Templates and Clear Instructions

by | Feb 12, 2026

Most real estate offices operate like small, tight-knit communities.

Agents seem to participate in the community for common reasons but getting them to consistently focus on a set of productive activities can be a challenge.

To overcome this common obstacle, online community expert Rich Millington suggests a simple solution:

If you want better contributions from members, give them clearer instructions and templates to work with. It sounds obvious, but it so rarely happens.

Create a template with clear boxes of what’s expected in each area, give plenty of great examples members can see, edit, and tinker with.

Provide them with simple training they can take. And, most importantly, give them constructive criticism so they can improve.

There is a good chance you’re already using this basic formula to help your agents succeed.

But let me ask you a quick question:

Do you use the same formula to help yourself recruit?

Mundane activities like recruiting go better when you’re following a pre-planned regiment that include scripts, time-blocks, and ways to collect feedback on how you’re doing.

You already know that sloppy execution doesn’t work for selling.

It doesn’t work for recruiting either.

 

The Simple Psychology of Real Estate Recruiting [2nd Edition]

Unlock the secrets of effective real estate recruiting. Revised to include actionable frameworks for sharper execution and to help you turn psychological theory into a repeatable recruiting system.

The Attrition Variables

The Attrition Variables

While these attrition constants still have the greatest influence, there are some emerging attrition variables worth noting. People also tend to leave companies when: They feel like they’re not doing as well as others in their peer group outside the company. They feel like they’re not as far along as they should be at a certain point in life.

The Attrition Constants

The Attrition Constants

If you’re not focusing most of your retention effort on these issues, you’ll miss the mark. If you’re not focusing most of your recruiting effort on exploiting these weaknesses among your competitors, you’re missing the best opportunities.

The Persistence Mindset

The Persistence Mindset

A leader equipped with this mindset can have a profound effect on the life and career of each individual they engage. It works because an agent is getting a real-time glimpse of what it would be like to work on your team. But it only becomes believable when it is persistently applied over time.