Top 6 Events That Can Help With Real Estate Agent Recruitment
There are many factors that contribute to a real estate brokerage’s success. Arguably, closing deals and acquiring new clients are two of the most prioritized ones. Recruitment, on the other hand, is often an overlooked facet of brokerage growth and success.
It’s an easy mistake to make, especially when your current team is already performing up to or even beyond your standards. However, the truth is that you always need to put on your “recruit real estate agent” hat. This way, you’ll get your brokerage’s name out and keep it top of mind across the industry.
One good way to improve your recruitment program is to conduct events. These can help put a face on your real estate company, making it more relatable and approachable. Events also offer plenty of value for potential candidates, not to mention business partners.
They are great opportunities to share what makes your company great whether it is a cooperative atmosphere, highly attractive real estate commissions, top-notch training, agent awards and bonus among others than may be valuable to a new recruit.
Here are some event ideas to help get you started:
Webinars
It’s not just job interviews that can be conducted nowadays. Webinars and online conferences have also become popular over the years (and have even become the norm due to the pandemic).
What’s great about webinars is that they allow your brokerage to reach a wider audience. Millennial and Gen Y real estate agents, in particular, will love the idea of participating in these online events that can further their industry knowledge. It’s also easy to experiment with these webinars. You can conduct them at different time slots to determine the best schedule. You can also explore different topics and formats (should it be a live Q&A or should questions be sent prior?).
Of course, don’t forget to collect important data from your audience. Take note of participants who are more engaged and give them incentives such as free access to an exclusive webinar or lunch conference.
Happy Hours or Mixers
Happy hours or mixers are perfect for networking, which is an important component of recruitment. Networking helps you gauge a real estate agent’s potential and personality without feeling stressed.
Make sure to invite not only possible applicants, but also representatives from other real estate companies. While this might seem counterintuitive, remember that the point of the event is networking. Doing so also extends goodwill, which can develop a more positive reputation for your company.
Lunch Conferences
A lunch conference (also called lunch and learn) is just that: an opportunity to eat and learn at the same time. Consider this a more formal kind of happy hour that also includes an educational component.
The key is to clarify the event’s purpose to the attendees. Will there be recruitment at the end of the learning segment or is it purely an educational opportunity with the chance to build a network? This puts less pressure on the participants and also helps them prepare. Whether or not you’re recruiting at the end of the conference, however, it’s still a good idea to put a spotlight on your brokerage. Tell the participants what it can offer if they decide to join.
Job Fairs
If your brokerage hasn’t participated in a job fair yet, now is the time to do so. Recruitment is the primary purpose of this type of event, so you’ll encounter people of all ages and experience levels. This can help diversify the talent in your team. You can also use the opportunity to establish a better rapport with other companies in allied industries.
Speaking of allied industries, you can also organize a smaller job fair or your own. Invite other real estate brokerages to participate, along with construction or architecture firms, interior design companies, and other organizations from related industries.
School Tours
If you’re looking for young talent in particular, the best places to look are schools. They’re perfect for spotting promising real estate professionals, who can fulfill entry-level or internship posts.
Colleges and trade schools are your best bets if you want to find students who are ready to become real estate professionals. Still, don’t dismiss the potential of high schools. Many younger students may not have decided yet on what they want to do in the future. You can take this as an opportunity to showcase the possibilities of a real estate career.
Open House
An open house is the best kind of recruitment event if you really want to put your brokerage in the spotlight. With a peek into your office, potential candidates can gain some insights about your company culture and decide whether or not it’s a place where they want to work.
Before the open house, pick a few employees who can talk to the candidates. Doing this can help you gauge how well these potential new employees will be interacting with your current team. Of course, don’t forget to tidy things up to make a good first impression. At the same time, don’t put on airs for the sake of looking good because this can lead to disappointments in the future. Your goal is to present your brokerage in a genuine manner.
The bottom line here is that real estate agent recruitment should be something you think about all the time, and not only when you need a new one. By being “always on” with your recruitment efforts, including events, there’s less chance that you’ll miss out on a truly great candidate.
