Building a successful team is a process that must be executed with thoughtful consideration and be strategic in nature. A carefully curated team will be one of the greatest things you, as a leader, can build at a brokerage. You’ll ensure that agents have all the tools they need at their disposal and secure your organization’s success for years to come.
The overall goal is to identify subject area experts who also fit into your company culture. The attributes that will make your staff perform to the very best of their abilities and as a powerful team won’t be found on their resumes alone.
An effective team is comprised of talented individuals who complement each other’s strengths, have a shared vision, work ethic and performance drivers, and work together toward the company’s greater goals.
Below, I’ve outlined some of the successful strategies I’ve used when hiring brokerage staff across marketing, sales, operations and financial departments, as well as some of the attributes I seek in candidates.
Think like a sports coach
A company’s staffing structure should be built like a sports team. You would never create a team composed of all pitchers — just like you would never want to create a company of all managers and leaders.
Each team member needs defined goals and tasks — under the umbrella of the larger company vision — that they need to expertly execute each day to win the game.
A common mistake when hiring is to hire for the same qualification across all roles or to seek out individuals similar to ourselves, which naturally feels more comfortable.
That said, intentional diversity of skills and personalities is what you are best served to look for. A good strategic hire should elevate the company and team in a significant way by fulfilling a need and lifting up other team members and team dynamics.
Candidate characteristics
One thing that will not be found on a resume is if a candidate will thrive within your company culture and if they subscribe to the same values, work ethic and spirit in which the company performs its business operations.
When hiring for The Agency, I look for the following characteristics that foster the success of the larger team:
- A team player who’s motivated by the success of the collective.
- An ability to adapt to change.
- A highly effective communicator.
- A lifelong learner.
- Someone who takes initiative.
- Someone who has the capacity to impact the organization or industry in a positive and noticeable way.
- Someone who manages time and tasks well.
- Someone who knows how to create a safe, supportive space that encourages collaboration where everyone feels comfortable having a voice. Collaborative environments encourage creative problem-solving and innovation.
- Candidates who are proud of the brand they work for and passionate about the direction of the company.
While there are so many more factors to consider for each candidate — be it technical, logistical or otherwise — I’m proud to have assembled and led highly effective brokerage teams throughout my career, and have always approached the hiring process with the above goals in mind.
No matter what their role, in my experience, the best team members understand the functions and needs of agents, and work to the best of their ability in supporting them with a service-first mindset.
Candidates who thrive in our organization have a desire to see agents succeed as their own measurement of success. They possess a service heart combined with subject-area expertise, and are always willing to collaborate for the greater good of agents and their fellow team members.
Rainy Hake Austin is the president of The Agency in Los Angeles, California. Connect with her on Instagram.
