Recruiting real estate professionals can be a challenging task, especially because the playing field has become so much more competitive. So, brokerages looking for the best agents, property managers and other team members have to offer something beyond a competitive salary — quality over quantity that you can provide to your new recruits.
That being said, it won’t matter how appealing your employment package is if you don’t have sound recruitment techniques. While various types of recruiting methods apply to all industries, there are a few that are musts for real estate. In no particular order, below are just a few to consider (or improve upon if you’ve tried them before):
Internal Recruitment
Sometimes, the best candidates you’re looking for are already working for you, and your real estate company stands to gain so much more from internal recruitment. First, this gives your employees a readily viable path for career advancement which, in turn, can boost motivation, loyalty and retention. Internal recruitment also helps you draw a progression map — keeping talented leaders within your ranks while training their successors. You can even include this as a talking point in your external recruitment strategies.
Internal recruitment is also cost-effective because there’s no need to run paid advertisements. In fact, a blanket email, a post in your social media group or a simple printed poster pinned on your company’s message board will do.
Technology-Based Recruiting
Technology platforms are extremely helpful in real estate recruitment. These platforms, such as Get Brokerkit, can simplify and enhance both the buying and selling processes. Particularly for real estate agents, tools like this can help grow a team and improve retention rates. They can even inspire collaboration. In short, real estate professionals are always on the lookout for instruments that can make them more productive and keep them ahead of the curve. By anchoring your recruitment tactics to technology, you can increase your chances of attracting top talent.
External Advertising
This method of recruitment can be quite expensive, but it can also produce stellar results. The key is to choose the right platform and make sure that you’re targeting the proper audience. This way, you’ll be able to attract suitable applicants for every position without spending too much money. Consider the following external advertising platforms:
Social Media
Nowadays, practically everyone is active on at least a couple of social media sites. That’s why it’s a good idea to place recruitment ads on the platforms where your potential candidates are lurking. Facebook is one of the most popular, but LinkedIn is also quite helpful for more professional recruitment settings.
Meanwhile, also use your corporate digital presence to help promote your company culture, too. This improves your content marketing and will also help attract candidates.
Online Advertising
In the past five years, marketers have been allocating a larger portion of their budgets to digital advertising than traditional advertising. This is due, in large part, to the quick rise of digital as consumers’ primary method of content consumption.
In addition to social media, the best places to let job seekers know about your openings include Google and recruitment websites. You may also work with content producers to help improve your SEO. Finally, you can also advertise on your own website for increased visibility.
Print Advertising
Print may be dead, but only for those who don’t know how to use it wisely. For real estate recruitment, focus on industry magazines and journals. The advantage here is that you already know that your ads are getting seen by the right people.
Passive Candidate Database
There are times when you’ll discover the perfect candidate only to find out that they’re not currently looking for a new job. Even so, it pays to keep in touch with passive candidates and nurture a connection with them. This indirect form of recruitment can serve you well once the potential hire is ready to make a move.
To get started, scour professional social networks for these talented future recruits. You can also use real estate software to help gather and monitor leads.
Boomerang Employees
Another recruitment technique that’s gaining traction lately is hiring boomerang employees. These people, who have worked well with your group before, are likely to still be a good fit for their old (or new and improved) roles. As a company, you’ll also spend fewer resources on on-boarding and training. Rehiring old employees who have a good track record will also reduce the risk of a bad hire.
The most important aspect of any recruitment technique is to take advantage of all of the data you can access. Begin by measuring critical parameters, such as the channels where your candidates come from and the methods that yield the most successful hires. Data-driven recruitment will also help you optimize your strategies and ensure that you hire only the best people for your team.
