Welcoming new agents to your real estate team—whether newly-licensed or well-seasoned—is one of the best ways for you to drive team growth. Ultimate determination as to whether those agents flourish, however, will depend on multiple factors that include their personality, alignment of expectations and their effort.
You can increase your success with new team members through a careful and intentional approach to team-member onboarding. Using the following four-step approach will ensure your team remains cohesive and productive when adding new agents:
Step 1: Use a trial period. Before doing full-fledge announcements about a new team member’s addition, employ a trial period so that you can experience a few actual transactions working together. For newly licensed agents, that may mean referring them a few leads. However it occurs, take the opportunity to see them in action and make sure that they fit before fully adopting them as part of your existing team.
Step 2: Put terms in writing. No matter how friendly or agreeable you and your new team addition are, take the time to agree in writing to all important terms of your new relationship. You should have a signed agreement covering, at the very least, how much they will earn from each transaction and any fees that they are responsible for. Also, for everyone’s protection, you should have an agreement about how disputes within your team will be resolved and how any future separation might look regarding current listings, outstanding fees client information, etc.
Step 3: Set clear expectations. Another level of agreement—preferably also in writing—should exist regarding any expectations regarding procedures, sales efforts, marketing and overall professional conduct. Teams run best when everyone is aware and respectful of established practices and procedures, and when they are dedicated to meeting customer service and prospecting expectations.
Step 4: Hold agents accountable. Once you have determined that a new agent is indeed a good fit and that you have been mutually transparent regarding roles and responsibilities, it is pivotal to make sure their performance meets expectations. Speak with new agents often—preferably daily—to make sure that correct habits are formed within your team framework and that their sales activity stays on track to propel quick success. When something, inevitably, doesn’t occur as planned, it’s better to catch it early through accountability so that you fulfill your role of helping the agent maximize their opportunity in real estate sales.
As the saying goes, mark well your beginnings. You will have a much higher success rate when adding agents to your team if you do your best up-front to make sure they are a good fit, that there is transparency in your relationship, and that their efforts meet with your expectations. Using the four-step system above as part of your new team member onboarding will help you accomplish that, and you will enjoy both greater team harmony and team performance as a result.
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Sherri Johnson is CEO and founder of Sherri Johnson Coaching & Consulting. With 25 years of experience in real estate, Sherri now shares her proven methods through coaching, consulting and keynote speaking services nationwide. She is a national speaker for the Homes.com Secrets of Top Selling Agents tour and is the Official Real Estate Coach for McKissock Learning and Real Estate Express. Sherri has been named a RISMedia Real Estate Newsmaker in 2020 and 2021 as an Industry Influencer and Thought Leader. Sign up for a free 30-minute coaching strategy session or visit www.sherrijohnson.com for more information.
