Answer this question: given the choice between spending an afternoon in the dentist's chair, or contacting prospects in a recruiting effort, which would you choose? If you're the owner of a real estate company, and you would opt for the former, you're not alone.

I have discussed recruiting with hundreds of brokers and managers over the years. Not many actually relished this aspect of their job. On the flip side, I can recall dozens who confessed they'd rather do almost anything except recruit. Most merely (and grudgingly) accepted the responsibility of recruiting as a necessary evil that went hand-in-hand with operating a real estate office. While readily giving lip service to the importance of recruiting, they often procrastinated to the extreme when it came to actually doing anything about prospecting for new associates.

What makes this so peculiar is the significance of recruiting in the life of every broker/owner. Wouldn't you think owners would look forward to their recruiting opportunities in the same way agents should anticipate listing appointments? In each case, substantial sources of income are involved. In addition, wouldn't you think that the owners of real estate firms would be extremely proud of their operations, and welcome the chance to talk about their offices whenever possible?

Even more perplexing is this: these same brokers are also successful REALTORS. As such, they fully understand the importance of prospecting for listings and buyers. They also recognize that rejection is something we all experience in this business. They totally agree with the "some will, some won't, so what-next" philosophy which we all learn. Handling rejection is an integral part of being in real estate. Brokers not only accept these truths, but also teach them to their newer agents. However, change the focus from listing/selling to recruiting, and objectivity leaves the room.

Why do so many office owners shy away from recruiting?

Here's my theory. While Brokers may handle rejection in their personal real estate business without breaking a sweat, they are often intimidated by the thought of a rebuff from a recruiting prospect. This happens because they care too much about their offices, not because they care too little.

Most brokers who own real estate companies are extremely hard workers, and are committed to the success of their operations. Because so much of their lives (and livelihoods) are tied up in their businesses, they tend to take everything involving their offices very personally. They do not look at the recruiting process in the same light as they would any other marketing objective. Instead, they are apt to view the success or failure of each recruiting presentation as a personal validation or indictment of them.

Unaware of this emotional involvement on a conscious level, many owners simply make excuses, rationalizing their failure to recruit. They tell themselves that they have no time to prospect, or that no qualified agents are out there to recruit.

The bottom line is this: while some offices may survive without a full-time recruiting effort from the owner of the company, the truly successful (and profitable) firms are run by those who recognize the importance of recruiting and commit time, energy, and money to the process.

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Published: June 11, 1999

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