Why Negative Emotions Lead to Hires

by | Mar 21, 2023

As we discussed yesterday, many agents are fearful right now.

How do you turn this anxiety into recruiting and retention opportunities?

According to author Morton Hansen, there is a predictable pattern of communication that will position you to recruit more during difficult times.

To inspire people and gain their support, line up high-arousal emotions on your side.

More specifically, you must make a person mad or fearful about the present, and then joyful and excited about your proposed future goal.

Notice the order.

Unless a person first feels some negative emotions (ex. fear, anger, frustration, anxiety), you’ll have a difficult time later evoking the positive emotions (ex. excitement, joy, passion, delight) necessary to adopt your plan.

Here is a simple process to follow:

1.Ask some emotionally charged questions. Are you worried that high interest rates and low inventory may last for a couple of years?

2. Validate their feelings with your own experience. We’re worried about it too. Some of our best agents are concerned their incomes will drop significantly unless something changes.

3. Show positive emotion about your solution. This is why we’re so excited about the listing program we created late last year that increased our listings by 50% in the first quarter.

Many believe that tough economic times make recruiting more difficult.

The opposite is true.

It provides a shortcut to negative emotions an individual must feel before making a change.

The Simple Psychology of Real Estate Recruiting [eBook]

Unlock the secrets of effective real estate recruiting and learn how you can build trust, foster rapport, and understand the psychology behind candidate decisions. Discover techniques for converting acquaintances to hires and retaining agents by addressing their needs and aspirations.