Adding a buyers’ agent to the staff is becoming more commonplace for "top gun" REALTORS®. These top producers often don't have the time to devote to buyers during the course of the week, even the clients whose homes they have just sold who need to find a new home before escrow closes on the home they have sold.

Having a buyers’ agent handle these clients and situations sets the "top gun" agent free for other priorities. But some agents who do use buyers’ agents spend too much valuable time on training, coaching, managing the buyers' agent and correcting their mistakes. The result is that a buyers' agent can cost more than they are worth in commission splits.

If a Realtor feels that he or she is not realizing any profit from employing buyers' agents, the problem can usually be traced back to the hiring process. Did the Realtor pick the right buyers' agent in the beginning, explain his or her expectations and provide sufficient tools for the buyers' agent to be successful?

The first step to hiring a buyers’ agent is to clearly define the role you want this person to play in the business, as well as your expectations. Create a job description and set minimum standards of production before you hire someone. Clearly define the time you will spend in communication and coaching with this person daily and weekly.

As the lead agent, you must clearly define the job of the buyers’ agent. Most importantly, you need a clear definition of who this person will be. What are you looking for in a buyers’ agent? You need to create a target profile of that person so that you can find the right person. And, remember, you can’t hit a target you can’t see.

Once you have found a few candidates, you must carefully evaluate each of them for 3 factors:

• How are this candidate’s sales skills? Can he or she sell?
• What style of sales does this person use? Is it consistent with your philosophy of sales?
• Will this person do it? Does he or she have the desire?

How are this candidate’s sales skills? Sales skills are exactly that -- skills. Does this person have the necessary skill level to excel? Is he or she focused on improving that skill level? Your buyers’ agent must have the knowledge, and understand the principles, of a successful salesperson. A candidate can be the nicest person in the world, someone whom you would really enjoy having on your team, but with limited skills this person will not achieve an adequate return on your investment of energy and time.

What style of selling does this candidate use? What is this person naturally like in a sales situation? Does she become too pushy, or is she so meek that she never asks for the order? How are his organization skills and the structure of his time each day? You don’t want someone to drive away clients with an aggressive style. Neither do you want the person who shows 25 + houses to a buyer, eating up enormous amounts of time and energy on each one. You need to evaluate each candidate’s style based on the style that you have defined for your team, and on how the whole team will fit together.

Does this candidate have the desire? Does he have the thing inside of him that says - "I will do this or die trying?" Is she willing to put in the long hours, and to take the rejection, in order to get up to cruising altitude? Does she truly love the selling process and her job? Does he have the ability to motivate himself, or will he need you to provide a constant supply of motivation?

As a "top gun" agent, the worst thing that you can do to yourself and to your business is bring in the wrong person. Evaluate your business and your needs thoroughly before you commit to adding and training new staff; then evaluate candidates thoroughly before hiring one. With the time and effort it takes to train even an experienced agent to your system before he or she can create closings, it will be months before you get a return on your investment. You are front-loading this relationship heavily. You are investing your time, effort and energy now to get a future return. Don’t short-change your business with an inadequate evaluation and hiring process that will push your return too far into the future.

Build your staff for the long haul. The biggest expense you will have is hiring and training new staff members. Make the right selection the first time.

Published: December 29, 1998

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Dirk Zeller is a sought out speaker, celebrated author and CEO of Real Estate Champions. His company trains more than 350,000 Agents worldwide each year through live events, online training, self-study programs, and newsletters. The Real Estate community has embraced and praised his six best-selling books; Your First Year in Real Estate, Success as a Real Estate Agent for Dummies®, The Champion Real Estate Agent, The Champion Real Estate Team, Telephone Sales for Dummies®, Successful Time Management for Dummies®, and over 300 articles in print. To learn more regarding this article, please visit www.realestatechampions.com.