This is where the rubber really hits the pavement. You have laid a great foundation starting with your prospecting strategies, interview strategies, but you didn't get them on the first interview. How do you continue the attraction process so that at some point in time your prospect will eventually join?

First of all, don't throw away all of your hard work and fail to follow-up on a consistent basis. Here's a tip: Experienced agent recruiting is like a long escrow. Does that make sense? When is the last time you sat down for an initial interview with an experienced agent (that by the way, has not just been fired from their current broker or is out looking to join a broker today) that had listing inventory and escrows, and at the end of the interview they signed and joined on the spot? Very rarely do they join on the spot. These agents are concerned about losing their current listings and escrows. That's all right because you have a solid follow-up program, right?

Well, if not, here's the one that I recommend.

1. Database: After an interview or even a phone call with a targeted recruit, enter them in your database.

2. Note Card and Email: Immediately after a phone conversation or interview, you send a hand-written thank you card and do the same through email. How many hand-written note cards do you think your prospect is receiving on a regular basis? How many hand-written note cards are your agents receiving from you?

3. Business Building Email: Look through the numerous on-line real estate publications and find a business-building article that you think your prospects might appreciate. You will want to email this to them on a weekly basis, which means you need to find a new article each week.

4. Acknowledge: Provide your assistant with an excel spreadsheet that includes the name and phone number of each of your recruiting prospects in the left hand column. Their job is to look at the daily mls update and note any time that one of your prospects has a new listing, sale, or closing. At the end of the week, you spend an hour making very brief congratulatory calls to your prospects, based on their accomplishments in the last week.

As you can see, it's a pretty simple process. Start the relationship out based on your desire to coach and lead them in their business. Continue your follow-up process in a manner where they feel like you are noticing and leading them more than their current broker.

As human beings we have some pretty basic needs: to be loved and noticed.

Published: June 19, 2007

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Jon Cheplak, ABR,GRI,CRS,CRB,CLHMS is the Founder of The Real Estate Recruiters, The Management and Recruiting Solutions Experts. Jon consults, coaches, and hosts retreats for brokers, owners, and managers internationally, supporting leaders in their growth and profitability strategies and tactics. He can be reached at 775-846-5748 or email him at recruit@therealestaterecruiters.com. Visit his website at www.therealestaterecruiters.com.