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How to recruit and retain top agents

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How are brokerages of all shapes and sizes recruiting top talent?

Aaron Drussel, CEO and co-founder of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Influence Partners, and Rainy Hake, COO of Alain Pinel Realtors, dissected recruiting and retention in one of the first panels in Broker Connect at ICSF.

Drussel’s brokerage (BHGE Influence Partners) has about 65 agents to Hake’s staggering 1,400, but their messages were the same. Here are three tips Drussel and Hake shared:

1. Recruit to your culture

Know who you are and what your goals are. Make sure your recruits not only know your culture but also fit in and can thrive in your environment.

Hake shared a story about how her brokerage’s founder found an agent at Starbucks and recruited from there. Know what you are looking for, no matter where you are.

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2. Let your agents help you out

Drussel said that his brokerage often relies on word of mouth and referrals from his agents. He said his agents are just as quick to say someone isn’t a good fit based on their experiences with the person. This helps keep the company culture strong.

3. Re-recruit our agents on a consistent basis

Once you recruit a new agent, you have to keep recruiting and re-recruiting your agents — because if you aren’t, someone else is.

So when you are out there looking for new agents to bring on to your team, keep your culture, existing agents and a new agent’s need for consistent connection in mind.

Email Dani Vanderboegh