If you want to see your team implode after a few years, focus on filling seats with anyone who can breathe. Here’s why the agent count model simply doesn’t work for building a profitable team.
Now, you can certainly build a brokerage by filling seats, but not a team that's in it for more than a quick hit in success. Someone shared with me a video from a competitor that literally said, out loud on facebook live, “Our criteria for hiring is if they are breathing or not.” Are you kidding me? If you want to see your team implode after a few short-lived years of perceived “success,” follow that strategy and better yet, broadcast it on social media for all of your agents to hear exactly what you intend to surround them with.
So why is it okay to follow that model for a brokerage but not a team?
If you run a brokerage, the things that are important to agents are different from agents on teams. Most brokerages today are forced to follow a “recruit first” model because their margins are so thin and the only way to increase profits with shrinking margins is to increase agent count. I get that, and I do use that model in my brokerages as well. Most brokerage agents are used to it and don’t care who you hire, so long as they are getting value for what they are paying you. If the value is there, they look the other way.
Teams are different. Those agents want and expect more. They want you and your environment, your services, your support, your marketing…all of that…to be better, otherwise they'd join a brokerage. And heck, they are paying more for it, so they deserve it.
Teams have the unique ability to instill standards, have structure and leverage accountability in areas where brokerages cannot. Teams should NOT be revolving doors, they should be a place that fosters top production because you have top producers who are in it for the long haul, not just to get some “good” training for a few years.
Quit surrounding your people with ducks when they are eagles. If you aren’t attracting eagles, it’s time to take a step back and evaluate your entire business model, starting with yourself.
Need to rewrite your value proposition and button up your business model?
Join us at LeadUp, our leadership-only event in Fort Lauderdale this May 1-3!
If you don’t start taking steps toward attracting talent, one day you will wake up and your top producers will be forced out because they don’t want to be surrounded by losers, posers and non-productive people. There’s a saying that’s been around for a bit that says, “The quality will show up in the quantity” and there is truth to that, but you want to know what else is true? The quantity will absolutely push out the quality.
I’ve been in real estate for 20 years, 18 of which have been in leadership of brokerages and teams (still running the #1 home selling team in the state of MI - of all brands) and of course recruiting is a top priority. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to wake up one day with a team of a bunch of dead weight. I want to surround myself with the best so they force me to be better and force us to continue hiring top leaders and talent, which further drive production and profitability.
Making recruiting your sole focus is the lazy way out. Sure, it takes a TON of effort to recruit and I am not saying you shouldn’t be involved in recruiting activities each and every day. What I am saying is give more attention to building up your leaders, your people, your systems, your culture…all the things that would cause someone to love their life with you. Get your culture and value proposition in order first, before hiring anyone that can fog a mirror.
Leadership Only Event
We are going to be spending 3 days sharing our exact value proposition and HOW we are marketing that value proposition to attract producing agents. We're going to be sharing our onboarding process from start to finish, our agent training model (we have the highest per person production in the state!), how to create a culture of production, how to increase your profits and much more. Find out if you qualify to attend at gloveru.com/leadup.
Live Unreal LeadUp
May 1-3, 2023
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Jeff Glover
Glover U