When I think about the real estate brokerages I’ve been a part of, I see some obvious changes that have taken place over the years.
The No. 1 change is that sales representatives don’t see the value in their brokerage anymore, which means the biggest complaint is money focused. The agent is continually asking themselves and their peers, “What am I paying the brokerage for?” and “What’s in it for me?” The agents say, “They don’t do anything for me, other than house my license.”
More agents are working from home, using mobile devices to connect, accessing social media to build rapport, and only visiting the office when they need to pick up a cheque or their mail. In fact, I’ve heard broker/owners say, “Who is that? I’ve never met them before.” They actually have no idea who their agents are any more.
Yes, it’s easy to say that agents should come in more, they should be at every single sales meeting and they should call the broker when they need help. This is not the world we live in and brokerages no longer hold that kind of power.
I think it’s on you, the broker. You should pick up the phone, invite them to lunch and ask them how they’re doing. You, as their leader, should open the lines of communication and keep them open.
Loyalty can’t be built in text messages or emails.
If you want to know how to keep your sales reps, here are four things you need to start doing today to create an environment of authentic loyalty and true, business relationships.
1. Connect live
Get a list of your agent roster and pick up the phone. Start at the top and work your way through the list. Or, you could break your list into your top, middle and lowest agents – not based only on production, but also on their involvement in the industry, your brokerage and your attitude. You may have someone in your top list who rarely does any deals, but they are very supportive of your brokerage and are at all the social events.
Everyone should get a phone call from you four to six times a year at a minimum.
The concept is very similar to what you tell your agents about working by referral. The idea is that you will build loyalty. They will trust you, rely on you, know that you care – because you actually do! They will only speak positively about you to other industry connections.
Get into their business! Help them grow; be their mentor, guide, trainer. Some great questions that you can ask:
What are you doing now that you know is halting your growth and how you can change that?
If your life depended on you taking action, what would you do?
What steps could you take that would make the biggest difference in your life right now?
2. Meet live
Even in our new world of Facebook, actual, real face-to-face rocks! We are built for human interaction.
Every week, you should try to have one or two live meetings with some of your agent roster – coffees, lunches or drinks. Again, start at the top of the list and work your way through it.
You need to be present and available, and to want to learn about them and their business. Find out how you can help them. What areas are they struggling in? What can you do to guide them?
Remember, you are their coach and their mentor – no matter how long they’ve been in the business, there is always room for growth.
3. Always be learning
As their coach and mentor, you’d better have something of value to add. Make sure that you’re reading a book a month (more if you can), heading to events (not just for real estate; you never know where a great idea will come from) and engaging with other pros (legal, financial, negotiation professionals to learn different skills).
4. Texting and emailing in between
There is a place for text and email. I’m huge fan! But I also know that real-life interaction is the No. 1 way to build strong, collaborative, trusting relationships. For those times when you really can’t phone or for those on your team who prefer this instead of a phone call, do reach out to them this way. But remember, these personality types also need real, face-to-face interaction, so use the text/email to set it up.
Oh, and if you can’t meet live, try Google Hangouts or Skype so you can, at least, see each other while you’re talking. It’s a great option for those who are more tech-savvy and less-meety (just made that word up right now)!
The most important thing you have to offer is your knowledge and relationship. Yes, it’s important to have a great front desk, an awesome administration, a tax option for them, online training and more…but none of that will keep them.
Be there for them, coach them, help them build a real business that can sustain different markets and you’ll stop the questions, “What does my brokerage do for me?” Instead, they’ll be telling everyone how much you do for them and how awesome you are!
Amanda Ross is the owner and creator, educator and strategist of RealtyBoost, where she helps brokerages and sales reps build strong brands, smart strategies and more knowledge that brings value to their clients.
