I see it all the time.
It’s almost a recruiting cliche.
Everybody wants to recruit or hire “producers.”
Everybody wants to recruit or hire people who already have the experience.
Everybody only starts coming after people once they have proved they “have what it takes.”
Which is one way to do it, I mean don’t get me wrong, I love when people join Unity that know what’s what.
But it’s not the sole means of growth.
I believe something deep down in my core.
You don’t recruit success, you build it.
When Matt and I sit down with a potential agent we aren’t looking at their numbers.
We don’t go search their sales history on the MLS.
We don’t find out how many transactions they do and then start doing calculations as to their value.
Because an agent’s value is not what they bring in as revenue.
So when we interview with potential agents we are not looking for dollar signs.
We are looking for something else.
A certain “je ne sais quoi.”
A feel. A fit.
The problem in the real estate industry is that the “industry” has decided what are the necessary personality traits that make someone have success.
You have to be “outgoing” or a “go getter” or a “shark” or any number of things that are not actually relevant to the business of relationships.
And make no mistake, real estate is a business of relationships.
And relationships are built in so many ways.
What we are looking for is someone we can build a relationship with.
Who has the capacity to go and do the same.
Because that’s how you build a business where you wake up every morning excited about what you do.
That’s how you build a business that helps people.
So no, when we are looking at potential agents we don’t look at their numbers, or their “experience.”
The mechanics of real estate can be trained.
They can be learned.
But you can only build those skills on a firm foundation of a real and meaningful relationship. Our agents have to know how much we care about them as people. They have to know that we know our job is to support them. They have to know that we will have their back.
Because that is how you build success. You support people in a way that is in alignment with exactly who that person is.
And the beautiful part is, that when you are actually instrumental in helping someone build success there is no end to the work you can do together.
Because you have been able to build loyalty as a two way street.
Instead of the one way street so many people think it is.
Because your loyalty to me must be matched by my loyalty to you.
Or you will find “greener pastures.”
And I don’t want that. I want to build lifelong loyal relationships that help all of us grow.
Carry on.