How to Get a Head Start on the Recruiting Season
July and August are always tricky months for recruiting.
People are on vacation. Kids are out of school. Everyone’s coming down from the chaos of the busy season.
So why not put recruiting on hold for now and pick it back up when the recruiting season starts after Labor Day?
Because that would be like trying to play in the Super Bowl without a single day of practice.
The brokers who recruit the most agents during the fall/winter recruiting season are the ones who use July and August to get a head start.
Here’s how you can get a head start too.
#1 – Refresh Your Prospect List
If you haven’t refreshed your prospect list in the last month or two, do it now.
Some agents who struggled or were new in 2016 had a strong first half of 2017. To recruit these rebounders and rising stars, you must first have them on your prospect list.
Use a program like BrokerMetrics or log into your MLS and run a search based on agents’ last 12 months of production. Compare the updated prospect list against your old prospect list to ensure you have a complete picture of your recruiting pool.
#2 – Review Your Recruiting Materials
Collect all the materials you use for recruiting (email campaigns, postcards, co-op letters, call scripts, etc.).
Could any of them use updating?
Maybe your market share or per-agent productivity has changed. Maybe you’ve added, removed, or adjusted certain services or commission plans.
Invest the time to review your recruiting materials now so you know they’re ready to go for the prime recruiting months.
#3 – Ask for Referrals
Your agents just went through the busy season and closed deals with prospects you want to recruit.
If it’s been more than a month since you last asked your agents for referrals, ask them again now. Agents who were too pre-occupied with selling during the busy months might now prove more willing to refer.
#4 – Create or Update Your Follow-Up List
Do you have a list of the agents you’ve met or spoken with about joining your company?
If so, is it updated?
If you don’t have a list, or if your list is stale, now’s the time to work on it.
Agents who told you “no” in the past might reconsider that position during the recruiting season.
#5 – Make a Plan
If you’ve completed the previous four activities, you have the start of a solid recruiting plan. You know which agents you’re going to target and you have the right materials to recruit them.
Now, you need to lay out the rest of the plan…
When and how will you reach out to your prospects?
What marketing messages and value propositions will you use to attract to them to your company?
If they don’t join, how will you follow up with them over time?
Answer those questions and you’ll have a plan that’ll allow you to have the best possible recruiting season.
P.S. – Recruiting season is generally defined as after Labor Day through the end of January. But, that definition isn’t universal.
If your market experiences a bump in activity during the fall, your recruiting season could start as late as November.
Or, if your selling season starts soon after the new year, your recruiting season could end the first week of January.
