In our yearly analysis, it’s consistent that technology ranks as one of the most important factors when an agent chooses a new real estate brokerage. (Check out the top reasons that agents choose their brokerage.). But all too often, brokerages have abysmal adoption rates of their real estate brokerage technology platforms.
But what technology can a brokerage use to recruit more agents?
- Social media: Social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram can be used to reach a large audience of potential agents. Brokerages can create a strong presence on these platforms by regularly posting content that is relevant to the real estate industry, and by engaging with potential agents through comments and direct messages. This can help brokerages build a strong brand and attract talented agents who are active on social media. The more visible a brokerage is online, the easier time they will have at winning recruiting appointments. The key is consistent content that matters – and what matters to clients matters to agents. Most brokerages know that agents have a hard time generating content, so when the brokerage can show that it puts out quality, engaging content to consumers, it will also attract Realtors to join the firm. You can use tools like the TRIBUS Digital and Print Marketing platform to assist with this.
- Online advertising: Brokerages can use online advertising platforms such as Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn Ads to reach potential agents. These platforms allow brokerages to target specific demographics, such as real estate agents in a particular area, and to track the success of their ad campaigns. Due to this narrow targeting, you can ensure that your ad spend will be effective and generate an ROI. More importantly, you can target the right creative to the right agents – for example focus on what you can do to help teams grow, or what coaching / training you provide to agents to help them conquer sales plateaus.
- Real Estate Agent Recruiting Software: There are a number of real estate brokerage specific recruiting tools out there that can help brokerages automate many of the tasks associated with recruiting including tracking agents sales metrics over time, building models around those agents that will be the most successful at your firm, scheduling meetings, and keeping in touch with them. By using recruiting software, brokerages can streamline their recruiting process and improve their ability to find and hire agents that are likely to be successful in their company.
- Digital Training Sessions Open To All Agents: One of the more overlooked areas of recruiting can be in offering a sampling of your training courses for free to all agents! Perhaps you record one Zoom a month and make it available for agents to register to view, or post to your social media accounts a snippet to watch. By showing that you invest in training and coaching, agents will be more likely to join your firm. Also creating a registration requirement to watch the videos can create leads for your recruiting software.
- CRM: Offering a custom real estate brokerage CRM with connected email marketing, transaction management systems, intranet with SSOs and more is a great way to pull in agents from other brokerages. Good CRM systems have features that allow for automated communication, so that you can touch base with leads and agents regularly with personalized messaging. Make sure that your CRM has a way to not only generate new real estate leads but also can help agents stay in touch with those they haven’t spoken with in a while.
- Agent and Team Branded Websites: To attract and retain agents, brokerages should also focus on providing them with the latest agent and team website options and tools that will help them be more productive and successful. By offering a website that allows them to include their own blog content, community pages, videos, etc you’ll allow them to save money over buying their own agent website and IDX tools.
In today’s day and age, technology is vital not only as something to provide to agents, but something you can use to recruit more of them to your company. Tech can help find the right agents, streamline the recruiting process, reach a larger audience of potential agents, and improve their ability to bring digital relationships into real world coffee meetings. It’s important for brokerages to stay updated with the latest technology trends and use the appropriate technology to make their recruitment process more efficient and effective.
