Tips and Scripts to Successfully Recruit

Looking to grow? These questions from Tom Ferry will help you identify sales agents who are the right fit for your company.

How does your company make a difference to a salesperson’s career? What value does your office offer new and experienced real estate agents?

Before you begin recruiting salespeople for your team, identify what your brokerage has to offer. Once you have a firm grasp on what sets your company apart from the agents’ perspective, then you can start building a successful sales force.

Whether it’s a rookie agent or an experienced salesperson, do your homework before you make contact. Real estate coach Tom Ferry suggests approaching it as you would a buyer consultation. Google your prospect and get to know a little about their history and career. Then arm yourself with questions that will evoke thoughtful conversation and provide insight as to whether this person will be a good fit for your team.

Here are four questions to ask experienced agents and four to ask new agents from Ferry’s Recruiting Tips and Scripts.

Experienced agents:

• What are you seeing in the market right now?
• How are market trends affecting the way clients deal with you and your real estate transaction?
• Tell me about specific trends that are affecting you and what you are doing to overcome these challenges.
• Do you see any opportunities? What are you doing to take advantage of these opportunities?

New agents:

• What makes you interested in a career in real estate?
• Do you have another job right now? If so, please tell me about your current position.
• Do you have any experience selling?
• Are you planning on a full-time or part-time career in real estate?

Asking the right questions will open up a dialogue and provide context for you to present your company’s value, whether it is education and training, culture, support, or market expertise.

Get into the practice of asking more questions and speaking less, Ferry says, because the interview is about the agent, not the broker.

Before your initial phone call, brokers should keep a few questions in mind to measure the compatibility of the salesperson:

• Do they project a “marketing” state of mind?
• Will they overcome the fear of failure and asking for business?
• Are they coachable?
• What is their past sales history? Will they volunteer their past track record?
• Are they self-directed or self-starters?
• Do they want success more than you want it for them?

If your first conversation goes well, it’s time to invite your prospective agent into the office. Here are Ferry’s recruiting scripts for setting an in-person appointment:

Experienced agent:

_______(prospect name), my goal is to help you make a better decision. You said you needed _____________(recap what they need), right? I believe we would be a great match and that we have the system in place to help you reach your goals. Let’s get together so you can see the opportunity... Is ________(date, time, location) good or would _________ (date, time, location) be better?

New agent:

We could sit down over a cup of coffee, no pressure, and talk about what you want to achieve in this business and how so many of our agents are already achieving their dreams. Is ________(date, time, location) good or would _________ (date, time, location) be better?

If an experienced agent says no, offer this reply:

I’d love to be your “spare tire,” and I’m always available for questions or consultation as needed. Sound good? Since we’ll be doing transactions together, and I value your thoughts on some really important issues we are facing in this market and economy, let’s meet for coffee.

If a new agent says no, offer this reply:

I appreciate that this may not be the time for you. I’d love to be your “spare tire,” and I’m always available for questions. Sound good? Check back with me periodically. By the way, do you know anyone else that might be interested in hearing more about our company?

For more of Tom Ferry’s recruiting tips and scripts, visit www.tomferry.com/recruitingtips