The recruiting fantasy goes something like this: find a great location, create an attractive working environment, establish a presence in the market, provide good support services, and offer competitive commission splits. Then, one day, agents will just walk through the door and join your agency.

The recruiting reality is this: while all the above factors are important, recruiting is a process unto itself. It takes time and effort. This truth is something many brokers seem to forget, ignore, or avoid. Perhaps the reason lies in the fact that those of you who own real estate agencies share a trait common to all of us in the industry: you thrive on instant gratification. We are all really impatient with anything that can't be accomplished immediately.

Unfortunately, you can stand on your head and spit wooden nickels, and the recruiting process is still going to take as long as it takes! The best way to start the process is by recognizing this, taking a deep breath, and settling in for the long haul. You should be pleasantly surprised every time someone joins your office quickly, but should not come to expect this occurrence.

The recruiting process is ultimately a highly personalized one, with each office bringing its unique strengths to the table. However, there are certain definable steps that characterize all good recruiting programs.

These steps are:

Published: May 28, 1999

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