trust of the brokerage, its agents and their preferred lenders to drive success. zavvie's deep understanding of broker's needs has already propelled their Power Buyer program to impressive heights so I'm excited for what's to come," he added. More information about zavvie is available at zavvie.com.

How to Create a Winning Sales Team in Real Estate
Creating a winning sales team in real estate is something that requires a strategic approach and a solid understanding of the industry. Whether you are an experienced real estate broker or a new team leader, there are several key factors that can help you build a successful team that consistently delivers results. In this post, we'll discuss some of these critical factors and provide specific examples of how they can be applied in the real estate industry. Hire the Right People Choosing the right candidates is the first step in assembling a successful real estate sales team. This entails hiring real estate agents who are enthusiastic about the industry, have a solid work ethic, and are excellent communicators. In a perfect world, you would seek out real estate agents who are well-versed in the regional real estate market and have a proven track record of achievement in sales or customer service. For instance, The Altman Brothers, a successful real estate team, assembled a productive sales team by enlisting brokers with a variety of qualifications. They seek out representatives who have a solid background in sales, marketing, and negotiation in addition to a comprehensive knowledge of the regional market. By hiring the right people, The Altman Brothers have been able to build a team that consistently delivers exceptional results for their clients. Here's more information about The Altman Brothers: thealtmanbrothers.com. Provide Ongoing Training and Support Once you have selected the ideal candidates, it is crucial to continue to train and assist them as they gain experience. Regular training sessions, mentoring initiatives, and coaching from seasoned agents or subject-matter experts can all fall under this category. For instance, Keller Williams has a thorough training program that incorporates both classroom instruction and on-the-job training. Additionally, they offer ongoing assistance to their agents in the form of coaching, mentoring, and access to a network of seasoned experts. Keller Williams has created a successful sales team that consistently outperforms the competition by investing in the development of their agents. You can find more details about Keller Williams on their website: kw.com. Foster a Positive and Collaborative Culture Building a successful real estate sales team requires cultivating a positive and cooperative culture. Agents are more likely to be engaged and motivated to produce outstanding results for their clients if they feel valued, respected, and supported. The Boutique Real Estate Group, for instance, has developed a culture that encourages cooperation and innovation. They give their agents the chance to work together on initiatives and projects, and they encourage them to share ideas and best practices. The Boutique Real Estate Group has created a successful sales team that is committed to providing exceptional service to their clients by fostering a positive and cooperative culture. For more information about The Boutique Real Estate Group, see their website here: theboutiquere.com. Leverage Technology and Data Building a successful sales team in real estate requires utilizing technology and data in the current digital era. In order to help agents work more effectively and efficiently, this calls for the use of tools such as customer relationship management (CRM) software, data analytics, and online marketing platforms. The Corcoran Group has created a proprietary CRM system that enables its agents to track and manage leads, clients, and transactions. Additionally, they make use of online marketing platforms to connect with a larger audience of prospective buyers and sellers as well as data analytics to spot market trends and opportunities. By leveraging technology and data, The Corcoran Group has built a winning sales team that is able to stay ahead of the competition and deliver exceptional results for their clients. To find out more about The Corcoran Group, check out their website: corcoran.com Focus on Customer Service Last but not least, developing a successful sales team in real estate necessitates a strong emphasis on customer service. Long-term success is more likely for agents who are committed to giving exceptional service and developing close bonds with their clients. For instance, by putting a strong emphasis on forming long-lasting relationships with their clients, the real estate team The Agency has developed a reputation for providing exceptional customer service. They place a high value on direct, honest communication and go above and beyond to meet the needs of their customers. The Agency has created a successful sales team that is committed to providing outstanding results for their clients by putting a strong emphasis on customer service. You can find more details about The Agency on their website: theagencyre.com In conclusion, creating a winning sales team in real estate requires a strategic approach and a deep understanding of the industry. By hiring the right people, providing ongoing training and support, fostering a positive and collaborative culture, leveraging technology and data, and focusing on customer service, real estate brokers and team leaders can build a team that consistently delivers exceptional results for their clients. The examples provided above demonstrate how successful real estate teams have applied these critical factors to build winning sales teams that are able to stay ahead of the competition and deliver exceptional results for their clients. To view the original article, visit the Transactly blog.

4 Best Practices for Maintaining High-performing Agents at Your Brokerage
Maintaining a successful brokerage means ensuring that all agents perform at their best. As leaders of brokerages, you might have noticed how challenging it is to manage human resources. Thus, real estate brokers must adopt the best practices to keep their agents engaged to encourage high performance. In today's article, we will share a few ideas for real estate brokers looking to improve agent performance at their brokerages. Here are our top recommended best practices for brokers to maintain high engagement for real estate agents at their brokerages for high performance. Support Your Agents To begin, showing agents maximum support is critical in keeping them engaged. For example, brokerages can offer mentorship programs to agents to maintain and create a positive work culture. Also, brokerages must assist and support their agents in any way possible. Professional branding, marketing, and website building are some ways brokers can help their agents to succeed, which is now accessible through tech tools. Offer Them the Latest Technology Furthermore, offering your real estate agents the latest technologies will go a long way in helping them retain customers, give them new and improved marketing techniques, and facilitate their work. Healthy Work Environment Another best practice for maintaining high-performing agents is creating a good work environment. To attract and keep top agents, create a conducive office environment. Agents are more dedicated to their work when the environment is friendly and stress-free. Focus on Culture Team building is very crucial when it comes to establishing a network of highly-productive real estate agents. Building a culture and organizing team activities, events, and social gatherings to promote networking among your agents is a good practice for excellent agent outcomes. What's More? Investing in your agents is investing in your brokerage's long-term success. So, brokers should research from time to time to ensure they adopt the best practices to encourage agents' performance. To view the original article, visit the Realtyna blog.

Retention, Recruiting, and Acquisitions as Operating Leverage
I do my best reading and creative thinking while riding my bike that goes nowhere (a.k.a. my stationary bike). Yesterday, before skiing, I came across the image below which instantly triggered recent experiences. As entrepreneurs, we are inspired by our vision, by the chase for greatness and the rewards of our accomplishments. Hard work, teamwork, logic, and efficiencies all contribute to our drive for success. Massive corrections are occurring at nearly all the former disruptors in our industry, from the iBuyers to the technology companies—which are still learning the real estate business—to the discount brokers. Our business is simple. We are people dependent. The people are our horsepower. The people are real estate professionals and their client relationships. We can drive the business by adding horsepower through: coaching our people to be more productive, recruiting new talent to our value proposition, franchising our offerings, and acquisitions of adjacent or like-minded operators. Don't overthink the business – we are in the people business. Make decisions as close to the client as possible. Empower your local operators vs. headquarter personnel. Add horsepower to your operation and discard those people with the buggy-whips—they're neither motivators nor efficient. This is Where We Are Now! Mark McLaughlin serves as CEO of McLaughlin Ventures and M&A Advisory at WAV Group. To view the original article, visit the McLaughlin Ventures blog.

The Case for Recruiting Experienced Agents
It's common to hear brokerage and team leaders say that they like — and often prefer — recruiting new agents. The oft-stated reason is that it's easier to train new agents on your systems and processes than it is experienced agents who may be set in their ways and resistant to change. Scott Pridemore and Mike Hege, co-CEOS of Pridemore Properties, disagree. They lead a team made exclusively of 30 experienced, senior agents (no rookies here!). In this chat, they share with host Tom Ferry why they recruit only experienced agents, how they recruit, and the pitch they give to senior agents. Watch the video above to learn how they "lead a team of leaders" and how it drives their success.

Tracking Agents and Competitors Is a Super Power for Jordan Baris Realty
There might not be anyone in real estate brokerage that is more passionate about the value of data than the Baris brothers at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Jordan Baris Realty. Having a data scientist in the family has given this northern New Jersey regional powerhouse a unique skill. Russ Baris operates eLumindata in Westport, CT. Some of you may remember that the firm was awarded the "Best New Software in the Industry," award by the National Associaton of REALTORS® in the late 90s, called Top Presenter – a data driven listing presentation tool developed by the brothers. WAV Group took note of a comment made by CEO Ken Baris on a mergers and scquisitions panel hosted at the 2022 RISMedia CEO & Leadership Exchange: "We look at the history of every agent in the firm during an M&A transaction." WAV Group consultants have done hundreds of M&A transactions, and we always look at production, but Ken suggests digging a little deeper. We discussed this in a call together and here is what we learned. The company uses data science to answer a lot of questions about their agents and every agent in the MLS. They use the data to support efforts in coaching, recruiting, retention and, of course, M&A. Are agents likely to leave? Is there a coaching opportunity? Are they pricing listings correctly? Are they losing listings? Do customers relist expired properties with them or someone else? When they come to the brokerage, where do they come from? When they leave, where do they go? Often, Baris knows more about a company and its agents than the owner. Not only do they track competitors and agents all the time, but they recognize changes in behavior that might signal opportunities. The data allows the firm to benchmark their performance across many categories to create an observation and a strategy for M&A. Here are some examples: "We look for performance weakness in key areas of a firm's operation," explained Ken Baris. "We can see listing counts dry up, agent turnover rates, swings in expired listings, and so much more from data that allows us to benchmark against competitors." You probably do not have a data scientist on staff at your brokerage, but products like Terradatum or 3 Data Pulse can help you with similar insights. The Broker Resource Network recently heard from Nancy Fennell and the leadership team at Dickson Realty about how they have deployed 3 Data Pulse in their business. The tool is used to track all recruiting in their company – meaning all agents in the market. 3 Data Pulse is also used as the cornerstone of onboarding real estate agents and monitoring the tools they use and the meetings and trainings they attend. This solution is also used to securely store agent and employee documents and even track referrals and referral closings. Tracking all M&A conversations is also a very helpful feature. Here are a couple screenshots from the webinar. (FYI: Subscribers to the Broker Resource Network can watch the entire webinar here, by logging in to their portal. If you are not already a member and you are interested in joining, send Steve Hayes an email and he will provide you all the details.) Feel free to give Victor Lund or Marilyn Wilson a call if you have further questions. Also, if you have interest in hosting a webinar with the Broker Resource Network, send them an email and a team member will get with you to discuss details. To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

eXp Realty names Patrick O'Neill as Chief Operating Officer
eXp World Holdings, Inc. has appointed Patrick O'Neill as Chief Operating Officer, eXp Realty. O'Neill will work to enhance end-to-end agent experience, improve operational workflow, and scale eXp operations for new growth as the company continues to expand its global network of agents. O'Neill joins eXp Realty with more than 25 years of experience and a proven track record of building and optimizing high-growth technology businesses. Before joining eXp Realty, he was CTO for Xome, LLC, a subsidiary of the Mr. Cooper Group. Prior to Xome, Patrick was SVP, Product Management for Travel Leaders Group. Earlier in his career, O'Neill was appointed COO of Guestlogix, Inc., and he held several senior positions at Sabre, Inc. and Continental Airlines, Inc. "We are at a turning point in our company's history and are deepening our leadership bench to propel our next phase of growth in realty," said Jason Gesing, CEO of eXp Realty. "Patrick brings excellent experience in operations and technology, the perfect combination to help deliver on our ambitious goals to enhance our technology and agent value proposition." "We continue to build for the future by adding top leadership talent to our organization. Patrick will play an important role in building our strong foundation as a cloud-based real estate company," said Jeff Whiteside, CFO and Chief Collaboration Officer.

The Great Resignation Isn't a Threat for Top Real Estate Brands
Coldwell Banker Real Estate announced the results of its annual agent priority report, conducted by Quester among agents and brokers across top national real estate brands to keep a finger on the pulse of what real estate professionals value in their careers. In a time when the Great Resignation has posed a threat to many American workplaces, and competition for exceptional agent talent is substantial, the real estate industry may not be experiencing an exodus of current sales agents. The report's findings reveal that agent priorities among the real estate brokerage community are now more important than ever. Real estate is a desirable profession Citing work/life balance, increased income and gratitude for having a job, 60% of agents surveyed say the pandemic has had no impact on their future career plans as an agent, and about 25% say it has made them more interested in remaining an agent. For the third time, Coldwell Banker Real Estate ranked #1 in agent satisfaction. Coldwell Banker agents surveyed said they were extremely or very likely to recommend their current company to another agent. No need to leave A hot market makes for happy agents, with only 9% of all surveyed agents across all brands reporting that they plan to switch affiliation this year (vs. 20% in 2020). What matters most among agents open to affiliating with Coldwell Banker? Leading edge tech and tools: 98% A strong brand image: 97% Best equipped to navigate future of real estate: 97% Most knowledgeable agents: 96% Local expertise: 94% Recognized by buyers/sellers: 93% Coldwell Banker affiliated agents are less likely to change affiliation in the next two years than any other company's agents according to survey results. Agent Affinity Is Growing: Agents affiliated with the Coldwell Banker brand are less likely to change affiliation in the next two years than any other company's agents. Gold Star Opinion: Agents' opinion of the Coldwell Banker brand is higher than any other real estate brand. The top reasons for leaving For those agents not affiliated with Coldwell Banker who chose to leave their company, numerous factors were at play. According to the survey, reasons why agents who were not affiliated with Coldwell Banker left their previous brand included: Commission: 46% Referrals/Leads: 40% Team Support: 36% Better Tools: 31% Better Training: 27% Culture: 25% Local reputation: 20% Brand reputation is key Real estate brands have more competition than ever to retain and attract their top talent. A notable brand reputation will prevail, as most agents agree that their company's reputation is important to their business success. This sentiment is believed even more fervently among Coldwell Banker affiliated agents. Coldwell Banker brand tools and network support are unmatched, and affiliated agents surveyed have a lot to say about their experiences: "People trust the Coldwell Banker brand, and I get referrals because I work there. They also have a lot of training and support for new or busy agents. There are so many apps available, such as Listing Concierge, MOXI and InTouch that help me stand out from other agents." "Its reputation is unmatched. Everyone recognizes the brand and correlates it to excellence and professionalism," said one Coldwell Banker survey respondent. "I appreciate its reputation and Coldwell Banker has assisted me in my transactions and assisted me in gaining listings." "The company is very ethical, and the top people are great. They are very responsive to the agents' needs, and the company enjoys a great reputation. My customers and clients realize Coldwell Banker's reputation, so it makes it easy to do business. Survey methodology This survey was conducted online within the United States by Quester on behalf of Coldwell Banker Real Estate from Q4 2021 – Q1 2022, among 1,405 licensed real estate agents or brokers that work primarily in residential real estate aged 21-75. Quotes provided by affiliated agents are anonymous, but all interviewed consented to having their statements anonymously published.

FREE Recruitment Strategy Guide
What's the secret to long-term, sustainable growth? A strong, year-round recruitment strategy is a key element for any successful brokerage, yet many brokers struggle with the time and resources to create, execute and manage an intelligent, thoughtful recruitment program. At Elm Street and 3sixtyfive.agency, we believe that there are five foundational elements of a brokerage that needs to be in balance to drive success: Staff Finances Brand and Marketing Systems and Processes Recruitment and Retention We all know the saying, "You're only as strong as your weakest link," and that's 100% true here. All five of the key elements above need to work in harmony in order for a brokerage to build and maintain long-term, sustainable growth. It's not uncommon for brokers to be strong in several areas, but not all five. If left unaddressed, this can cause an imbalance that can result in larger systemic problems inside of an organization. Therefore, whenever we consult with a broker on recruitment and retention strategies, we start with a batch of exploratory questions, such as: Do you have a strong grasp of each of the five key facets of your business? Where are you strong? Where are you weak? Do you have the right administrative staff around you to balance your strengths and weaknesses? Are you properly leveraging technology to accomplish your brokerage's goals? What value proposition are you offering prospective agents, and is it competitively attractive? What is your brokerage's overall reputation in your market, and is it accurate? Another important part of the conversation is understanding your "end game": Where do you want your business to go? How will you get there? And, how long until you arrive? These types of questions lead to conversations that help determine the amount of financing you may need, the administrative staff you'll hire, and the number of agents you'll recruit. Once we have an understanding of who you are, what you do, and where you are going, we can start to build an intelligent recruitment strategy that's designed to bring you and the right prospective agents together in meaningful ways. We believe that there are many different agent personas and that not every agent is meant for every brokerage. Determining the ideal candidate is an important part of the recruitment process, and can save valuable time, money and resources—as well as help curb agent churn later down the road. In our complimentary Recruitment Guide, we break down more considerations when developing a successful recruitment initiative, and offer up some great tips, tricks and insights from some of the top recruiters and thought leaders in the industry. From Tami Bonnell, CEO of EXIT Realty Corp. International, suggesting that recruitment needs to be "personal" to ideas about creating unique connections and building trust and rapport, this guide is designed to spark questions and ideas for even the most seasoned recruiter. [ DOWNLOAD FREE RECRUITMENT GUIDE ] Bondilyn Jolly is the Chief Marketing Officer of Elm Street. Elm Street's portfolio of products and services allows busy real estate professionals the ability to streamline and automate their marketing and day-to-day business objectives by offering high-end IDX websites, lead generation tools, a powerful CRM, email, social, text and blog marketing automation, recruiting and retention tools, and more. 3sixtyfive.agency is the high-end consulting and marketing arm of Elm Street that works with brokerages, teams and professionals to help businesses accelerate growth through thoughtful marketing and intelligent technology. To learn more or to schedule a consultation, visit 3sixtyfive.agency or elmstreet.com.

How to Prepare for a Successful Meeting with a Recruit
Recruiting new agents to your brokerage is an essential part of growing your business. Whether you decide to cast a wide net and hope to catch the right talent, exclusively go after top producers in your market--or both--there's a lot of planning and strategy that goes into recruiting. Once you've identified a list of agents you would like to meet with, it's time to prepare to meet. Here are our top five tips to have a successful meeting: 1. Study your recruit's past performance. When a real estate agent is considering joining a new brokerage, they want to know that you are invested in them from the start. To gain their trust, do your homework so you can have an informed conversation with them. By looking at MLS data and sales history, you can learn what their production levels are, their market share, areas they do business, and if they work primarily with buyers or sellers. 2. Come prepared with a list of questions you want to ask them. At the end of the day, meeting with a recruit is essentially a job interview. You need to understand how they will fit into the culture of your brokerage and help contribute to your bottom line. The questions you ask should cover multiple areas of their business from working with clients, to lead generation, as well as their career goals. Some example questions* to ask are: How do you build rapport with new clients? What questions do you ask upfront to identify what your client is looking for? What lead generation tactics do you find most successful? What type of culture are you looking for? What do you want your career to look like in five years? *If you're interviewing a new agent, you will need to alter your questions to discuss future plans from market areas they want to focus on, needs for coaching, etc. Most importantly, now is the time to put on your listening ears and refrain from giving too much input. Let your recruit guide the conversation so you can decide if they are in fact a good fit for your brokerage. 3. Discuss your business with them—from your plans for growth to market share and culture. Being transparent about how your brokerage operates from the start is imperative if you want to successfully retain your recruit—at the end of the day, they are also interviewing you. Start by sharing the story of your brokerage. Share what you consider to be your strengths, while also being transparent about your weaknesses and how you plan to overcome them. Additionally, come prepared with market share reports and your business plan so you can clearly illustrate how and where their skill set will fit in. It's also a good idea to share agent and client testimonials so they have a clear picture of how others (not just you) see your brokerage. Once you've laid out how your business operates, open the door for them to ask questions... and be prepared to give honest answers. 4. Invite them to meet other agents, admins, and support personnel in your office. Since we all spend so much time at work, it's important for your recruit to enjoy the culture you've built at your brokerage. By allowing your recruit to interview or meet with other agents or admins in your office, they can get a clear picture of what their day-to-day will look like. 5. Explain the tech tools and coaching you provide. With real estate leaning more and more to digital processes, explaining which tech tools you provide at your brokerage is a huge selling tool. Whether you have decided to provide lead generation tools, a CRM, or transaction management—you want them to know these things upfront. This also lets them know what out-of-pocket costs they will incur to successfully manage and run their business. Another huge selling point for recruits is how and when you will provide coaching and training along the way. At the end of the day, they want to know how you intend to support their growth so they can also reach their goals for their own business. To view the original article, visit the Lone Wolf blog.

Brokerage Platform Side Reimagines the Role of Managing Broker
Side recruits for strategically focused managing broker positions in Ohio, Colorado, Nevada and Washington, with more states on the horizon. Side, the brokerage platform that exclusively partners with the very best agents, teams, and independent brokerages to transform them into leading boutique brands and businesses, is recruiting for a position that brings the role of managing broker back to its roots. In most real estate companies, brokers are asked to be office taskmasters and cheerleaders, responsible for recruiting, retention, P&L ownership, technology adoption, staffing, and business planning. As Hilary Saunders, Chief Broker Officer at Side, said, "None of those responsibilities have anything to do with supporting the licensees. At Side, we put our partners first, and that includes providing best-in-class support from the managing broker(s)." At Side, managing brokers concentrate on assisting partners through difficult transactions, deal doctoring, providing meaningful education, overseeing compliance, answering agents' legal and ethical questions, and staying up to date on rules and regulations. Since Side has a dedicated staff of over 400 full-time "inSiders" to handle functions like recruiting, business planning and technology training, Side managing brokers are able to strategically focus on what matters most. "Managing brokers at Side have the luxury of first-class systems and support," said Donnie Pingaro, Side's managing broker in Florida. "This allows us to not get bogged down in the details or get distracted by recruiting and admin work. You get to be the thought leader for highly experienced agents across the state, helping them take their businesses to the next level." Side is doing the same thing for managing brokers as it does for agents: offloading tasks and streamlining workflows so they can focus on what they do best: solving complex transactional matters. The company has raised well over $250 million in service of this mission and is now valued at $2.5 billion. Currently operating in California, Texas and Florida, Side is entering the first phase of a nationwide expansion plan and is recruiting managing brokers for the following states: Ohio, Colorado, Nevada and Washington, with more states added regularly. Qualified brokers are encouraged to get in touch with Jeff Boos, Director of New Markets, to learn more.

The Agent Onboarding Action Plan Every Real Estate Team Needs
The Harvard Business Review published an article diving into the principle of "hire slow, fire fast." This onboarding model operates alongside the same principle, allowing your team to test drive a new employee so both they and you can see how well fit they are for your business, team culture, and the future goals of your company. Before you hire anyone, you need to have a firm business foundation in place, and review this article about where to spend and where to save when operating a real estate team. Remember, when you are onboarding new agents it doesn't matter if you are hiring your first agent or your 20th, the same general timeline should apply. Our tips in that article will help you prepare for unexpected costs you may incur when growing a team. The agent onboarding plan below is for new agents with beginner to intermediate experience. It is also hybrid of real estate onboarding models found in the teams of Kevin Smits' Century 21 Gold, the Duncan Duo, Path & Post Real Estate, and Alyssa Hellman's training expertise. Agent Onboarding Plan: Days 1-30 This first full 30 business days is going to be all about catching up to the learning curve. Your main systems, support, technology, and business planning will be covered here. It is a lot, and you need to remember that for incoming members. We advise appointing an advisor or mentor if you do not have time to do so who checks in with the new hire once a week, if not more. This way they have someone to go to for questions throughout the process. Step One: The first week should be filled with information about your business history, region of expertise, company mission, brand, and culture. Review your company business plan and discuss how to setup the new hire's business plan once things get going. Takeaway — They should begin to draft their templated personal business plan with goals related to this onboarding plan for the first three months. They can revisit this plan once the 90 days is up to add transactional milestones. Step Two: Begin training on your technology and processes. If you have a technology advocate, introduce the two and make sure your new hire knows that questions about certain technology platforms should be forwarded to that person. Now they have two supports in place, the technology advocate and their mentor. Takeaway — Have them run through everyday processes within your technology systems. It helps to have the new hire enter a fake lead from the beginning and show you how to take this lead through follow-up, nurture, and all the way to close. Step Three: Begin training on the phones. Our plan has new hires, no matter their personal goals, starting on the phones answering to new leads. This way they begin to train and master breaking the ice and extending conversations into actual information. We advise keeping your new hires on the phones for the entirety of the first 100 days. Takeaway — Run scripts for the phones. Whether they are on call or text, have your new hire comfortable with these general "branded" conversations before they hop on the phone. Then establish a conversion rate for the first two weeks on the phone (and detail this in the personal business plan) for them to work towards. Make sure this conversion rate will challenge, but not overwhelm them. Step Four: Continue with them on the phone and introduce them to each specialist role on your team. If this is your first hire, or your first agent, then you may have less people to introduce them to. Don't forget your recommended lenders or other home buying referrals (contractors, inspectors, plumbers, etc.). Takeaway — Analyze and adjust the phone leads conversion rates. Talk over scripts again and any obstacles they have in their conversations. Discuss how to add value and get to the point in a casual, but efficient way. See here for phone and texting tips. Have your new hire shadow each specialist (ISA, seller specialist, showing specialist, etc.) each afternoon for one or two hours. This way they get a taste for what everyone contributes to the team. Agent Onboarding Plan Days 31-60 This portion of your plan should only commence when your new hire is comfortable one the phones, has a good handle on the team's technology, and can navigate everyday processes. If they need one more week or a few days to master those first, then don't hesitate—some people learn at different paces. The next several days will focus on transitioning your new hire into a 50/50 position. They will work the phones half of the day and act as a showing specialist for the rest. Or you can alternate days if that works easier for you. Step Five: Train your new hire to operate as a showing specialist. Kevin Smits' implements this position and has new hires spend nine months in this role. You can adjust to whatever length you deem necessary. Takeaway — Continue to train on the phones, shadow other specialists on the team, and begin to preview properties. Maintain a consistent schedule throughout this period since there is, like the first 30 days, a lot going on and a large learning curve for beginner agents. Adjust their business plan to reflect an updated conversion rate and an amount of properties they should preview per week. Agent Onboarding Plan Days 61-100 At this point, the new hires should be starting to adjust well to the team processes, but again, if they need more time, or you feel more comfortable expanding these time frames, absolutely do so! In the Salary Vs. Commission article, we discuss Kevin Smits' longer term onboarding plan that ensures each new hire covers every basic to his team. Our agent onboarding plan may be shorter, but his is perfectly proportioned if you have the time. Read the article here. Step Six: The last leg of your first 100 days should be spent as a showing specialist, on the phones, reviewing your marketing practices, along with contract and negotiation tactics. This is a lot to handle, so consider if this timeline works well for you, or if more time needs to be added to appropriately train your new hire. Remember to have a technology advocate (this may be you!) on your team to be the point person for tech questions, along with weekly or bi-weekly check-ins with the new hire's mentor. This way your new hire begins to adhere to team accountability and they know there is always someone there to answer a question. The final portion of your onboarding plan should continue to have your new hire on the phones; at this point, their conversion rates should be rising. They should also be able to increase the number of properties previewed in their time as a showing specialist. Takeaway — Update the new hire's business plan at the beginning of this period to reflect new phone conversion rate goals, property quotas for previewing, and establish that they know good and well your platforms and processes. At this point, you should arrange more shadowing for the new hire to observe and interact during the contract, negotiation, and closing process. Ensure these shadowing experiences are interactive and the new hires aren't simply watching from the sidelines. Agent Onboarding Plan: Post 100-Day Review Now is the time to review your new hire's first 100 days business plan and their progress. If goals were not met, explore why. If they exceeded goals, explore this as well. Maybe you could learn something from how they are doing things. Most importantly, review whether or not they have interacted well with your fellow team members, their mentor, if they went to the tech advocate for questions, etc. The "hire slow, fire fast" mentality works well with this process because the "fast" portion allows you to spend ample time allowing a new hire to assimilate. And if they don't for reasons related to culture, not handling conversations well, or bringing down the team or your brand, then the decision is obvious: they are not a good fit. The goal however of this 100-day process is to allow your new hire to experience every facet of your company. This way if they continue on as an agent with your team, they will hopefully understand and appreciate everyone's contribution. At the end of the day, a real estate team needs to act together as a well-oiled machine. If one part malfunctions or misunderstands the point or purpose, then you have a problem. If everyone is well-trained on the process and your mission, then all systems are a go! To view the original article, visit the BoomTown blog.

LeadingRE Names Michael Pappas Chairman of the Board
Congratulations to Mike Pappas, the newly elected President of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World. Through his leadership, his organization is, by far, one of the most progressive and successful brokerages in America. With his leadership, I am confident that LeadingRE will continue to provide valuable strategic support, training and networking, coupled with the profitability generated from one of the most powerful referral networks in America today. Read the full release below: Leading Real Estate Companies of the World Names Michael Pappas Chairman of the Board CHICAGO (June 7, 2021) – Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE) announced today that Michael Pappas of The Keyes Family of Companies has been elected to a two-year term as chairman of the board of directors. The board provides strategic guidance for LeadingRE®, a global network of 550 market-leading real estate firms in 70 countries. Mr. Pappas is the President & CEO of The Keyes Family of Companies, a South Florida based real estate company with multiple real estate brands, over 50 branches, 3,500 plus Associates and affiliates that include Capital Partners Mortgage, Home Partners Title, Keyes Insurance, and Keyes Property Management. With sales and services in excess of $8.3 billion annually, the company is one of the largest independent brokerage firms in the United States. Mr. Pappas graduated Cum Laude from Wake Forest University, where he majored in Business and Spanish. He joined Keyes as a Sales Associate in 1980 and held a variety of positions, including General Sales Manager, until taking over as President in 1992. Mr. Pappas has been the recipient of numerous awards and designations, including the YPO Legacy Award and "Real Estate Up and Comer of the Year" by Price Waterhouse and "Best Real Estate Deal of the Year" by South Florida Magazine. The past three years, he was named in the National Top 200 Most Powerful People in Real Estate by Swanepoel Power 200. "I am honored to serve such a powerful network of caring, progressive leaders, whose organizations are fully engaged in their 550 communities around the globe," Mr. Pappas said. LeadingRE President/CEO Paul Boomsma comments, "Mike is incredibly respected in the industry, in our network and in the communities served by his companies. He brings a visionary outlook and a true passion for excellence in real estate. We are very fortunate to have him serve in this capacity, and I look forward to working with him to support the continued success of our members and our network." For more information about The Keyes Company, please visit keyes.com. For more information about LeadingRE, please visit leadingre.com. About The Keyes Family of Companies Independently-owned and operated since 1926, The Keyes Company is a leader in the real estate industry. Keyes completed a merger with Illustrated Properties in July 2016. Following the merger, The Keyes Family of Companies has over 50 offices, more than 3,500 Associates and $8.3 billion in annual real estate sales and services. Keyes' offices are distributed throughout six counties – Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, and Volusia. Keyes expands our Associates' reach globally as a Founding Member and Shareholder of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®. The Keyes Company offers a suite of resources to cover whatever needs arise while buying or selling a home. Mortgage, title, insurance and property management needs can all be managed in-house, allowing Keyes to close deals with speed and efficiency while giving clients valuable access to the professionals responsible for the specific service lines. About Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® is a selective global community of the highest quality independent residential real estate companies, with 550 companies and 150,000 sales associates in 70 countries. Network members generate over 1.3 million transactions annually. LeadingRE exists to make its members better by connecting them to opportunities and people around the globe, supporting them with an international referral network, professional development programs, unique events and connections to people and opportunities worldwide.

Hire Right Every Time with These 9 Recruiting Steps
When scaling your real estate team, resist taking shortcuts and use this nine-step process as your guide to recruiting right the first time. In this crazy market, many real estate teams are in the process of growing. It may not seem like it, but having the right process in place for recruiting is critical to the success of your business. Handling recruitment in the wrong way risks costing you time, money and, worst of all, the cultural integrity of your team. Take it from real estate coach, investor and entrepreneur, Erik Hatch. In a recent interview with Ylopo, Hatch explains how hiring people in the wrong way actually cost him his entire business in the early days of his real estate career. As a result, he was forced to cut his losses, scrap his original team and start over. Having learned from his previous hiring mistakes, Hatch invented a rigorous nine-step recruiting process that he continues to use today to grow his now very successful 52 person real estate team. In addition to the nine-step process, Hatch uses a numerical breakdown as a guide to select the right candidates. Let's dig in and learn each step individually. Step 1: Publish a Well-written Job Advertisement This step may seem like an obvious one, but it's important, and there are a few not-so-obvious tweaks Erik Hatch adds to this step. Be sure to discuss your company's culture, values, and goals in the job listing and mention what sort of personality traits the individual you're seeking should have. As always, be sure not to discriminate against individuals for things like age, race, sex religion, etc. You should be asking for personality traits such as: "someone who is disciplined and able to hold themselves accountable" or "someone who knows that weekends, holidays, and nights are often prime-time hours for this position and are willing to work on these occasions regularly." When crafting your job ad, try to shift your mindset away from "I need to attract candidates to work for me" to "candidates need to attract me to their application." So, instead of writing a job post that glamorizes how awesome it is to work on your real estate team, mention how much work it is going to take and what type of person will thrive in the production-based role you're hiring for. This way, the candidates you attract to apply for your job opening will likely be a better fit for your team and go into the next recruiting steps with appropriate expectations of how much work they will need to put forth in order to be a successful member of your team. Don't have a job advertisement up exclusively during the time when you are actively hiring. Instead, always be actively recruiting. This way, you'll be consistently growing your team so when the perfect candidate comes along, you can react. Otherwise, you put yourself in a position of having to pick from the limited group of people who applied for your job opening in the little window of time when you had your listing posted. Step 2: Review Resumes and Social Media Profiles This is another seemingly obvious recruiting step, but one that is actually the first critical step in preserving the cultural integrity of your team. While reviewing resumes, don't fall into the trap of exclusively looking for people who have previous real estate experience. Not only could this cause you to miss out on some ideal cultural fits, but when you hire seasoned agents, they may already have bad habits developed from their previous experiences that you'll then need to break. What you should be looking for is an individual who is a great culture fit, has tenacity, grit, and is overall designed for a sales-type role. "We have 52 people on our team right now and only three of us have had previous real estate experience. By hiring people who are culture fits and have the right kind of grit and tenacity, we've been able to build something pretty special." - Erik Hatch Once you've reviewed resumes and selected some individuals you think are a possible fit, don't skip the step of reviewing their social media profiles. This can give you a better insight into who the person is outside of what they included on their resume and can often help you determine if the person is truly the right cultural fit for your team. Pro tip! Make sure you're looking at the right social media account. Step 3: Create Barriers to Entry (Pro Tip) In this step, you're really beginning to test the tenacity of your candidates and giving them the opportunity to show that they're interested, that they have what it takes to work in the real estate business and, more specifically, that they have the grit to work effectively on your unique real estate team. One of the ways Erik Hatch creates barriers to entry is through what he calls "career night." Career night is an event that Hatch sponsors for all the candidates to attend in person. The purpose of career night is to educate the candidates on what the role is, who the Hatch team is and how they work. Here are just a few reasons career night is a great addition to your recruiting process: You can quickly filter out all the candidates who choose not to show up to your career night, effectively thinning the pool of applicants you consider moving forward with. "The moment you get 30 people in the room you can pick out your favorite three—no problem," says Hatch. Career night is the first extra step that is put into place that gives a candidate the opportunity to go above and beyond the status quo. It is a fantastic time saver. Instead of doing dozens of one-on-one conversations, you can deliver your message one time at scale. You can discuss in person about the time commitment needed, work required, and general demands of the job and gauge their reactions live. You can have multiple stakeholders on your team involved to interact with the candidates in person. Different people will see and hear different things and provide different perspectives of an individual, allowing you to make a more informed decision. Step 4: Have Candidates Complete a Job Questionnaire Once you have filtered down your pool of applicants through your career night, layer in an additional barrier to entry. Hatch sends the remaining candidates an essay-type questionnaire to complete that gives him a more in-depth view into their answers. Hatch's questions often vary between cultural questions, scenario-type questions and technical competency related questions. Like career night, anyone who does not complete and return the job questionnaire is eliminated as a candidate moving forward in the recruiting process. further filtering down the list of eligible candidates. Step 5: Hold the First Interview (30 Minutes) and Run Background Checks Finally, you should conduct your initial interview. This is a great time to talk a lot about their resume, basic technical skills, and understanding of the job. Keep this interview restricted to job-related competencies only and judge the candidate based on the content of their answers, the delivery of their answers (eloquence), and their demeanor. Take special notice of how confident or nervous they seem. Next, run a standard background check on each candidate you're pushing through to the next step in the process. Step 6: Conduct Deep Reference Checks (Pro Tip) This is where things get more complex. It's time to roll up your sleeves and attempt to be Sherlock Holmes! Erik Hatch practices what he calls "deep reference checks." Hatch argues that your regular run-of-the-mill reference checks don't provide an accurate depiction of the candidate. Here's why: if you ask the candidate for references, there is a 100% chance that the candidate will only provide you references who will paint them in a positive light. Why would they do otherwise? This is why it's important to dig deeper to get a more accurate review of the person you're looking to hire. Step 7: Hold the Second Interview (3 Hours) Okay, I know what you're thinking. A three-hour interview sounds like overkill, but this interview is split into two parts. Part one is a two-hour, in-depth discussion about the person's background and is meant to be a time where you really get to know the person well. Part two is a one-hour, in-depth discussion about the person's job competencies and on gauging their level of coachability. In part one of this interview, you'll want to try and dig out their highest of highs and lowest of lows and understand how each of those experiences impacted them. Your goal during this interview is to stop them from giving you any repeated or rehearsed answers and dig through those rehearsed answers when you do receive them. Dig through by continuing to ask more questions and get into their "why." Finally, try to discover why they make the decisions that lead them to the next place on their life journey. If this all seems too intrusive, think of it this way: you may be spending more time with this person than you do with your own personal family and you're trusting them with hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars of responsibility. Do not breeze over this step because it is too uncomfortable to dig that deep; just be very well-versed on what you're allowed to ask and what you're not allowed to ask in an interview. Moving on to part two will feel more like a standard interview. This is where you get into the real technicalities of the job and into their level of proficiency and experience. You will also want to try to get an understanding of how coachable the person is. Look out for people who consider themselves "self made." You always want to try to hire an individual who is willing to improve themselves and help others improve as well. Step 8: Have the "Final Validation" Interview You've made it to step eight, which means you're almost there! This is the last "review" step in the nine-step process, and it's the final validation interview. The final validation interview is the interview they will have with either the people they will be working most with intimately on a daily basis or the person or people risking their money and business directly. So this interview would be with the highest stakeholders at your company (think broker/owner) or the members of the direct team they will be joining. This step is important as those involved in this final validation interview are the ones who give the ultimate thumbs up or thumbs down to moving forward with the candidate. Pro tip: Hold this interview in a less professional environment like a bar or a coffee shop. Taking the candidate to a more informal setting may expose more of their personality and give the interviewers a more genuine perspective of the candidate's character. Step 9: Extend the Job Offer Finally, you made it to the point where you have one fully vetted candidate. They made it through the interviews, the reference checks, the cultural review, and lastly the validation from the most senior stakeholder or their direct team members. Now there's nothing left to do but extend the job offer. At this stage, you should have 100% confidence that you're hiring the right person for your team, that you are comfortable trusting the success of your business to them, and that they will be sticking around for a good long while. It's a great and well-deserved feeling. Congratulations! Closing Thoughts We won't pretend that implementing these nine recruiting steps won't be time consuming and require a certain level of commitment from you, but when practiced, they will help you to always hire right the first time around and ultimately save you time and money—keeping your turnover low and your risk at a minimum. For more helpful tips on hiring, including how to hire an ISA, you can view the entire interview session with Erik Hatch and Robbie T. here. Learn more about the interviewer at www.ylopo.com.

George Slusser to Head New M&A Advisory Division at WAV Group
George Slusser, one of the real estate industry's most experienced and well-known valuation experts, will join WAV Group to head its new Mergers and Acquisition Advisory Division, real estate's leading consulting and research firm announced today. As the newest member of the WAV Group team, Slusser brings more than 35 years of experience, including personal participation in over 300 real estate brokerage mergers and acquisitions on both the acquiring and selling side, including hundreds of brokerage company valuations.

8-Week Video Series: Brokerage Brainstorm Now Available
Brokerage Brainstorm: Alternative Solutions to Every Day Challenges 8-week video series NOW AVAILABLE This FREE, 8-week educational video series led by industry experts, Frank Chimento and Mike Martella, dives into the nuts and bolts of running a successful real estate brokerage with each episode focused on a specific segment of your business: Recruiting 101 - What's most important to win a recruiting battle? Cutting costs on services, good idea or bad idea? Recruiting 2.0 - Whomever controls the leads, attracts the agents. Big brother vs. big partner - How do your agents view your brokerage? Creative services agency - Are you creating the best collateral and corporate branding packages? How are your recruiting materials? Consolidating technology - Can your tech offerings save you money and make you money? Service models - What are agents wanting the most from their brokerage? Recruiting - It's all about your BS: Belief Systems. Subscribers will receive an email each week as a new video is released. Don't miss out! Subscribe today at: boss.tryelevate.com.

How to Recruit Real Estate Agents: Attracting the Best Team
Real estate is an extremely competitive industry. It is crucial to have a top-notch team of agents supporting your brokerage, and keeping you in business. What is the best way to go about recruiting the talent you need? When planning your approach to recruit real estate agents to your brokerage, consider what you are able to offer agents, and capitalize on it. Once you establish a clear message and brand, you will be able to attract the agents you need to make an outstanding team.

Real Estate Recruiters: Seal the Deal with Technology and Tools
When you're the one in charge of recruiting for your firm, use top-of-the-line real estate technology and tools as motivation to attract new sales associates. Technology that simplifies an associate's daily life is one of the best ways to stand out from others vying for top talent in your market. Supercharge your recruiting efforts with next-gen technology, giving your associates reliable business-building solutions to help source leads and establish their reputations.

The 'Four Pillars' of Brokerage Technology Tools
It's no secret that real estate brokerage business models are continually evolving, and tech innovation is happening at warped speed. In the fast-paced and highly competitive real estate industry, it can serve as a helpful reminder for brokers to focus on the "four pillars" of brokerage technology tools. Let's break down the "four pillars" of technology tools for your brokerage: 1. Drive Revenue With the industry's leading recruiting module, we make it easier than ever to target the agents you want to recruit and build rapport and meaningful relationships faster. With contact record details protected in the agent databases, agent adoption is greater and leads to more engagement with more of their spheres of influence, resulting in more business transactions. Additionally, our industry leading lead generation volume and conversion rates catapults new business opportunities leading to increased returns on investment. 2. Increase Capacity An advanced CRM productivity solution such as Elevate BOSS™ allows agents to stay on track with tasks associated with each stage of the pipeline for buyers, sellers, and renters. Daily coaching emails (morning reports) designed to focus the agent on the highest and best use of their time while reminding them about the customers that need attention now is a sure-fire way to maximize effective selling time and increase production capacity. 3. Save Time Currently, the typical agent manages 10 different and disparate technology vendors. The Elevate platform combines an agent's core services into one solution, providing best-in-class IDX websites, CRM, CMA, email and text message marketing, document storage, pipeline management, activity coaching, social media marketing and lead generation, plus much more. Time lost is time wasted, and agents need to maximize their time on the activities that matter most, driving the behavior that produces the most desired financial outcome. 4. Save Money The typical brokerage manages more than 15 different vendors, incurring costs exponentially higher than what can be available in one, consolidated, simplified solution. By providing IDX websites, advanced productivity CRMs, email and text marketing, recruiting module, document storage, CMA creation wizard, blogs, automated content, social media marketing, online lead generation, lead routing and lead scrubbing concierge services, there is NO OTHER platform in real estate that combines all of this functionality into one, singular solution. With an unrivaled price point, Elevate BOSS™ saves you money and time while improving production capacity and driving revenue to increase your "company dollar." Are you ready to meet the BOSS? Elevate BOSS™ helps brokerages concentrate on what matters most. Consider your current technology tools, products, and services and compare them to what Elevate BOSS™ provides. Are your current solutions meeting all your needs? If you are unsure, spend a few minutes with the Elevate Brokerage Development team to discuss your business challenges and determine if our solution can benefit your brokerage. < Schedule Your Gap Analysis Now >

3 Steps to Inspire Agent Loyalty at Your Brokerage
Summer has come to a close--and so has busy season. Before you settle in for a long season of paying out commissions for all those closed deals, finishing up file reviews, and double-checking for compliance, let's take a few minutes to look at something just as important: agent retention.

Premier Sotheby's International Realty Partners with RPR to 'Connect' with New Recruits
Even the biggest of brokerages can use a little help when it comes to onboarding and training new agents. The team at Premier Sotheby's International Realty recognizes that RPR provides unique services, dedicated support and a user-friendly interface. That's why the Naples-based firm, with more than 1,100 agents in West to Central Florida and North Carolina, is utilizing the analytics and custom-branded reporting tools they're able to tap through RPR to elevate their own brand.

OJO Labs Adds Two Heavy Hitters to Lineup: Heller and Karns Join the AI leader
OJO Labs announced today that former Keller Williams CEO Chris Heller and Amazon veteran Karen Starns have joined the artificial intelligence leader. OJO Labs is growing rapidly far beyond building a world-class management team, adding tens of thousands of new home shoppers who are using its groundbreaking conversational AI assistant – working in tandem with local real estate agents and brokers – to help find the right home. OJO is stacking its team with all-star talent from diverse backgrounds, also recently naming Drew Miller, a former frog design executive creative director, as its senior director of customer experience. Here's the official news release: Accelerating OJO Labs' ambitions to deliver exceptional consumer experiences, Chris Heller joins as Chief Real Estate Officer and Karen Starns joins as Chief Marketing Officer AI technology company continues to stack its team with all-stars from diverse backgrounds Austin, Texas, July 19, 2019 – OJO Labs, which empowers consumers to make better decisions through its conversational AI (artificial intelligence) platform, "OJO," announced today that two top industry leaders who have led at the highest levels in real estate, financial services, consumer products, and enterprise technology joined their executive team. Real estate industry leader, Chris Heller, former CEO of Keller Williams, the largest residential real estate brokerage in the world, and most recently CEO of mellohome, joined as OJO's Chief Real Estate Officer. Consumer brand trailblazer, Karen Starns, who most recently led brand and customer experience at Amazon for Echo, Alexa, FireTV, Kindle, and the portfolio of Amazon smart home devices, joined as OJO's Chief Marketing Officer. OJO's CEO John Berkowitz said, "Karen and Chris are uniquely equipped to bring OJO to consumers in a natural and delightful way while enabling realtors, loan officers, and other service professionals to act as superheroes for their customers. Hiring these two leaders is the perfect demonstration that due to the technology and strategy of OJO there doesn't have to be a choice between obsessively serving consumers and helping the real estate industry thrive." OJO, the face and personality of the company's AI technology products, is fast growing across the U.S. quickly gaining trust and admiration from consumers navigating their home journey. The addition of Heller and Starns to its c-suite is a strong indication of the organization's ambition to reinvent the home buying and selling experience for everyone and help accelerate the company's mission to transform an industry. While serving as Keller Williams' CEO, Heller helped increase profits within two years by almost one hundred percent and built the strategy to completely retool the company's approach to technology. Heller took notice of OJO back in 2016 when he first met the company's CEO, John Berkowitz, and Co-founder, David Rubin. "What really makes OJO stand out are its leadership, team, and capability to execute on its vision. OJO was the first company to come into the Real Estate industry and drive the innovation of an AI assistant for the benefit of consumers and agents alike. Since meeting the OJO team several years ago, I have seen them combine vision, operational excellence, creativity, and extremely talented leadership to bring an important and valuable product to market," Heller said. "The foundation is assembled for us to continue building one of the more significant companies in the real estate industry." As OJO Labs adds tens of thousands of new users, the conversational AI assistant helps inform, guide and equip customers with information to facilitate finding a home they'll love, and making this major life decision with confidence. Armed with extensive brand and marketing expertise from leadership roles at Amazon and Microsoft, a track record of solving complex marketing problems, and deep consumer insight, Starns will develop scaled channels to continue to rapidly grow OJO's user base while building a brand that consumers trust. "We have an exciting marketing challenge of educating and introducing consumers to a technology that solves real problems by meeting them where they are and redefining how they search for, buy, and sell a home," said Starns. "What ignited my enthusiasm about OJO was the organization's empathy for customers and their authentic and differentiated approach to the real estate industry. Boiling it down, I am a brand marketer at heart, and the best and highest impact roles I've held have been centered on building a brand that people love and can't live without. That's what we intend to do with OJO," said Starns. With Chris Heller and Karen Starns joining OJO Labs, the quest to build an exceptional consumer product is accelerating. "The significance of having Chris and Karen on the OJO team is immeasurable," said CEO, John Berkowitz. "We are extremely fortunate to have these two brilliant leaders buy into our vision and commit themselves to help us achieve our mission of empowering millions of people to make better decisions through the fusion of machine and human intelligence." About OJO Labs Inc. OJO Labs is on a mission to empower people to make better decisions through the fusion of machine and human intelligence. The company's unique, patented AI technology products can conduct text conversations with consumers at scale. By combining natural language understanding with data and personalization, the products allow consumers to deeply engage in a purchase process before interacting with a salesperson. OJO Labs is backed by the two most active VC firms in Texas, leaders in real estate and financing industries, as well as key industry executives. OJO Labs has recently been recognized among the "Best Places to Work" by the Austin Business Journal, a 2019 Austin A-List Award winner, an Artificial Intelligence Excellence Awards recipient, named to Red Herring's North American Top 100 list, and an AI Breakthrough Award winner for the Best AI-Based Solution for Real Estate. The OJO team has decades of combined success scaling businesses and deep experience in data science, engineering, product marketing, and operations. To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

5 Don'ts to Help You Recruit Agents This Selling Season
Recruiting is a constantly changing field, especially in the highly competitive real estate market. How do you stand out? Attract the right agents? Convince them to join you? This selling season, let's take a look at five don'ts when it comes to recruiting agents for your real estate brokerage.

Lone Wolf's New CEO Jack Blaha
WAV Group and RE Technology would like to welcome Jack Blaha to the real estate industry. This article is part of our Follow the Leader series that highlights real estate's most profoundly impactful CEOs. Blaha (pronounced Bla-ha) has taken the helm at Lone Wolf Technologies, replacing CEO Patrick Arkeveld who has moved up to Executive Chairman of the company. (Lone Wolf founder Lorne Wallace continues in an executive advisory role with the company).

7 Real Estate Job Descriptions to Hire an All-Star Team
Your job descriptions should be informative, but also stand out. How do you write one that isn't boring, too standard, or just a supremely lame laundry list of duties? The first step in growing your business is to think about hiring your team. And when that time comes, you will need to sit down and compose job descriptions that will entice the best candidates to come knocking on your door. Where do you start? List out the responsibilities of the role, then think about what traits, skills, experience, and education is necessary to perform the job well. We put on our thinking caps and did some of the work for you. Here are some sample job descriptions for various roles that make up an all-star real estate team. Keep in mind that these are general guidelines, and should be tweaked and personalized to better align with your perfect new hire.

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.

Why You Should Hire a Social Media Manager
Social media is one of the best ways to find new customers and keep past customers coming back. Having social media accounts is a great first step, but having someone who knows how to run those accounts and platforms to optimize your results is the best way to ensure the success of your business through social media. Most large companies have a social media expert working around the clock, monitoring social media for new trends and opportunities. As a real estate professional running your own business, you need to ask yourself if this is something you can do yourself or would you be better served finding someone to help. Here are a few things that your social media manager should be able to handle, whether that is you or someone else.

Retention Expert Offers 13 Ways to Keep Top Agents
Retention expert Eric Pearson has 13 ways to make sure good agents stay with his brokerage. He has a plan for agents in all stages of professional experience from trainee to team leader. Eric has decided to provide every possible tool and service they need to enjoy unfettered growth within Pearson Smith Realty – using leads from realtor.com. How can you offer a program for new agents that won't be outgrown once they achieve success? We have 13 different compensation models, so it's very customizable to the real estate agent in terms of what their needs are and where they are in their career. The goal of our lead program is to generate revenue, but it also builds agents and helps them get to the next level. They don't always have the financial resources it takes to get out there and do online lead generation given today's cost. This is our way to help them grow and ultimately lead to a brokerage built off agent productivity. What is your "starter package"? We start newly licensed agents with a program on our All-Inclusive Lead Package. Basically, this provides agents with leads to get started -- and realtor.com is definitely one of our biggest sources. In addition to other syndicated sites, we also use pay-per-click and Facebook. We teach and we train those agents how to convert. We currently provide leads to 125 of our agents on this package. They will probably make up around $750 million of our volume this year – and likely half a billion dollars in sales is from the brokerage supplied leads. How much of your company business comes from leads? From round numbers in terms of what we track, I'd say we're getting about a third of our business from online leads. Some of the other 750 agents associated with Pearson Smith Realty are doing online leads as well; they just do it at their own capacity and spend. The rest is about 50 percent from our database / sphere of influence with a smaller percentage coming from other pillars that agents choose to attack—whether that's general networking, expired, withdrawn, FSBO, circle prospecting, door knocking and open houses. Why so much emphasis on company paid leads for new agents? It's a structured way to help an agent ramp up quickly. Everybody knows the main con in this business is that ramp up period. It takes an agent a year or so to get going and that could mess with mindset and frustration comes into play. It's our way to say, "When you join our brokerage, you're going to be rocking and rolling in four months if you follow the business plan we lay out." How do you help your agents convert? The initial package is run very similar to a team. It doesn't have the constraints of a team, such as having to brand themselves to a team or having to have transactions and listings credited under the team leader's MLS. They're individual agents. They are just held to high accountability and performance metrics. To back this up, we have coaches and mentors and people really putting in a lot of effort. This drives a lot of our revenue and what the main goal is honestly when an agent goes on that package at the end of year one they come in and say, "Hey, I closed 18 deals, Eric!" I then ask, "How many were leads versus how many were personally generated business?" At the end of year one, it's typically, "Well 15 were leads and three were my own." So they stay on the lead program—it only makes sense. It's going to help them continue to grow. It's also going to build their future and their database and SOI (sphere of influence). How do you retain agents who have outgrown the starter program? At the end of year two, I usually see it shift and be a little bit different of a story. "Hey Eric, I closed 30 deals. Fifteen were leads, 15 were my own." I'm usually telling them at that time, "We have several other packages in our brokerage that may be a better fit for you now because your business is rocking and rolling." At that point, they usually make that transition. At the same time, we fill an agent into a new lead spot and repeat the process. How did you decide on 13 packages? Currently, it's 13. We probably will narrow it down some. It's not like you go from needing leads to all of a sudden, "I just want to be a complete individual agent." The progression is typically "I need leads," and in that package, we're also paying for everything for them -- we paid for all the listing expenses, transaction coordinators, etc. This allows them to focus on servicing clients and growing their business. The next progression for a lot of people is "My business is built up. I don't need the leads anymore, but I want to increase my compensation." They may still not quite be ready to lose that coverage of the other items when they get a listing. They still want the brokerage to cover the expenses involved in that transaction. This allows them to invest in their own lead generation without having to worry about some of the additional expenses, and in additional help with bandwidth. And the top people who may not need as much help? Eventually, they want to be an individual agent. It gets a little bit more about compensation and you see someone say, "I no longer need leads, I no longer need the services. Now I just want to go out there build my own procedures and processes and go prosper." So they typically jump to that package then. Do you have a place for starting a team? Yes we have team packages. Our ultimate goal is never have a ceiling for an agent. We have 13 total packages, but with each one usually compensation rises, and they lose some of the services from the brokerage because they don't feel they needed them anymore and they would rather run it their own way. Can an agent change their mind? It's very customizable. We allow the agents to choose every quarter. You hear it every day from everybody else that "This is an agent centric environment." We truly believe our job is to serve our real estate agents, and if we do that the right way, those agents are going to take such great care of their clients. It's going to be a win-win all the way around. We put a lot of pride into that—so it's not just in terms of our packages. We have the best brokerage recruiting incentives. You hear a lot about the profit share models and all those different things. Ours is a revenue share based model and more lucrative then any other brokerage out there. Is this helping you compete in your market? From a tech perspective, they get everything. This is every agent in the brokerage—from the CRM, to leads, and a number of top level tech tools that are coming at no cost to those agents. We're transitioning into another level in 2019 where we will make it even more customizable for agents. I'm super excited about that because it's going to allow agents almost on a transaction to transaction basis to determine what they feel they need during that time. When I look at real estate brokerage in general, it's basically going the way of discount, the way of tech companies that may offer discounts with the goal of one day replacing the agent. My goal is to give the agent everything possible from compensation, training, best in class technology, leads, ability to scale, etc. End of the day, if we service our agents correctly, my belief is having highly skilled agents that offer amazing customer service will win against the disruptors all day long. Are the realtor.com customers receptive to your agents and converting? I'm extremely happy with realtor.com. We run our numbers every day and it offers an incredible ROI. Agents need to give it time. When we put someone on to our lead packages for four months, we don't expect anything to happen right away. Most agents get a realtor.com lead and expect to convert the first one or two. But in reality, we're bringing an incredible amount of those to conversation and getting the highest conversion to closing in terms of any other source that we have. I cannot speak any more highly of what realtor.com is doing. There's a huge difference between a voluntary inquiry on a specific property. When I get that realtor.com lead, that person could be hot that day because they've been on realtor.com for one month already searching and they voluntarily push that button to make that inquiry -- so it's far and away the best online lead you can get out there, in my opinion. As long as somebody is able to give it the time needed and the investment needed to get the number of leads to actually get to a conversion-to-close ratio, there's not a better purchase in the industry, in my opinion. How do you get agents engaged with the leads? If you're on leads with us, you'll have a day that is your day to receive leads. It's nothing but constant training, coaching, kickoff off meetings, scripting—whatever is needed so that the agent is constantly learning and understanding how to get the best conversion possible. We give them a lot of time to get going. We put them in a process where they're getting the coaching/mentorship everything that they need from one another to make sure they're in a position while they'll be able to have speed to lead and then set them up with a CRM that's going to let them see a high level of success. What differentiates the Pearson Smith company? Culture, in my opinion, is our biggest value proposition in terms of things that we do and what comes from the management down. It's open door policy. We're here every single day. We're the first one in and the last one out. I'm kind of the real estate side of things, which is the Pearson; the Smith is my uncle Chuck, who comes from the corporate world and runs an incredibly efficient back-end operation. How do you encourage innovation and idea sharing? I literally read everything that comes through here. If an agent has an idea or suggestion that we feel we can implement and at a high level, and it makes sense, we're definitely going to make sure we do that. We have cultural things that we do, whether it's a Saint Patrick's Day party or the annual crab fest. We bring in bands and make sure we're inviting families and things like to meet not only the agent, but the people that are important to them to be successful in the business. We all know it takes a lot of sacrifice to be a significant other of a real estate agent because they're often on-call 24/7, so we want to appreciate them as well. So back to where we started: what is your goal in making your company a place that an agent would never want to leave? I want them to grow and achieve their goals with no limits. If a person is a good fit from a character level, believes our core values and overall vision, there is not a brokerage in the industry that offers or cares for their agents more than us.  

How Data Can Change Your Real Estate Recruiting Game
We're pretty vocal about data and how important it is for all aspects of business. So vocal, in fact, we called out Compass on their recent embellishments with plenty of data to set the record straight for our industry. But that's a story for a different day. My point is, data is everything. Without data, we'd all be wandering around the office all day with no real direction. When it comes to real estate recruiting, data can make or break your recruiting game. It's so much more than what people give it credit for, and once you see how powerful it is, you'll never want to go back. Here's how data helps you recruit, retain, and grow:

Recruiting Trauma: Ghosting at Work
You met a great agent you would like to recruit or a potential home seller that you really like. For both of you, business and personal values align. You have a few great phone calls and face-to-face meetings. Suddenly, your colleague disappears and falls off the map. They don't return your calls and may even miss a scheduled meeting with no heads-up. Silence. Just a big echo chamber that leaves you wondering what you did wrong. We have all been there. What happened? You were ghosted.

3 Things You Should Never Do When Recruiting New Agents
Recruiting new agents is the main thing every broker and real estate manager thinks of every hour of the day. It's the constant, never ending job that is only getting more challenging. I like to think of it as a treadmill that gets progressively faster and faster, forcing some people to step off and others to find the will to keep going within. It's intense. It's why we created an entire recruiting system to make it easier on managers and recruiters alike. But while the technology drastically helps, there's still the interviews and the interactions that are human-based and can still be butchered if one forgets to be on their best behavior. So, with that in mind, we put together a short list of things you should never, EVER do when recruiting new agents. If you do, it'll surely come back to bite you.

Friday Freebie: Broker's Guide to Recruiting and Retaining Top Agents
Frustrated by the challenges of recruiting top performing agents in this competitive market? You're not alone. A whopping 78 percent of brokerage leaders say recruiting is their top business concern, according Imprev's 2018 Thought Leader Survey. So how can managing brokers improve their recruiting and retention outcomes? A new guide points to strategies brokerages can employ to attract and keep high performing agents. The best part? It's free. Read on to find out how to claim your free copy! Free Guide: 3 Ways to Recruit and Retain Top Agents, courtesy of Matterport Matterport's new guide to recruiting and retaining agents in broken down into three parts. The first two sections, attracting and retaining top agents, are chock-full of practical advice. Readers will learn about the importance of monitoring your competition's commission structure, creating mentorship programs, and investing in technology. The third section, Leverage Recruitment Marketing on Facebook, is the part that really shines. Here, Matterport breaks down how to target and advertise to potential recruits on Facebook, engagement strategies for your Facebook page (including showing off impressive visual assets generated by Matterport, like 3D property tours, high definition photos, and floor plans), and more. Matterport is right to focus large chunks of this guide on the importance of technology in recruiting--and brokers would be wise to heed their advice. As older agents age out out of the industry, brokerages are struggling to attract younger agents to take their place. By emphasizing the technology they offer agents--and how that technology can help agents sell more homes--brokerages play into the affinity of the younger generation for technology. It's not enough to simply offer technology, however. Brokerages also need to make that technology accessible and easy to use. In the guide, Matterport also touches on how to create an infrastructure and environment that not only encourages tech adoption, but tech proficiency. Ready to begin crafting a strategy to attract and retain the top performing agents in your area? Download 3 Ways to Recruit and Retain Top Agents to get started!    

Friday Freebie: The 27 Words that Will Revolutionize Your Recruiting Strategy
Our current low inventory market conditions make recruiting (and keeping) top producing agents more important than ever. Top agents know how to bring in business, and brokers know they can rely on them to bring in a steady stream of commissions--despite inventory challenges. But just as the competition for listings is fierce, so too is the competition for these top earners. How do you make your brokerage the one that agents pick over all the others? The answer may lie in just 27 words, according to a free new guide--and these 27 words may just change your entire recruiting strategy. Free Guide to 'The 27 Most Influential Words for Recruiting' Guide author Frank Chimento, VP Brokerage Development at Elm Street Technology, has almost two decades of experience helping brokerages recruit agents. He's convinced that the key to successful recruiting "has far less to do with 'value propositions,' brand names, and compensation models and far more to do with proper persuasion, influence, and sales psychology techniques." If you want to "succeed wildly" at recruiting, he says, "then you must understand and incorporate the 27 most influential words you will ever know." So what are these 27 words? We'll give you a hint: they're not a list of words. They're a single, coherent statement--a mantra, if you will, that should inform your entire approach to recruiting. These 27 words are just the tip of the iceberg, however. The guide also offers advice on the psychology of appealing to agents and actionable tips for reshaping your recruiting strategy. And, as a bonus, you'll gain access to additional videos and articles that support your recruiting efforts. Ready to get started? Download 'The 27 Most Influential Words for Recruiting' today!    

How RE/MAX Integrity Overhauled Its Recruiting Success Rate
RE/MAX Integrity broker Paul Blumenstetter noticed when reviewing his business and going through planning sessions that the overall growth of the number of agents joining the brokerage had become somewhat stagnant. A call-down campaign was implemented and the firm quickly realized that it is difficult to create and build relationships via cold calls. Blumenstetter needed a different, softer approach to stay in front of his prospects and knew that intelligent, engaging email has been proven to do just that.

Friday Freebie: Broker Success Kit for Recruiting and Retention
Recruiting quality agents has long been a top concern for brokers. After all, the success of your company is dependent on the success of the agents who work with your firm. If you're looking to up your recruiting efforts--and retain your existing top players--this week's Friday Freebie is for you. Today, we're highlighting a collection of resources that brokers can lean on when developing or refining an agent recruitment and retention strategy. Read on to learn more!

ShowingTime's MarketView Broker to Compete with BrokerMetrics, TrendGraphix and Collateral Analytics
A few years ago, ShowingTime purchased a number of companies that focus on market stats. Those products were listing-centric, providing brokers with the capability to look at the market activity around a single property, neighborhood, city/town, zip code, etc. The charts are beautiful, and easily embedded into a broker's website. Track Competition and Market Share With this new product, ShowingTime is developing market charts that change the focus from listings to the brokers and agents that sell them. You can look at the trend of an agent or broker's production either on the buy side or the sell side, and dice that market penetration however you like – you can look at company market share by county, zip code, neighborhood, or agent.

3 Ways to Get Top Talent to Join Your Team
Your team or brokerage is full of budding talent that you're actively shaping into top agents. Still, there's something to be said for experienced agents who have already proven themselves. The problem is, experienced agents are likely already attached to a brokerage or team. But that problem isn't insurmountable. Those agents could be working with you. All you need is the right pitch.

The Ultimate Recruiting and Retention Strategy for Brokerages
Accessing and keeping the best talent is key to success in real estate. Your approach to hiring should be a company-wide project. Every member of your team should be responsible for making a contribution to your brand message. Many of the largest organizations in the industry are looking to the tech community for insights on how to onboard and keep the best talent. Here are five ways that we've learned to optimize our approach to recruiting and retention.

Recruitment Lessons from Obi-Wan Kenobi
In the summer of 1977, I waited outside a movie theater with my best friend, Raj, and the other members of our Cub Scout troop. The line was long and excitement was high. Our group had never been to the movies together and, today, we would see Star Wars. It was the first movie I wanted to see more than once and did. There was no way of knowing I would one day write a blog post about the lessons Star Wars can teach us about recruiting, and yet here we are, and this is that post.

How to Compete with Big Signing Bonuses
The competition is heating up in real estate. Inventory is tight, agents are competitive, and brokerages are desperately trying to recruit. With a new generation of agents in the real estate world, the way in which successful brokerages approach recruiting has taken a significant turn.

Three Hard Truths About Building Your Brokerage
Real estate is hyper competitive; everyone knows that. According to the 2012 Economic Census, there are 86,004 real estate brokerage firms operating in the United States. This means you have competitors around every corner vying to overtake your market and your business. However, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is focusing on your competition. Successful brokers focus on determining their own strengths and figuring out how to build a solid foundation for their agents and clients. Forward-thinking brokerages are moving in the right direction because they're aware of these key facts: