How To Recruit Real Estate Agents With Effective Email Messaging  

Is recruiting real estate agents a struggle for you? 96% of brokerages say it’s a constant focus, if not a total preoccupation with their daily work. They are always looking for ways to recruit real estate agents.

There are multiple reasons for the struggle and preoccupation with recruiting. One of the primary reasons is the relatively high turnover rate in real estate. One way to ease that turnover rate is to offer technologies, especially ones that increase productivity through effective email campaigns. A third option is to add additional office support staff, to increase production, therefore increasing revenue and promoting growth.

Despite all the competition to recruit, effective recruitment doesn’t have to be a problem. By incorporating the tips and information below, you can improve your approach and learn how to recruit real estate agents and thrive! To begin, let’s consider a case study of Liv Real Estate.

Annual Agent Recruiting Goal Met in Two Months – How Liv Real Estate Did It

Liv Real Estate is a brokerage in Edmonton, Alberta, whose #1 priority is amazing customer service. To that point, they only bring agents onto their team, and into their Brokerage, who share the same values. They know how to recruit quality real estate agents.

So How Did They Best Attract The Real Estate Agents?

Their old email marketing messages had extremely low open rates and an inconsistent send schedule. Sara and Sheldon wondered how many people were getting beyond the email, to see and understand the benefits their real estate brokerage had to offer. The only agents who expressed interest were those who, right at the precise moment they received the email, wanted to leave their current Brokerage. They knew those moments were frequent for many agents, but also fleeting. That also wasn’t necessarily their ideal target for recruiting. The system wasn’t achieving the results they wanted, and they were frustrated with the lack of quality agents it found.

How Happy Grasshopper Streamlined The Recruitment Process

Real estate recruiting was a struggle for Sheldon and Sara. That’s why they chose to work with Happy Grasshopper for a recruiting email marketing campaign. We customized a campaign that mixed up the approach to offer success beyond their wildest expectations. We brought the recipe for success that they needed by going beyond typical approaches like using a real estate agent recruiting website, a real estate recruitment agency, or a real estate agent license pool or list—none of which had worked for them in the past.

We began by changing the purpose and focus of the campaign. It wasn’t just to send a message that described everything at once, in a statistical staccato tone, with the intent to convert someone the moment the recipient opened the message. We wrote custom conversation starters, in Sara & Sheldon’s tone, that highlighted different benefits of their Brokerage. We created messages that people would read and react to, and the goal is engagement, rapport, and trust. Build a relationship that people value.

Our system took the drudgery out of the process. Sheldon & Sara no longer needed to remember or plan their email campaigns; they could focus on the customer-service culture of Liv Real Estate. We took control of the recruiting process; we did what we excel at so they would be able to focus on what they excel at, real estate. Now, rather than worrying, “It’s been three months since we’ve sent a recruiting email, we need to send one again!” The Happy Grasshopper system sends the customized messages consistently on their behalf, keeping them top of mind with the best real estate agents in Edmonton. We won’t even get into the spectacular open rate and click-through rates – talk about improvement, wow!

Now, rather than only receiving a trickle of requests for interviews after the prior messages went out, Sara’s inbox is flooded. It rapidly fills with inquiries about opportunities to become part of the successful team at Liv Real Estate. Some real estate agents may only request additional information. In contrast, others ask very detailed questions about Liv’s systems, which indicates they have been doing their research and are ready to talk opportunities. The email messaging they now send, and the responses they receive give them more time to focus on those who are ready to talk about joining Liv, that works for Sara and Sheldon’s benefit.

The people whose first question is, “What’s the commission split?” are ones she knew wouldn’t be a good fit—they care too much about the numbers, not the relationship. She knows that those who ask about the culture, ethics, and service expectations are people who would make for great candidates.

It saves her time, and the messages have attracted many more agents who identify with the same values and approaches in real estate as the Liv brokerage.

When interviewing these caring, client-focused people, one of the most common questions asked is, “What systems do you have in place for staying in touch with your clients?”

When Sara tells them that the messages they responded to were part of a CRM, and they use the same one with their clients, everyone is immediately on board, conversation done.

This story illustrates the basic principles of an effective recruitment process. Let’s take a deeper look at those principles.

What Type Of Email Templates Work For Agents? Is It Automated? 

In the race to recruit the best, some brokerages send emails containing embedded video or other shiny features. Those types of emails run the risk of being seen as impersonal and promotional. When you focus exclusively on the Brokerage or agency rather than acknowledging the value of the recipient, you miss your mark and the intended purpose.

If you feel you must use embedded video or some similar add-on, to stand out from your competition, concentrate on these steps before you get flashy:

1. Clearly state your value proposition.
2. Be informal; try to be conversational.
3. Ask for a meeting, invite the recipient to coffee to chat.

The prospect needs to know what your Brokerage is bringing to the table, especially if you’re going after a top agent. Top agents generally have many brokerages trying to recruit them. It would help if you can stand out even more than ever. When you clearly (and succinctly) state your value proposition, you get to the point, and that respects the top agents time. You separate yourself from the competition by demonstrating how your Brokerage offers top agents opportunities to grow their brands even more. An agent, who’s already earning a lot of money, needs to understand how they can benefit from joining your Brokerage. You need to demonstrate how your partnership will further their career.

For many agents, it’s not about a commission. They may desire autonomy, more training, additional administrative support, or a better work-life balance. Many millennial real estate agents will only work remotely and with mobile-first technology. Before sending your carefully composed email message, make sure you have identified your target audience and what will appeal to them within your message. Try to focus on what might be lacking at their current Brokerage, and target the benefits your Brokerage offers in that area. This technique isn’t just effective with top producers, it is extremely effective with new licensees and up and coming agents. New agents are especially interested in mentoring, assistance developing a personal brand, and the chance for career growth and development.

The personal touch is essential. It’s easy to write a mass email and send it out to a list of prospects, but they’ll all recognize it for what it is – junk mail, and not give it another thought. The trick is to compose a message that feels as though it is personal and intimate, but can go to an entire category in your recruiting database. If someone has directly referred you to another agent, you need to write a personalized message and include the name of the person referring you. Be sure to mention why the referrer thought the prospect would be a good fit for your Brokerage. A fun anecdote focused on your relationship with the referrer may help drive home the point.

If you’ve met the prospect before, at an industry event or conference, focus on that common connection. It is a common point that can start any relationship. Do a little prospective reconnaissance online, try to learn about the prospect’s accomplishments and acknowledge that information in your message. This technique will reinforce your true interest in that particular agent, not just any agent. Be sure to provide information about yourself and your Brokerage. A person who’s considering coming to work for you wants to know what kind of broker-owner or managing broker you are. Sharing this sort of information encourages a prospect to be more open with you in response, it establishes a certain level of trust. That candor can only prove an asset to your effective hiring process.

Your final step to focus on in your recruiting process is to focus on arranging an in-person meeting. It’s important to meet face to face with your prospects. The first step of sending an email is a great door opener or conversation starter, but it will only take you so far without the follow up to build that relationship and establish rapport with your prospect. You want to get the prospect on the phone, which gives you the chance to arrange coffee or offer a tour of the office to drive home the value of your Brokerage.

Meeting face to face will give you a better read on the prospective agent and whether they are the right match for your Brokerage. When you know they are a great match, and you want to get that meeting to close the deal, it pays to get specific. Prospective agents are busy; it’s the entire reason you’re recruiting them. Prospects are more likely to respond positively to specific scheduling requests, offer a date, time, and place to meet. Follow up with a meeting invitation after you send the email message. Prospects are more likely to offer an alternative time when you schedule something. The result, you get the meeting and chance to close the recruit.

10 Additional Agent Recruiting Tips For Increased Interaction!

Above and beyond those core points, here are some additional tips:

1. Don’t wait until your agents leave to begin recruiting. The industry is always turning over if you are not focused on retention and recruiting; you’re missing the point. The mantra of a managing broker should be: recruit. The pool of prospects is limited to agents looking for new opportunities for growth and development of their careers. Keep an eye on the talent in your market at all times, experienced, new, and freshly licensed.
2. Throw a monthly or quarterly social event for agents. Hosting a happy hour is a great chance to invite prospects. Another popular event is offering a special speaker or a continuing education class. Whatever the offering, it will allow you to network with prospects.
3. Identify the culture of your Brokerage. Does it offer great camaraderie and collaboration between agents? Is it a large national company or a franchise with abundant opportunities for training, great marketing, and great lead gen resources? Whatever advantages it has to offer, you should be ready to talk up those features. Of course, this also offers the opportunity to identify any weak areas and improve them to make your Brokerage even more attractive to prospective agents.
4. Have a strong, attractive online presence. Your online presence helps attract new business and generates leads, but agents interested in making a move will check out your website, blog, and social media too. What they see there can go a long way toward helping them decide if they want to join your firm.
5. Diversify your online presence. To recruit effectively online, don’t limit yourself to only LinkedIn. Many of the prospects you’d be interested in don’t use LinkedIn. Try posting to YouTube or Facebook. A video with testimonials from agents, admins, and customers can generate fresh interest.
6. Expand your reach. When looking for exceptional real estate agents, you should try recruiting from other sales-based, service-based, or real estate-related peripheral industries. You might find exceptional prospects in the mortgage, title, escrow, insurance, and financial fields.
7. Make sure your technology is up to date and working well. Agents demand good technology, which easily integrates CRM, marketing, and accounting applications, which allows them to focus on their business of selling real estate. They prize the efficiency that comes when there’s no redundant data entry and few if any disconnects across departments. They generally expect modern document management, online listing, and video marketing capabilities.
8. Have a standard of practice in your recruiting. To be most effective in your recruiting, focus on a consistent practice that zeros in on the very best prospects. The standardization in the assessment of prospective candidates will help you keep organized and identify new agents to add to the pool. Be consistent in the questions you ask, always asking the same of each candidate.
9. Finally, once you’ve recruited superior agents, you want to hold on to them. Ongoing training, the best productivity tools, and effective marketing programs will keep them feeling that your Brokerage is the place they want to be.
10. Don’t forget retention. You’ve spent a lot of time and money to attract top agents to your Brokerage through your effective recruiting process requires. Treat your agents and prospects as you would want to be. If a particular approach would put you off, it will likely put someone else off. If you like a particular approach, there’s a good chance it will spark the interest of a prospect. Look at how you were recruited, and see what worked on you to help focus on success with your prospects.

These are the principles that guided us as we created an effective recruitment campaign for Liv Real Estate.

A Happy Grasshopper Recruits Campaign helped them and can help you!