When you think about hiring or creating a real estate team, you dream of more free time and getting your life back in balance, in addition to extra income produced by someone other than you. That can be the end result, but you have to go about it correctly. One of the biggest mistakes team leaders make is bringing on buyer specialists and telling them they can have all the extra buyer leads they’re producing and can’t keep up with. Then they turn them loose with no direction, no accountability and no support. The new team member flounders, doesn’t sell much and eventually leaves the team. If you want a different result than the one I just described, read on.

The first rule when hiring for your team is to set standards. People will generally rise to the level of your expectations. Most will do what they need to do if they know what they need to do. I believe core values, non-negotiable daily activities and a minimum level of productivity are essential. The role of a buyer specialist is to build a business under the umbrella and support of your business. They can’t just sit there and wait for your excess leads; they need to create three other pillars of income. Two of the best are working their sphere of influence and open houses. A fourth pillar might be a charity they’re passionate about or a hobby club like running. Help them develop the processes to build these pillars.

The second rule is that you have to develop your people. As a team leader, your job is business development and people development. A huge part of your value proposition when recruiting is your level of experience and the support structure you’ve created. Use it and serve your team members by coaching and mentoring them to success. Daily script practice and shadowing your team members on appointments—or having them shadow you—speeds up their learning curve and makes them more productive much faster. 

The third rule is to inspect what you expect. Daily 15-minute huddles to look at the critical numbers of your business helps keep you aware of everything that happened the day before, from appointments set, to leads that came in, to contracts written and negotiated. A weekly 15-minute, one-on-one meeting is also essential with all of your sales team members. Have them show you their numbers. How many leads are they working with, and where are they in the process? Are they using your CRM—and using it correctly? Are they using the appropriate lead follow-up system your team uses? What have they done this week on their four pillars of income? How is their conversion from lead to appointment and appointment to contract? How many buyer orientations have they done this week, and how many do they have scheduled? Are they on track for their 50 open houses this year? Last, but not least, can they shadow you today on an appointment?

If you can give your team members accountability, an effective process and clarity on what needs to be done to be successful, they will stay. People will stay with you if they want to be more like you. If you’re not pouring into your people and helping them achieve their goals and become the best version of themselves they can be, they will not produce, and they will look for another leader.

Workman Success Systems’ Team Coach Paul Wheeler started Accent REALTORS® as a licensed agent and broker in 1992. Leading the Accent Team with energy, experience and a vision for the future, as well as a better business model in the real estate industry, Wheeler and his team strive to continually improve their processes with a focus on learning and staying on top of market trends. His passion for real estate is only surpassed by his commitment to community service and his family. Contact him at [email protected]. For more information, please visit www.workmansuccesssystems.com.