Many brokerages look to recruit agents into their team. As a broker, you understand the importance of selecting the very best and brightest; the ones who will add new sparks and perspectives to your team. Recruitment is a lengthy process, and sometimes no one new is even chosen – so how can this be done more effectively and efficiently?

1. Start slow.

While this may seem counterproductive, it is a key aspect to the recruitment process. Taking your time to look over each candidate and weigh out what they will bring to the table will make the narrowing process much smoother toward the end.

2. Listen carefully during interviews.

Not everyone is the best interviewee – that is a simple fact. But sometimes the people who are the most nervous during the interview process end up making the best agents – it shows how much they truly care about the job. Confidence isn’t everything and someone who is self-assured may not have the best credentials. Listen carefully to what each person will be able to provide to the team, and pay attention to personality traits that may suit your team.

Cory Rosier, from Big Block Realty states the importance of maintaining a strong cultural fit among agents on a team. Agents must have complementary personality traits and must be able to work well together under stressful situations.

In his opinion, the most important aspects of recruiting a new agent are:

• Willingness to be coached
• Curiosity
• Proven success
• Intelligence
• Strong work ethic

To read more about Cory Rosier and his recruitment tips, read our spotlight article on him here.

3. There is more to a brokerage than compensation.

I will not argue that agents don’t care about compensation – just like any profession, they obviously do. A lot. But it is important to look for agents who look beyond that in the profession, those who are passionate about the work itself and the career path they have chosen for themselves. Prospects who try to haggle compensation price or argue that “they were paid more in their previous brokerage” tend not to work out.

Most brokerages offer agents 70% of the commissions they receive, with the additional 30% going toward the brokerage. This is a fairly common practice, as well as a generous wager. However, sometimes agents do not believe they are receiving a fair deal. Whether this is true or not, it is important to find an agent who you can compromise with and who won’t always argue payment with you. Always give your agents a fair and generous compensation, but look for a team that sees beyond the payment. Passion is the true heart of any business, and work is performed more diligently by those who care about what they are doing.