True or False: " The Internet will not replace agents. Agents who use the Internet will replace agents."

You probably answered, "True", and you are right on the money. If you answered "False", perhaps you'd better find another line of work, because you're not going to know what hit you in a couple of years. Already, a large number of technologically savvy REALTORS are finding that the majority of their real estate transactions are now directly attributable to their on-line marketing efforts. Every day, more agents discover this new, efficient, effective, and profitable method of doing business.

Okay, try this one. True or False: "The Internet will not replace recruiting. Brokers who use the Internet to recruit will replace recruiting." If you immediately answered "True", you get an A+, because you are ahead of the curve. Using technology to prospect for agents is not currently as wide spread as employing the Internet to find buyers and sellers. However, one day soon it will be. The Internet can be more effective than conventional methods of recruiting in several important areas:

Right Time-Right Place.
The challenge in recruiting has always been to get the right information into the hands of the right prospect at exactly the right moment. Ask any experienced recruiter, and he or she will tell you that timing is everything. In the real world, brokers often send recruiting materials to agents in hopes the prospects will retain them until they are "ready". More often than not, the materials get tossed. Since the Internet is available and accessible 24/7, brokers have the ability to deliver a recruiting presentation to a prospect during that crucial moment: the instant an individual is thinking about changing real estate companies, or is seriously contemplating going into the real estate business.

The Whole Picture.
The Internet gives brokers the opportunity to present as many different facets of their offices as they want. They can discuss their vision, their production, and their promotions. They can offer testimonials from current agents, as well as comments from satisfied buyers and sellers. Brokers can make their recruiting web sites as sophisticated or as simple as they please. A recruiting web site allows a prospect to choose which information to examine, and the order in which to view it. In the real world, a broker who attempts such a complete presentation in print runs the risk of emphasizing features that either don't interest the prospect, or overwhelms him/her.

Image Is Everything.
Every real estate professional acknowledges the growing importance of the Internet. Brokers who utilize an on-line recruiting vehicle enhance their images, and that of their offices. They appear forward thinking and technologically astute

Turning on a Dime.
Recruiting materials and information offered on the Internet can be constantly and immediately up-dated. This feature allows brokers to capitalize on newsworthy events or statistics that may help them recruit, and further assures that their prospecting materials are never obsolete. In the real world, such diligence would require constantly trashing and reprinting expensive recruiting materials.

Going Where the Ducks Are.
Someone wise once noted that the best way to go duck hunting was to go where the ducks are. Perhaps the most compelling reason for using the Internet to recruit is that, increasingly, this is where you'll find the good agents who are doing business.

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Published: August 6, 1999

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