Hire expectations

To find agents who can boost your firm’s production, start by weeding out those
destined to fail.

Read about questions
to ask when choosing
a brokerage

by Linda Brakeall It is difficult, almost impossible, to predict success among any commissioned salespeople, and real estate agents are no exception. Over the years, I have been involved with creating some sales predictor tests, and I’ve also probably used every one that has ever been published, but I have yet to find one that is more than 50% reliable. (Most are far less accurate than that!)

I have seen poor salespeople who could sell well for one manager but for no one else. I’ve seen salespeople who sold huge volume for a year or two under personal financial pressure and never again approached that level. Some sold well for one company and sold nothing for another. Some agents you can’t start and others you can’t stop!

What’s the opposite of success?
Predicting success for a person at any given time is tough. But you know what is really simple? Figuring out who will almost certainly not succeed.

It finally occurred to me that if I merely eliminated those who were highly unlikely to succeed, based on my own particular experiences, I would immeasurably improve the odds of finding successful salespeople among those who remained.

If you manage real estate salespeople, you can look back over the years and analyze why those who failed did so. It will not be the same reasons for all, but some common denominators will quickly emerge. Here are some of the criteria I use to eliminate candidates.

Instability is not a good thing
I will never again hire a commissioned salesperson who is in crisis, change, or flux. Usually these people are so concerned with their own personal lives—good or bad—that they really aren’t “there” at work!

Look for people who are stable, well-adjusted, and are looking for a new challenge that will enhance their life, not be their life. This is not the easiest job in the world, and if an agent can’t focus on his work, that person certainly will not live up to the potential you otherwise would expect.

Don’t be just another stop along the way
I will never again hire a job hopper, no matter what the excuse or reason. If they’ve been with four companies in four years, chances are they will be with five companies in five years and six in six years. Do you want to be the fifth company? I don’t. It takes too long to get them up to speed. Why would you do that to yourself or to the people who work with you? Every time someone leaves, the whole office grieves. (Occasionally, the office cheers, but obviously that was a hiring mistake, too!)

Look for people who want to expand, to improve, or to move up to the next logical step on the professional ladder.

Pay attention to what they talk about
I will never again hire a gossip. My momma used to say that small people talk about people, average people talk about things, and exceptional people discuss ideas. Even at a first interview, you can identify a gossip. He tends to tell you all about his own and others’ personal data, habits, and foibles. Spare me! If he gossips at the interview with you—someone he is trying to impress—what do you think will go on over coffee in the kitchen?

Look for people who will share ideas about where the industry will be in the next five years, how they think technology is going to serve lending or ideas for improving or finding business!

Successful people succeed
I will never again hire a salesperson who does not have a track record of success. When asked about their successes, they (the success-free people) would say: “Well, gee, I’ve never done anything very important.” Trust me, that will not change. People who have repeatedly not made the grade doing anything are not good candidates for success.

Look for any signs of success. Success in sales would obviously be your first choice but I’ve hired many “soccer moms” who had previously run the PTA or had been a successful officer of local civic or social organizations. They often told me stories (with prompting) about projects they had organized, money they had raised, goals they had met, changes they had orchestrated. Selling homes is all about people skills, some financial acumen, good organization, and time-management skills. Soccer moms and others you might at first consider unlikely candidates often have those skills.

The numbers game is important (so is technology)
I will never again hire anyone who does not have an aptitude for numbers and technology. It is downright embarrassing to see an agent who cannot compute payments, figure closing costs, or is not able to use a computer to find listings.

Look for people who do not run in horror from a calculator or a computer. They may not be fully competent in those areas now, but they have to be willing to learn and show some ability. Test!

First impressions really do matter
I will never again hire anyone who is late for the interview. I know that sounds harsh, and maybe petty, but my experience has been if they will not bend over backwards to make a good impression up front, it will not improve.

Look for people who are not only on time, but also well-dressed and well-groomed. These are the folks who will be representing you out there in the community.

Make sure they can hold their own
I will never again hire anyone who cannot hold an easily flowing conversation at the interview. If they can’t talk with you, can they talk with buyers or sellers? Enough said.

No gratitude for a bad attitude
I will never again hire anyone who has a lousy attitude or whines. As a manager, you cannot change someone’s attitude. No one can. I don’t care how great their skills are or how high their production looks, they are simply too expensive to have around an office. I had a good producer that I once inherited who intimidated, aggravated, or infuriated everyone in the office. I kept her for about six months before I bit the bullet and fired her, thinking my bottom line would drop when her sales volume walked out the door.

The remaining salespeople immediately picked up the slack and then some. She had depressed us all, and we (myself included) had not been working up to capacity because we had to deal with her. Once she left it was a happier, more-productive office. Yes, you can change their actions, but you cannot change their attitude, and bad attitudes are contagious and deadly.

Look for a cheerful disposition, a positive outlook, and a smile! A sociologist friend, when asked if the glass was half-empty or half-full said the only intelligent answer was: yes. At the risk of sounding less than intelligent, I’d still rather work with the half-full folks!
That’s my list, what’s on yours?

Linda Brakeall, GRI, CRB, SP, is a nationally recognized expert in sales and marketing for REALTORS®. She has been speaking professionally, training, and consulting since 1992. For more info, please contact The Frog Pond Group at 800/704-3764 or e-mail susie@frogpondgroup.com.

Photo © PictureQuest.

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