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The real estate industry in Canada is hotter than ever, and for established brokers, it would be easy to sit back and let the watch the boom unfold – but the best in the business know you either keep up recruiting and providing value to your agents, or watch your growth stagnate and your agents leave for competing brokerages. On the new podcast Real Estate: Real Success from CENTURY 21 Canada, brokers with decades of experience have been sharing their best practices for keeping their businesses thriving.
Here are some ways brokers across Canada are staying on top of their recruiting and retention game:
- Diversify your recruiting efforts
Don’t just expect agents to knock on your door, no matter how successful your office is! In the digital age, leverage social media, look for the right Facebook groups, try new email campaigns and don’t underestimate the power of a job board.
Katelyn Fulton, one of the owners of CENTURY 21 Percy Fulton Ltd. has been cultivating her recruitment strategies for years now. “I always like to have a passive way to get new business and job boards are that. The biggest one is Indeed, and the biggest thing was to play around with a headline that grabs their attention and stick with it. I’ve kept it for two years and 36% of the agents we’ve hired have come from that.”
- Create meaningful relationships with your agents
Whether you’re running a brokerage large or small, it’s important to make agents feel seen and heard, especially if they’re new to the industry. “Agents like to be treated like family members,” says Jasbir Sandhu, owner of CENTURY 21 Coastal Realty. “Every agent in my office is like my extended family, that’s how I see it and that makes them comfortable. When they see something wrong with me, they can tell me, and I can do the same for them.” Creating a positive and welcoming environment leads to confident agents who learn and receive feedback, and who don’t want to leave anytime soon.
- Build a culture that lets agents have fun
Being in the real estate industry can sometimes be a lonely profession, especially for newer agents, so it’s important to build an office culture that gives everyone a chance to get to know each other and have fun. “We try to create a culture here,” says Stephen Chow, owner of CENTURY 21 Atria Realty Inc. Brokerage. “During the pandemic we did online karaoke contests, we did socially distanced events in our office parking lot, and I believe that if people are happy working at your company, that’s retention. And if they tell their friends and family about you, those people are going to want to join your company.”
- Openly communicate what goes on in your office
Fear of missing out is a powerful tool, and don’t be afraid to use it! If you’ve got a great office, let outside agents know what’s going on – it’ll make them want to be a part of the action. “We share everything we do at our brokerage,” explains Cameron Van Klei, owner of CENTURY 21 Creekside Realty Inc. “We print our education schedule, we share on Social Media what events we’re doing, whether we’re going on a hike or a fundraiser. And every month members of our real estate board get a newsletter of who’s joined our office and our stats, anybody who clicks on those emails a few times, they’re perfect for me to reach out and start a conversation.”
- Set your agents up for success
These days it’s easy for your agents to get burnt out, so you need to find new ways to help them stay focused and motivated. It’s essential that you work with your agents in helping them create an annual business plan so they can achieve their financial goals, like the management team at CENTURY 21 Heritage Group. Their on-demand business planning program is supported by a step-by-step worksheet and weekly coaching sessions. “Throughout 2022, we are going to have specific Monday morning coaching sessions that agents can attend where we will hold them accountable. Because we know having a plan is one thing but following up and consistently focusing on that plan every week is the biggest challenge” says Eryn Richardson, Managing Partner.
Want more stories from the industry from the best in the industry? Listen to Real Estate: Real Success on Spotify, Apple Music or Google Podcasts today! New episodes air LIVE every month, and you can find more information at Century21franchise.ca.
About the Author
Chiyoko Kakino is the VP of Brand Expansion for Western Canada for CENTURY 21 Canada and the host of ‘Real Estate: Real Success’. She is passionate about expanding the CENTURY 21 brand across Canada, and you can reach her at chiyoko.kakino@century21.ca or at 604-375-2800.
