National Association of Realtors' surveys show that a vast majority of agents are in a few major companies. And, that's a major continuing trend.

What does that mean in recruiting? How would agents know the difference between one branch of a company and another? It's all in how the manager promotes himself/herself. It's not enough to sell the company features (or even benefits) during the recruiting presentation. Now, managers must sell themselves--just like an agent sells himself/herself to the client.

Poor recruiters rely on company features. Great recruiters build their own stories (just like great and poor agents). Then, they add the benefits to the stories that fill that particular agent's need.

You Think You're Different: You Own or Manage an Independent or One Office Company

No, you're not different. You still must use your individual strengths to attract each agent.  If you don't do this, but the manager of the large company does, guess who will be the more effective recruiter? After all, those agents demand coaching, consulting, and training today. And, they know where it needs to come from-YOU! In fact, you as a 'boutique' owner have an edge here-if you promote it.

Identify Your 'Attractors'

An effective recruiter's presentation shows the qualities and programs that are attractive to the desired agent. Here is the process to create a personalized, effective manager's recruiting presentation.

First, identify your strengths. Then, attach the benefits of those strengths to your recruit-keeping in mind the needs you are filling for that particular recruit.  By doing this process, you'll have the information you need to design a full presentation that takes advantage of the trends, makes it easy for you to become a master presenter, and gets you the recruits you want.

Who Determines What's Really "Attractive?"

Managers are usually long-term real estate "pros". They assume their company features are attractors to desired agents. Problem:  These features are valued by managers, but they may not be equally as attractive to agents.

Example:  For years, a large company in the area told prospective agents they could make more money by affiliating with that company because, "We have meetings daily."  In reality, the meetings had become poorly attended, boring, and resented by the agents.  The only "beneficiaries" were the managers, since they could more easily keep tabs on the agents if they required the agents' bodies show up at the desk at 9 A.M. daily! 

As agents became more independent, and competition from other companies increased, the meetings, which 30 years ago had been team-builders, became outmoded.  They actually were a deterrent to recruiting!  If these managers had taken the agents' perspective, they could have avoided using a worn-out, ineffective presentation.

Be Sure The Features You're Promoting Are Of Value:  Determining The Attractors That You Should Promote

It's important, then to analyze your attractors from both yours and the recruit's point of view. By comparing and contrasting manager' and agents' perspectives, managers can determine their most effective attractors-in the market and against the competition.

Start with your point of view. Examine your company 'line'.  Write down the features of your company, office, and management that you assume are attractive to an agent you want to recruit.           

Now, compare the agent's point of view, using the questions below.

Ask 5 new agents that you've hired recently: 

• What were the biggest attractors to your office?
• Probe for more information.  Why were these important?
• What attractors of other companies were impressive?  Why?
• Why did they join you instead?

Ask 5 new agents that you recruited but didn't hire: 

• What were the biggest attractors to the office they did join?
• What, in their opinions, would have caused them to join your office instead? 

Ask 5 experienced agents that you've recently recruited: 

• What were the biggest attractors to your office? 

Ask 5 experienced agents that you recruited, but didn't hire: 

• What were the biggest attractors to their chosen offices?
• What, in their opinions, would have caused them to join your office? Your office? Your associates? You?

What did you learn that you can use as a question in your interview to find out  what that agent thinks is important?

Evaluate The Results Of Your Surveys

Where are you perceived as "attractive"? By new agents? By experienced agents? Where do you need to improve? In what areas do you have to create better attractors to compete successfully for the agents you desire?

Use the checklist below to assess your improvement areas:

• Office image
• Technical support/technology
• Secretarial support
• Management support
• New agent training
• Experienced agent training
• Professional associates
• Sales support materials
• Advertising
• Recognition
• Affiliation with Realtors ®
• Affiliation with Multiple
• Special promotions
• Office facility
• Commission splits
• Manager's presentation skills
• Manager's personal magnets

Your Story-Part Of Creating 'You' As Magnet

The recruit is sitting in front of you. You've just heard his/her 'story' -because you had begun the interview process by asking him/her about his/her work, school, interest, and goal history. You've taken notes.

Now, it's time to share your 'history'-in five minutes or less! After you've done the previous exercises, you have a good idea of what you want to communicate. You will start communicating your attractors and differentiators in your story. Now, let's put together your story:

Decide On Your Life 'Theme'

The recruit wants to know whether or not he or she should entrust his future to you. You must communicate a life 'theme' that explains why you're doing what you're doing, and why you're doing it with that particular company. Possible life themes:  desire to help others, teaching; desire to get ahead, establish a secure future; desire to leave a legacy.

What's Your Life's Mission?

Do you know what your mission in life is? How are you living it out in real estate? Why is this a benefit to the person sitting across from you?

The trend in business is for the interviewee to attempt to match up his or her personal values with the interviewer. To assist the interviewee in doing that, the interviewer must know and be able to communicate those life values during his life story.

How To Determine Your Life Legacy And Mission

Jot down answers to each question:

• Start at about high school level: What was noteworthy, different, interesting, about your life then-and how do those facts tie in with the 'theme' you want to communicate?
• College: Noteworthy accomplishments, experiences - tie in with your theme.
• Work history: Noteworthy accomplishments, experiences, interests - tie in with your theme.
• Why you're doing what you're doing and why you're with that company. The company values should be communicated here, with a reference to your own personal values. They must match!

Now, practice saying this in five minutes or less. Make an audiotape and evaluate your effectiveness. Don't underestimate your need to practice this many times. This is one of the most important aspects of your recruiting presentation, and few managers ever put this together consciously or practice.

Relating To The Interviewee

Effective recruiters always start an interview by asking questions to find out about the recruit: Work histories, goals, interests, family. The effective recruiter listens carefully as the recruit tell each story.

They hear the recruit's value systems and life missions; then, they tell their stories to be complementary to those value systems. Warning: I do not  mean to intimate that the recruiter changes his story. I mean that, if an interviewee says that training is very important, because he believes in life development, and the recruiter also agrees with the belief, the recruiter should communicate that value match-up in his story.

The Goal: More Effective Recruiting

Armed with your attractors, differentiators, magnets, and life story, you're on your way to creating a very different, very effective recruiting presentation. Remember, YOU are the magnet. Develop it!