According to the National Association of Realtors, more than 50 percent of agents would consider making a move if they had a better brokerage option. So you could argue about half of the industry is looking for a new job at any one time.

“There are some that need leads, some that need training or mentoring, some that are interested in a different compensation structure, or some that just may not like the office culture,” said Realty Connection co-founder Linda Michelsen.

While there are still plenty of private conversations that go on at the local cafe or at an open house, the competitive market means online searches are an important part of the equation when an agent sets out to find a new place to work, said Michelsen.

“You may ask another agent how they like their company, but with the availability of all that data out there, you still want the details,” she noted.

Screen_shot-1

Get information on culture, management, training and more

On websites like Realty Connection, agents can find out very detailed information on an office’s culture, technology, management, compensation, training and more.

“When we initially launched, the sharing of compensation information as public knowledge was not customary and we initially received pushback from brokers,” said Michelsen.

“However, once they understood that being transparent was to their benefit as well as the fact that other brokerages were sharing, they overcame their objections,” she said. She noted that about 80 percent of brokerages on Realty Connection share some kind of compensation information.

Agents can go through all of the profiles on Realty Connection and compare them side by side, saving results to revisit later.

“Agents don’t move overnight — they might have three listings they have to close first,” said Michelsen, herself a former agent.

Brokers are now sharing more than ever before with prospective agents, she added.

“It’s a place for management to put details of their brokerage, their background, culture, philosophy, what differentiates their office from others,” said Michelsen.

Adding recommendations

Linda_professional_2-1

Linda Michelsen

Realty Connection launched at ICNY in 2013 and has added many new features. Michelsen is calling its current site a virtual re-launch. The site now offers restless agents the chance to see recommendations for a broker on Realty Connection.

“Recommendations are such a powerful tool,” said Michelsen.

Realty Connection is giving brokers the ability to request recommendations from agents or clients they have done business with and attach them to their Realty Connection profile. This will also generate additional SEO for the broker or brokerage.

“Social proof is extremely important in their recruiting efforts as agents often rely on other agents’ insights to make a career decision,” said Michelsen.

Flow of information runs both ways

It is not all one-sided, she added. Managing brokers, in a new CRM product offered through Realty Connection, can ask to see a prospective agent’s production and find a supply of topical talking points before starting a dialogue with them.

“OnTask Recruiter is a tool that will allow brokers to manage Realty Connection-generated leads, upload and manage their own prospects and with OnTask Recruiter PRO, brokers that currently subscribe to BrokerMetrics, or those who take advantage of our free trial, can automatically import and profile their list of prospects based on specific recruiting criteria and further refine results with OnTask Recruiter PRO,” said Michelsen.

The results may provide contact information as well as production metrics and is designed to help busy brokers recruit more effectively. OnTask Recruiter is included in all premium subscriptions to Realty Connection and OnTask Recruiter PRO can be added for an additional cost.

The response by brokers has been “huge”, said Michelsen, who added one of main challenges for managing brokers was finding “warm leads” from agents considering their options.

“The no. 1 pain point of managing brokers, is talking to people who want to talk to you,” she said.

 

Email Gill South.

Show Comments Hide Comments
Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines
What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments
By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman.
Success!
Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines.
Back to top
×
Log in
If you created your account with Google or Facebook
Don't have an account?
Forgot your password?
No Problem

Simply enter the email address you used to create your account and click "Reset Password". You will receive additional instructions via email.

Forgot your username? If so please contact customer support at (510) 658-9252

Password Reset Confirmation

Password Reset Instructions have been sent to

Subscribe to The Weekender
Get the week's leading headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Top headlines from around the real estate industry. Breaking news as it happens.
15 stories covering tech, special reports, video and opinion.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
It looks like you’re already a Select Member!
To subscribe to exclusive newsletters, visit your email preferences in the account settings.
Up-to-the-minute news and interviews in your inbox, ticket discounts for Inman events and more
1-Step CheckoutPay with a credit card
By continuing, you agree to Inman’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You will be charged . Your subscription will automatically renew for on . For more details on our payment terms and how to cancel, click here.

Interested in a group subscription?
Finish setting up your subscription
×