When big changes appear on the horizon, most leaders try their best to make sense of what’s happening and prepare for what will happen next. It’s probably what you’re...

A wide body of experimentation and research suggests that what the mind believes to be true is a very powerful thing.And according to best-selling author Bruce...

A decade-long research project known at the Whitehall Studies followed 10,000 British employees comparing health outcomes to different pay grades.Sheena Lyengar cited...

Working hard to hire talented agents while watching others walk out the back door will suck the motivation out of anyone who plays the recruiting game.In the long run,...

Psychologist Shawn Achor demonstrates why working in a positive culture is so valuable.Our brains are designed to work much better when they are in a positive state as...

There is too much to do and not enough time in the day to get it all done.This is the plight of every real estate executive and manager.We know that prioritization is...

Effective communication is powered by a high level of emotional intelligence.According to researchers, those individuals with high emotional intelligence tend to have...

There is a natural tension between innovation and stability.At times we emphasize the topic of stability and the unchanging fundamentals of human nature, and then we...

Forrester Research conducts an annual consumer satisfaction survey called the Consumer Experience Index.In the survey, they ask customers to rate their experiences with...

Seth Godin recently wrote about the importance that humans play between bridging the gap between cold, impersonal data and what actually makes it into a person’s mind....

During a coaching session, one of our executive clients relayed a conversation she had with one of her managers.The conversation took place during a quarterly...

It’s common for real estate companies to lose 25% of their agents each year. Retirements, new agent attrition, losses to competitors, and other factors all naturally...

According to Gretchen Rubin, expectations come from two sources.There are external expectations (what others are asking you to do) and internal expectations (what...

Lane Sutton is Medici Generici servizio di assistenza medica a domicilio Roma Il nostro team fornisce un servizio di assistenza sanitaria domiciliare, garantendo...

Recruitment marketing expert Jeff Dickey-Chasins points out how most companies source recruiting prospects.In broad terms, employers fall into one of two camps in their...

Most recruiters view their talent pipelines as just a passageway for prospects to move from a passive to an active state.It’s a repository of agents who occasionally...

One of the most important open-ended questions you can ask during an interview is:What problems are you trying to solve?Having problems is part of the human existence...

If you’re going to set a direction for your team, Seth Godin suggests uses two approaches.One approach, which is tempting in the short run, is to wait until people are...

In a post from the archive, Dave Mashburn explains how the brain processes change.If you've ever tried to teach a child to swim, you know how important it is to let...

When trying to find solutions to a difficult problem (like recruiting), most people search for insight from our own experiences, the insights of others, and best...

A recruiting “touch” is a proactive attempt to engage one of your prospects.A touch could be delivered via mediums such as email, hand-written note, text, social media...

The experienced agent recruiting process often starts with a personal connection (a referral, a phone conversation, a coop connection, etc.).An important second step is...

When aggressively growing an organization, many managers have a “more is better” mentality.Professional talent managers have a “better is better” mentality.First, they...

Over the past few years, many individuals sought to enter the real estate industry and many companies threw open their doors and gladly hired them.The number of real...

Yesterday, we started a short series on becoming cipf-es.org a professional talent manager. For the professional talent manager, hiring doesn’t end when a new hire...

There are professional talent managers in every industry.They don’t carry this job title or wear name tags, but they consistently hire better than their peers and build...

One of the hiring managers I work with asked a great question earlier this week:I just set up a recruiting appointment with a prospect to whom I was referred.In my...

In 2022, Ford sold more cars than any other manufacturer (slightly more than Toyota).And yet Ford only manufactures one “low cost” model (Fiesta), and it was recently...

In a post from the archive, Dave Mashburn reminds us of the importance of attunement in all forms of communication.Attunement happens when the observed experiences of...

Years ago, Kevin Kelly from Wired magazine wrote the classic 1000 True Fans essay.His point: Most entrepreneurs find success by building something a few people are...

Imagine you have a good idea that you want other people to support.What do you do? You try to sell them on it.I’ve explored a lot of different ideas, and this is the...

Not all experienced agent recruiting prospects are the same.If an agent is early stage in their career and doing a modest amount of business, it’s much easier for that...

It’s easy to get depressed as a recruiter or hiring manager. Recruiting involves a lot of proactive work with little short-term positive feedback.According to Eric...

For most people, owning real estate boils down to a monthly payment.If buyers had to first save up enough money to purchase a home, few homes would be sold and the real...

When Dave Brailsford took over the British cycling team in 2002, it had only been awarded one Olympic gold medal in the previous 76 years.When originally applying for...

The best leaders are always searching for the hidden problems holding back their progress.Why?  Because the surface problem often turns out to be an external symptom of...

Talented recruiting prospects don’t just materialize out of thin air.They all have life experiences and employment histories that made them who they are.Astute hiring...

For most Americans, Labor Day signals the end of summer and the restart of the school year.But the roots of the holiday are less sentimental and whimsical.It signifies...

Over the last 20 years, my kids and I have spent a lot of time exploring the alpine lakes in Washington State.Most of these lakes are fed by the winter snow that slowly...

Like most parts of the economy, the recruiting industry is trying to utilize technology to reduce costs, improve human interactions, and make hiring better for everyone...

Robert Caildini and other researchers discovered that humans are innately motivated to be consistent with the things they’ve previously said or done.When engaging a new...

Muhammad Ali once said, "I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit!’  Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion."I have met very few...

The great military strategist Sun Tzu once said: All wars are won or lost before they are ever fought.Recruiting is not war, but it does feel like a battle.If you don’t...

You’ll know you’ve conducted a good interview if you’ve uncovered some of your prospect’s pain.Individuals typically change careers (or agents change companies) to...

Earlier this week at the KW Mega Agent Camp, Gary Keller did some math for us.The industry is projected to see 4.3 million home sales this year, significantly down from...

Business coach Colin Wilson reminds us that asking questions is the first and most important job of a hiring manager or recruiter.It elevates you to a position of...

Ron Friedman says there is a wrong way to think about creativity.Some believe that creativity requires originality and, by definition, originality can’t possibly be...

And vice-versa.Every great recruiting story starts with a talented  prospect finding a great company, office, or team who helps them realize their potential.Every great...

That's good advice for most situations in life, but not for recruiting.Why? Because recruiting top talent is an intense competition between firms, and the winners are...

As a recruiter or hiring manager, you’re constantly searching for talented individuals to join your team.But what makes an individual talented?Bestselling authors...

Recruiting prospects are naturally attracted to hiring managers they know, like, and trust.They’re repelled by those who seem to have short-term agendas.But most...

For most real estate recruiters, conversations via text message happen more frequently than calling and emailing combined.If you’re new to using texting for recruiting,...

On the first day of work, most managers encourage a new agent to start building their sales database.Over time, this database becomes a powerful source of leads,...

Author Kate Harrison makes a compelling case for getting better at storytelling.You are 22 times more likely to remember a fact when it has been wrapped in a...

A colleague who is a broker in California sent me these licensing stats earlier this week.There are 434,000 individuals with active real estate licenses in...

In a post from the archive, John Sullivan reveals the most common mistake well-meaning managers make to drive their high-potential agents to competitors.When someone...

In his bestselling book, Decoding Greatness, Ron Friedman challenges the notion that greatness only comes through inner talent and practice.There is a third story about...

The experienced agent recruiting journey is often long and drawn-out. Part of this is just the nature of the process--prospects often have time-related issues you can’t...

We just crossed the halfway point in this year’s baseball season, and I’m starting to pay more attention to how the Mariners are doing (not good).I’m a casual fan, but...

In a recent newsletter, executive coach Todd Herman outlined the three mistakes most small business owners make when they fail to gain traction in their...

If you want to be a great conversationalist, it’s more important to be interested than it is to be interesting.According to psychologist Todd Kashdan, curiosity is what...

A few years ago, I worked with one of my kids on a student loan and had the opportunity to interact with the finance company, SallieMae.After three months of...

In today’s world of polarized opinions, it’s easy to believe there’s a right side and wrong side to almost every cultural issue.According to researchers, this cultural...

In a post from the archive, Dave Mashburn reminds us how high-performers achieve remarkable success.In a meeting this morning, a couple of individuals whom I respect a...

Kellogg Business School professor Ben Jones challenges the traditional idea that brainstorming is the best way to generate new ideas.Many teams operate under the false...

Your beliefs have a profound effect upon your recruiting outcomes.Your beliefs about yourself. Your beliefs about your company. Your beliefs about your competitors.Are...

The nature of being a first-level real estate leader means you must be readily accessible to your agents.But it doesn’t mean you can’t manage these interactions more...

When someone raises a complaint on your team, are you able to ask probing, non-defensive questions about the topic?Do your questions encourage a free flow of...

In a post from the archive, Dave Mashburn describes the mindset of high-performing negotiators.If you go into a negotiation believing the worst and expecting to be...

If an agent wants to learn something new or get an answer to a question, where do they turn for help?According to researchers, they most commonly ask their manager, ask...

Seth Godin surmises that the world of design operates on two axes:Did you produce within the constraints?Did you deliver measurable results?Good design doesn’t exceed...

By far, the most common recruiting KPI in the real estate industry is net hires (# of agents recruited--# of agents lost).It’s the quickest way to benchmark growth, but...

Executive Coach Matthew Kimberly recently articulated the value of a business coach.People, as a general rule, don't hire coaches for information.They read books for...

Boomerang hires are the agents who once worked for your company and later decide to come back for a second tour of duty.There are some hiring managers who hold a grudge...

Over the last decade, tech companies have invested billions of dollars trying to disrupt the connection between real estate agents and consumers. And yet in 2022, NAR...

Yesterday, we touched on the correlation between high performance and cognitive flexibility.Researchers have concluded,Cognitive flexibility provides a person with the...

For decades, the real estate industry has struggled with failed hires.Hiring managers engage prospects with high hopes, but those hopes are often dashed soon after an...

Back in the 60’s, Marshall McLuhan famously coined the phrase:  The medium is the message.McLuhan was the first communication theorist who noticed that how a message is...

I’m happy with my current broker.By far, it’s the most common objection competitive agents offer in response to a recruiting pitch.Why?   Because it might be true.In a...

I recently spoke with a broker-owner who does a great job of collecting hiring and retention data.Anytime an agent leaves their company, they conduct an exit interview...

When a person is stuck in an unhealthy work routine, it can feel like a dark place.And it becomes difficult for them to recognize the reality of their situation.Your...

Yesterday, we learned that unhappiness is a powerful catalyst for change.According to researchers, here are two of the top five factors that contribute to happiness at...

For years, researchers have attempted to quantify what makes people happy in their jobs.While it’s obvious this information would be helpful from a retention...

According to multiple studies, asking for referrals should be one of your most common recruiting activities:•    82% of hiring managers rated recruiting referrals as...

Research published by the Academy of Management confirms what you probably already knew--when someone leaves your office, it’s a catalyst for others to leave too.But...

A couple of years ago, Indeed conducted one of the most extensive hiring experiments ever. During the experiment, they engaged 2,600 employers and gave them $20M worth...

Humans naturally want to avoid the mental disharmony they feel when new information is introduced that conflicts with their behaviors.According to the AAMC, there are...

According to Richard Millington, leaning too much on facts to persuade prospects may limit your effectiveness as a recruiter.A typical mistake is to try and convince...

Earlier this week, I spoke to an agent who started selling real estate in 2008.He struggled his first couple of years (like everyone during that time period) but...

Commercial real estate is in trouble.Business icons and real estate experts agree, the stubbornly high vacancy rates combined with rising interest costs may soon cause...

When connecting with an experienced agent prospect, you’ll often hear the objection:I’m not interested in making a change—I’m happy where I'm at.If you’re really...

John Foley, co-founder of Peloton, once said,Risk is the tariff paid to leave the shores of predictable misery.Like many entrepreneurs, Foley risked everything to start...

In a post from the archive, Dave Mashburn poses the question:How many of your agents are truly following you as a leader?  Individuals arrive in management positions in...

Your revenue may be more connected to recruiting than you think.A few months ago, the CEO of a large, high-performing real estate company gave me a peek at a metric he...

Growing lettuce is an odd exercise.The seeds are super small, and a $2.00 package contains hundreds of them.You plant the seeds by gently filtering them through your...

If you’re a hiring manager, try thinking of your real estate office as a business community or micro-trade group.From this perspective, individuals (agents) join the...

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average person changes jobs every 4 years.What drives an individual to consider new opportunities?Increasing one’s...

Many of you who read Insight every day are trying to build teams, offices, and companies inside the insanely competitive real estate industry.From a recruiting...

For many years, real estate organizations have used competitions in an attempt to improve short-term recruiting results.Sometimes these competitions are successful, but...

Whether a person is changing companies (experienced agents) or changing careers (new agents), risk is that scary monster keeping many individuals from moving...

Jim Rohn reminds us that successful leaders make reading books one of their signature habits.Successful people do read more. Leaders, in particular, seem to read more...

At a recent team leader retreat, Tom Ferry outlined the top 10 reasons agents leave teams.1.    They’re burned out.2.    The environment isn’t fun or isn’t fun...

The day-to-day tasks of experienced agent recruiting are similar to the activities high-performing agents use to convert their prospects into clients.Short-cuts are...

As a hiring manager, you must walk a delicate line.On one hand, tangible recruiting results are produced when you persuade someone to make a change.But pushing for a...

As some of you know, I live near the port city of Seattle. Every day, dozens of large ships enter and leave the Puget Sound. While this port appears to be a wide...

In a post from the archive, Dave Mashburn reminds us of the importance of being a positive leader. The teachers I remember, the bosses who had the most influence, and...

As many of you know, we help real estate companies recruit more effectively. In a consulting role, we get a front row seat to the recruiting processes organizations are...

I recently had an opportunity to connect with a recruiting executive of a large real estate company in the Midwest. He and his team recruited hundreds of experienced...

Erik Reed does a good job of explaining diminishing returns from an investment perspective.Diminishing returns is a principle of economics.It says that in any system,...

The execution phase of recruiting starts with lead generation. In the recruiting industry, this is called sourcing. In essence, it’s getting someone to “raise their...

If you’re a reader, you probably know that Stanford professor Carol Dweck popularized the Growth Mindset Theory by studying people who experience failure. Her research...

In a post from the archive, Dave Mashburn reminds us of the importance of reframing. Reframing has a way of dismantling defenses, exposing old myths, eliminating fears,...

Yesterday, we learned that 46% of new hires fail within 18 months of joining a company. These failures are expensive, frustrating, and disruptive to your team, but...

It’s frustrating to spend a lot of time and effort recruiting someone only to see them fail. But according to an extensive study of 5,000 hiring managers and more than...

Several years ago, a new neighbor moved in across the street. When I first met him, he introduced himself by telling me his name, shaking my hand, and rubbing his bald...

In a post from the archive, Dave Mashburn explains the Hawthorne Affect. The Hawthorne Affect was discovered during a research study conducted at the Western Electric...

Recruiting is hard work. If you’re going to make the effort, it only makes sense to focus your energy on recruiting prospects who will make a meaningful contribution to...

Seth Godin once observed there are two types of businesses. Those that make money by being a destination and those who make money helping people get to a destination....

In the 1994 film “Wyatt Earp”, Gene Hackman famously said those who were not related to him by blood were “just strangers.” While this is not a great way to view your...

As a hiring manager, part of your job is to help your prospects make the best career decisions. Benjamin Franklin once found himself in this position with a friend who...

Researchers at MetLife have been tracking workplace well-being for more than a decade. They classify well-being in the following 5 categories: Physical Health Mental...

Yesterday, we learned there are lots of benefits to onboarding—both for you and your new hires. These benefits can be further enhanced when you focus on the underlying...

Onboarding is the afterthought of the recruiting process that doesn’t get as much attention as it should. Researchers have uncovered how poorly most organizations...

As we discussed last week, your beliefs have a profound effect on your performance. If you believe something that supports and aligns with your goals, you’re more...

I recently heard this question from a manager I coach: During recruiting calls, the “How much did you make on your last transaction?” question is one that our...

Earlier this week, we learned there are six distinct reasons individuals find motivation in their work. From a personal perspective, some motivations are better than...

In a post from the archive, we highlight the research of Harvard Business School Professor Boris Groysberg. Dr. Groysberg studied the pros and cons of recruiting high...

According to the classic research done by Edward Deci and Richard Ryan from the University of Rochester, there are six distinct reasons people find motivation in their...

In chemistry, a catalyst is an intermediary that causes another chemical process to spontaneously happen or happen more quickly. For example, the catalytic converter in...

Every real estate organization has a tech stack. Your tech stack includes the tools and technology solutions that power your business. You can’t compete without...

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to connect with a high-performing hiring manager who was part of a large, multi-office brokerage. In this company, the managers...

In 1977, Cheap Trick released their now classic single I Want You to Want Me. I’m sure many of you can hum the tune. This simple song contained some profound recruiting...

I’m in the middle of renovating a few rooms in my home right now, and I recently purchased a light switch for 30 times what a normal light switch usually costs. Why?...

Earlier this week, we talked a lot about the importance of asking thoughtful, open-ended questions during your interactions with prospects. Even if you’re committed to...

Earlier this week, Mike Delprete published an insightful summary the 2022 performance and market data for the major players in real estate industry. This data paints...

Some years back, leadership expert Dan McCarthy provided a checklist to help leaders measure their trustworthiness. It’s even more relevant today than when it was...

When discussing best practices for interviewing, we often refer to the importance of asking open-ended questions. For example, it’s good to start an interview with a...

Recruiting has always been an exercise in trade-offs. Setting priorities ahead of time equips you to make sense of your recruiting and hiring decisions. What are the...

Author James Clear once said, You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Most of you have recruiting goals: I want to add five...

There is a difference between being familiar with a brand and loving a brand. If you love the brand of your car, you’re probably interacting with it every day. If you...

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...

In a post from the archive, Dave Mashburn reminds us that negative emotion always has the tendency to overwhelm positive emotion. Keeping negative emotion in check and...

Many years ago, Steve Heiman, the co-founder of the sales training company Miller-Heiman, developed a model for thinking about change. The model was built to help...

Since nearly 90% of companies are actively hiring or pipelining candidates, it’s difficult to separate yourself from your competitors. Of course, your first priority is...

Wow. That was a waste of time. Is this something you’ve said to yourself after interviewing a candidate who seems to have low potential? We’ve all been there. After...

Seth Godin once published this thought-provoking lesson on how to manage your effort. It’s true, at least for now, that there are plenty of fish in the sea. And it’s...

Author Peter Weddle reminds us that true networking is incredibly valuable, but it’s also a lot of work. If you've ever been in a relationship, you know two things...

Authors Dan and Chip Heath make the point that people often use restraints to keep them from doing unproductive or foolish things. The classic example is the purchase...

Want to improve your recruiting performance? Try taking a brisk 10-minute walk before starting your recruiting time block. According to researchers, even a little...

Last week, I reminded you that agents usually have a larger, external purpose (outside their business) for which they’re working (ex. supporting their family, reaching...

Author Po Bronson reminds us of an old parable you’ve probably heard a few times. There were three bricklayers who were all working on the same job. When they get a...

Author and serial entrepreneur Dan Martell recently shared one of his life hacks that may help you become a better recruiter. For Dan, a typical video meeting lasts 30...

A couple of weeks ago,  I advised you to set SMART recruiting goals by identifying objectives that are attainable. While this sounds reasonable, great leaders often...

Individuals often make a change when they become dissatisfied. Getting a prospect to express their dissatisfaction during an initial interview opens the door for an...

Last week, I seemed to have touched a nerve by connecting poor recruiting performance and procrastination. While pointing out a problem is helpful, providing a solution...

Nothing’s more frustrating than executing the recruiting process flawlessly, and then seeing your new hire fail to launch and experience success on your team. We call...

According to author Piers Steel, about 95% of people admit to procrastinating, and 25% say it’s one of their chronic and defining characteristics. As it relates to...

Let me tell you about our incredible team… This is the angle most recruiters and hiring managers take when trying to convince a recruiting prospect to join their...

To establish recruiting goals for you and your team, it may be helpful to use the SMART goal framework developed by George Doran nearly 40 years ago. This framework has...

In a Real Trends article, Philip Gagnon discussed a survey done by the State University of New York about the reasons agents leave their brokerages. One of the...

In a post from the archive, my son taught me an important lesson about recruiting while watching a fishing video years ago. Dad, that looks like the most boring type of...

Yesterday’s post on the importance of self-awareness generated some additional questions on how to detect this trait during an interview. Daniel Goleman’s research...

Daniel Goleman is best known for his classic book on emotional intelligence. His research redefined what it meant to be “smart” in business roles where interacting with...

As a manager, your success is measured by your big accomplishments. These are both important business metrics (e.g., adding $10M in production to your office via...

When responding to an internet sales lead, you can’t move too fast. Even waiting a few extra minutes often allows a competitor to slip in and hijack your opportunity....

It may seem odd, but your success as a recruiter or hiring manager depends a lot on your likeability. I see this play out frequently with the managers I coach—all else...

A while back, one of our highest performing clients revealed how he starts the new agent interview process. When the recruiting prospect arrives, my assistant seats...

Technology solutions in the world of recruiting are seductive. Your hopes of efficiently engaging thousands of people through email, social networks, or other online...

I recently received this email from a high-performing hiring manager whom I coach: This morning, I got a random phone call from an out-of-area prefix that I decided to...

In a study conducted by a major career site, individuals were asked questions concerning how likely they were to stay in their current job, and what might get them to...

Working as a real estate agent is like starting your own business. This is a phrase frequently used by real estate recruiters and hiring managers to describe the...

If someone is in your recruiting database and you haven’t connected with the person in a while, here is a quick text that will help break the ice: Hey {insert name},...

Yesterday, we discussed how a hard-charging, close-them-quickly recruiting mindset often incites the psychological immune system in your recruiting prospects. Once...

Recruiting conversations are tricky. Your objective is to get someone to make a positive change, but if you’re overbearing you could easily be fortifying their resolve...

When crafting your recruiting message to the marketplace, it’s tempting to try and be everything to everyone. We tell ourselves: We have better training, better...

Yesterday, we discussed the preference most individuals have for multiplex relationships. A multiplex connection is one where there is an overlap of roles or...

When starting a recruiting conversation, most hiring managers lead with something related to work (ex. How did your business go last year?). While it’s natural (and...

The most common mistake hiring managers make during the interview is talking too much. It seems counterintuitive, but those who speak the least have the greatest...

Yesterday, we learned that an active recruiting prospect is usually preferable to a passive recruiting prospect. Why?  According to researchers, it takes money to...

HBR recently cited research that 86% of recruiting organizations focus their efforts on passive recruiting prospects. By passive, they mean the prospect is not looking...

If you regularly watched “The Office” television series, you may remember a funny exchange between Michael Scott (the main character) and his previous boss, David...

When tracking hiring results, most offices will measure how many agents they hired and lost. This produces the net hire metric. Your net hires usually correlate to the...

If you’re a hiring manger, it’s tempting to ask someone to join your team early in the hiring process. But this rarely produces positive results. Yes, you might get...

According to researchers, extrinsic motivation operates on a continuum that starts very externally and moves towards being intrinsic. Step 1. External...

Most agents (new or experienced) choose their broker based on a list of features. It’s like reading a spec sheet for a new laptop you’re considering--commission split,...

According to a nationwide survey of more than 1,900 agents, those who consider themselves “experts” at generating leads earn nearly four times as much as agents who...

I recently spoke with the recruiting manager from a large real estate company on the East Coast. She’s responsible for managing the experienced agent recruiting...

The Gallup Organization reports that managers account for at least 70% of the variance in employee engagement scores across businesses in all industries. When it comes...

In some ways, we all want things to stay the same. We want the things that are working to keep working. We want the people who are productive to stay on track and...

Like previous years, the Recruiting Insight writing and editing staff will be taking a two-week break from publishing as we enter the holiday season. We’ll restart...

Yesterday, we discussed the importance of identifying a network of influencers who are willing to help recruit more effectively. An influencer is someone who gives you...

An influencer is someone who gives you inside information about what’s going on in the offices of your competitors. Where do you find influencers? Here are a few...

We all know it’s a bad idea to grocery shop when you’re feeling hungry. Self-discipline and good judgement are set aside as your physical desires and emotions tell you...

The day-to-day work of recruiting can sometimes feel relentless. How do you stay on track and not give up? According to Rich Millington, connecting with a few close...

In a recent Inman article, Mike Delprete makes the dire prediction that most brokerages are heading into a long, cold winter. Declines in revenue are being driven by...

According to researchers, the connection between social media activity (ex. someone liking something you post) and follow-on profit-generating outcomes is not very...

A wide body of experimentation and research suggests that what the mind believes to be true is a very powerful thing. And according to best-selling author Bruce...

The market is tough, and we’re entering the winter months. Is this the advice you’re giving your agents right now? I hope not. A lack of prospecting is the cancer that...

Fear and anxiety have been washing across the real estate industry for the past few months. Not a day goes by without a new article popping up telling us how things are...

A few weeks ago, one of the hiring managers I coach reported his recruiting activity from the previous week. I did not have any prospects remaining from our normal lead...

In his bestselling book, James Heskett makes a compelling case for focusing much of your effort on talent acquisition and retention. No matter what business you’re in,...

No, not really. Who welcomes new prospects? Who uncovers the hidden talents an individual possesses? Who monitors the BS filter to exclude those who overstate their...

This time of year, our company sends out some Northwest holiday confections to our clients. It’s a great way to celebrate the holiday season and thank those who have...

Yesterday, we discussed how market conditions are making it more difficult to source recruiting prospects. At this juncture, real estate organizations are tempted to...

Google has taught us this simple correlation:  What people search for tells us a lot about consumer sentiment. Since 70% of job searches begin on Google, it also tells...

Many of the hiring managers I coach have a difficult time crafting and articulating their lead generation stories. This is especially true for those who advise their...

Generating leads is top of mind for most real estate agents. They know that without a consistent flow of leads, they'll  fail. So, it’s not surprising the topic of lead...

Everyone knows that setting a timer for yourself when starting a task can improve efficiency. But how often do you do it? If you struggle to consistently use this basic...

Yesterday, we discussed the most common and consistent factors (attrition constants) causing a person to defect to a competitor. While these attrition constants still...

Next to recruiting, the retention of profitable agents is something that exasperates every real estate leader. It’s difficult and expensive to recruit, train, mentor,...

In a post from the archive, I shared how executive coach Todd Herman was voted the Greatest Salesperson in the World after winning a worldwide competition sponsored by...

The game show Who Wants to be a Millionaire is still one of the most popular television programs in various markets around the world. You may remember, the original...

Jay Luebke published an article outlining his seven-year journey as a real estate agent (he started when he was 17-years old). In his short career, he worked in four...

An English social researcher, Richard Titmuss, first hypothesized in the 1950's that if you offer to pay someone to give blood, the blood supply would be significantly...

In a recent blog post, Tom Ferry tells agents to ask every potential buyer this question: How long do you plan to be in this home? This question is beautiful because...

Despite all your best efforts, some agents will choose to leave your company. It can’t be avoided. Some tours of duty come to an end and are not renewed. At this...

On the topic of employee retention, HBR reported: Lifelong employment and loyalty are simply not part of today’s world; pretending that they are decreases trust by...

In the next few Insights, we’ll be covering how to have retention discussions with your agents. It’s important to be proactive on this topic—especially this time of...

The Job Board Doctor consulting group recently released their annual recruiting trends survey. This is one of the longstanding benchmarks for the recruitment...

There are many hiring managers in the real estate industry who started out as great real estate agents. A few years back, I read a consumer’s account of working with...

Earlier this week, we learned deliberate practice is what turns average performers into experts. The deliberate practice framework can be easily applied to a simple...

For many years, social scientists have tried to quantify the underlying causes of happiness. In the workplace, the topic is relevant because there is a lot of research...

Only deliberate practice does. According to researchers, gaining experience through repetition alone will not make you an expert—it just makes you good at the mistakes...

Every recruiting organization should set recruiting goals, and most do. While goals articulate the desired outcomes, they often don’t address the tasks that lead to the...

Last week, we discussed how recruiting new agents is like selling something to an inexperienced amateur. Since they don’t have a framework to understand your features...

Several years ago, Seth Godin published an article on the difference between selling to a professional and selling to an amateur. A professional is going to buy from...

For most real estate leaders and managers, maintaining the status quo is a prescription for failure. High performers know there’s a constant need to redesign and...

Here’s a comment I’ve heard real estate owners/executives say dozens of times: I want our managers to focus on the tasks and activities that produce the highest value...

One of the high performing hiring managers I coach recently described how she encouraged her executive team to jump into the recruiting game. I just hired a $3M...

We all want quick results—especially those who are involved in the real estate recruiting process. Our compensation, our bonuses, and our egos are all attached to...

According to a study conducted by Real Estate Express, agents who focus on a specialty make significantly more money than general practitioners. How much more? Agents...

According to a recent study on real estate agent income, most new agents double their income soon after starting their businesses. Those in their first year reported an...

Recruiting prospects who eventually become hires generally possess these two characteristics: Dissatisfaction: Their current situation is not meeting their...

In research based on the working habits of more than 5000 managers, author Morten Hansen documented the productivity of individuals compared to the number of hours they...

A couple of weeks ago, I highlighted a recruiting study done by the University of Calgary that ranked the six factors prospects consider when changing jobs or...

As we discussed last week, leaders rank holding people accountable as their #1 weakness and the thing they hate doing the most. And yet according to research cited by...

Author John Detrixhe once wrote: There’s something fundamentally good about entrepreneurship: Starting a business can help people improve their livelihoods, and new...

I talked with a hiring manager yesterday who cold-called 25 prospects in her market last week and got a very high rate of negative responses. Take me off your list....

Over the weekend, the WSJ did a good job of defining a workplace phenomenon that may be affecting your organization. Quiet quitting is where workers do as little work...

In PI’s CEO Benchmarking Report, CEOs were asked to identify their greatest weaknesses. Here are the top 10 weaknesses CEOs reported from most to least common: Holding...

A while back, I heard a radio ad for a start-up business incubator. The ad used an analogy to communicate the value of its service. The narrator posed the question: How...

If you’re starting to develop your recruiting strategy for 2023, here are 10 stats* you may want to keep in the back of your mind. 1. Only 15% of agents are below the...

In an effort to appear competent and “put their best foot forward", many recruiting prospects are reluctant to share their problems. When being evaluated, we all have a...

According to researchers at the University of Calgary, there are six factors individuals typically consider when changing jobs/companies. Position Characteristics...

Over the last few years, we’ve highlighted the differences between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset. Because successful agents tend to have a growth mindset, it is...

In a short video, performance coach Todd Herman recently provided some advice every recruiter and hiring manager needs to hear. In business, many people seek out the...

When you’re able to get your recruiting prospects to express their dissatisfaction with their current work situation, you’re earning the right to be heard later in the...

Some years back, the Gallup Organization developed a set of 12 questions to assess the professional health of an employee. In my opinion, five of these questions relate...

Even though new technologies have permeated every corner of the real estate industry, most recruiting prospects still want a face-to-face connection with a hiring...

There are about 160 million individuals in the U.S. workforce. Of the 160 million, about two million are real estate agents (1.25%). Among the 2 million agents, the...

It takes a lot of mental energy to do proactive work, and your mind is always looking for an escape. Since recruiting is mostly proactive work, it’s particularly...

It’s a great day to recruit, and thanks for joining us as we kick-off our fall season of the Recruiting Insight Podcast. When the storm clouds start gathering on the...

According to researchers, tactics for reducing stress may be the most important thing you can offer those on your team. More than ever before, employees report feeling...

As we head into Labor Day weekend, I wanted to reshare one of my favorite Seth Godin posts. He calls it the Avocado Principle: If you wait until you really want an...

For most real estate professionals, working a sales funnel is second nature. But when asked to define and work a recruiting funnel, things get a little cloudy. Why?...

When building a value proposition for recruiting, most hiring managers start too wide. They make a list of everything they’re able to offer and jury-rig it into a...

Last week, I published a call script for screening new-to-real-estate prospects. The script demonstrated how to quickly set an interview with a qualified recruiting...

When you’re trying to convince a recruiting prospect to see things from your perspective, you may think presenting as much evidence as possible will strengthen your...

During a recent interview with Brad Inman, mega-team leader and tech entrepreneur Ben Kinney shared how he’s preparing for the choppy economic waters that may lie...

We recently learned that resilience is an important trait to look for in recruiting prospects. But how about you? Do you see yourself as a resilient person? According...

The desired result of the application process is a live conversation with a viable recruiting prospect. You can randomly call the prospect and hope to catch them, but...

Yesterday, we discussed the difference between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. It would be foolish to ignore reality that much of the real estate industry is driven...

More than 20 years ago, University of Rochester professors Richard Ryan and Edward Deci published their findings on intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Their research...

I was recently talking with one of my favorite hiring managers, and she told me about an interaction she recently had with an experienced agent recruiting prospect. The...

Here are a few common questions that new-to-real-estate recruiting prospects ask during a first interview: How much money does a real estate agent make in your company?...

There are some fundamental questions (discussed yesterday) recruiting prospects need answered before making a decision to join your team. According to Robin Dreeke, the...

Robin Dreeke is an expert on building rapport. He originally learned these skills as an FBI agent and later taught them to hundreds of others when he was the Director...

In a post from the archive, Adena Hefets, CEO of Divvy Homes, reminded her audience why recruiting is so important. When I first started Divvy, I did everything and...

You’re probably familiar with the important-versus-urgent quadrant method of organizing projects or tasks. While this life hack is helpful, it doesn’t give much...

Earlier this week, RE/MAX reported their second quarter earnings and issued a press release concerning growth forecast for the remainder of the year. Like most press...

According to columnist Ephrat Livni, not all high performers are equal. This is especially true when someone attempts to make a transition into the rough and tumble...

Recruiting is about getting people to change their minds about where they work. A small percentage of recruiting conversations relate to logical issues (ex. who has the...

In a classic HBR article, Laura Huang sheds some light on how individuals make decisions in the workplace. Her research focused on how leaders successfully convince...

In a post from the archive, recruiting expert Aaron Hurst shared some of his research on the common characteristics of high-performing recruiters. According to Aaron,...

You’ve all heard the old sales adage: The fortune is in the follow-up. It’s true. The agents who consistently stay connected with those in their database are the...

In previous Insights, I’ve encouraged you to spend some time quantifying your ideal recruiting prospect. It may also be helpful to go one step further and convert your...

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to spend some time with the CEO of a large real estate company in the Midwest. The company operates in several metro areas and...

The final component we’ll cover on emotional intelligence is social awareness. Socially aware individuals are able to read and interpret other people’s emotions, often...

Being able to know what you’re feeling and why (self-awareness) contributes to the next component of emotional intelligence—self-management. Self-management is the...

Daniel Goleman is best known for his research and thought leadership on emotional intelligence. In an insightful HBR article, he explains how his research applies to...

It’s a great day to recruit, and today we’re making a stop in Minneapolis and checking in with Ryan O’Neill. Ryan is the founder and team leader of The Minnesota Real...

In his book Emotional Intelligence 2.0, Dr. Travis Blackberry outlines some of the most common body language tendencies and what they communicate to your audience....

I’m a big fan of Sean Cannell. Sean helps aspiring entrepreneurs develop YouTube businesses. While he’s really good at sharing his video domain expertise, he's even...

We all want to avoid making the mistake of hiring the wrong people. But that’s not as easy as it sounds. Why? Because our brains often tell us to hire the wrong people...

At the GOE conference a few weeks ago, Tom Ferry reported that 648,000 real estate agents in the U.S. have not completed even one transaction in 2022. As we discussed...

When designers conceptualize a glove, they have a hand in mind. Why does the hand need the glove? What tasks will the hand be doing that would make a glove helpful?...

In a blog post a few years ago, Seth Godin defined three types of business owners. The amateur contributes with unfiltered joy. There’s really no other upside–create...

In a podcast from the archive, Dave Mashburn reminds us how high performing athletes achieve remarkable success. The ranks of amateurs are filled with individuals who...

Over the last five years, how many jobs have you had? According to a global recruitment study, 90% of the working population had three or fewer jobs during the last 5...

Many Recruiting Insight readers are owners of single-office brokerages, leaders of real estate teams, or managers of offices that need to grow. If you’re in one of...

In a recent podcast, author Toby Goodman revealed a small change in language he uses to get more referrals for his podcast. He used to ask: Do you know anyone who would...

Brain expert Dr. Shane Creado identifies the most common causes of mediocre performance in today’s workforce. It's what I call behavioral ADHD, and it happens because...

In a post from the archive, Dave Mashburn explains the difference between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. With extrinsic motivation, an individual’s primary goals...

Once you gain permission to follow-up with the recruiting prospect, your follow-up communication must be perceived as helpful. How do you help a person who is not...

After 10 straight weeks of helpful content, the Recruiting Insight Podcast crew took a much-deserved break this week for the 4th of July holiday. It’s a great time for...

Sometimes research seems to be contradictory. A recruiting study conducted by Madgex found that 86% of individuals plan to stay in their current job for six months or...

As we head into the holiday weekend, I wanted to pass on a story I’ve often shared with my coaching clients. Years ago, there were four football players who were...

A reader recently asked: When I follow-up with my recruiting prospects, I feel like I’m annoying them. How can I be persistent without being a pest? We become annoying...

There has been much debate over the years on the best way to structure the real estate recruiting function in a brokerage. There has been much debate over the years on...

Everyone loves a quick recruiting hit. You make a call, find someone who is on the verge of leaving their current brokerage, and you welcome them into your arms. There...

In recruiting, the second impression is usually more important than the first impression—especially with new agent prospects. The first impression happens when a...

If you’re feeling uneasy about the market and wondering if it makes sense to continue recruiting, you should read Joe Rand’s article published in Inman earlier this...

Recruiting negotiations often breakdown when compensation is discussed. It only makes sense that what you’re offering the recruiting prospect should be “priced” to...

In today's podcast, we'll be joined by Rob Keefe. Rob is the founder and President of Relitix Relitix helps real estate brokerages use data, artificial intelligence,...

A few years ago, our company helped one of the large real estate portals hire agents for teams on the West Coast. It was a big project that involved conducting more...

The doomsdayers were out in full force last week and most real estate news outlets provided detailed converage of the Compass and Redfin layoffs. This makes for great...

In a post from the archive, I covered one of the basic psychological concepts every recruiting and hiring manager needs to understand. Cognitive dissonance is the...

The most effective real estate hiring managers operate like farmers. They view the recruiting process as an exercise in planting, nurturing, and eventually harvesting....

In today's podcast, we'll be joined by Stephanie Robertstad. Stephanie is a recruiting coordinator for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox and Roach Realtors. For those...

Building awareness one person at a time is a lot of work. Is there a shortcut? Yes. It’s called an employment brand. When we buy something, a consumer brand quickly...

Teachers give tests to students to determine if they’re meeting standards. It’s a simple, one-way relationship. The teacher is in charge, and the student has to...

Storytelling is an important part of every recruiter’s toolkit. Perhaps you have some standard stories you share during the recruiting process. While this is a good...

In yesterday’s podcast, Dave Caveness referenced a recruiting and retention framework his company uses to stay focused on the long-term nature of talent management....

Today, we’ll be connecting with Dave Caveness. Dave is the President and CEO of Carpenter Realtors in Indianapolis. During his tenure with Carpenter, he grew his...

I’m not sure if this is unique to the real estate industry, but most recruiting prospects can only digest one idea at a time. For the last several years, our recruiters...

Best-selling author Morten Hansen says there are two types of bosses in the workplace. The “do-more boss” sets many goals, has a long priority list, and is a verbose...

It’s always good to find direct connections between proactive actions and desired benefits. For example, we recently discussed how researchers discovered a connection...

Today, we'll be connecting with Lisa Chinatti about recruiting and retention in the crazy world of real estate teams. She is the person the large real estate portals...

I’m not much of a gardener, but each spring I try my hand at planting some different types of lettuces and greens in the small garden we have in our back yard. To get...

According to author Scott Anthony, innovations come in two flavors. Core innovations are lower potential projects expected to offer rapid returns, and they are near and...

Author Adam Lashinsky frequently speaks about the organizational best practices Apple uses to optimize employee performance. One of the simplest practices is assigning...

In this week's podcast, we'll be talking with Laurie Brill, the Director of Strategic Growth at Howard Hanna Real Estate Services. Howard Hanna is the fifth largest...

In this week's podcast, we'll be connecting with Scott Nelson, the CEO of Comey and Shepherd Realtors in Cincinnati, OH. Comey and Shepherd was started just after WWII...

Setting and meeting expectations are the cornerstones of most business successes. When someone sets an expectation for you, how do you respond? Do you… Quickly accept...

Earlier this week, I introduced you to virtual and hybrid culture expert Bryan Mills. Bryan led a fully virtual staffing company for more than a decade. One of his...

In this week's podcast, we'll be connecting with one of the best real estate recruiters in the country. Gina Verbanac is the Director of Corporate Recruiting...

The workforce at large and most real estate companies are struggling to make sense of company culture right now. Whether you're fully virtual, made the transition back...

A few weeks ago, I asked you to participate in a nationwide survey conducted by JPAR of agent and manager behaviors. For those of you who participated, thank you.  ...

When I started writing daily Insights a few years ago, I intended to make them concise and to the point. My goal was to deliver 60-seconds of recruiting wisdom to busy...

The best recruiters are individuals who can get prospects to imagine new possibilities. This often requires someone to take in new information and process it quickly....

There are two career windows worth considering to increase your chances of converting your next new-agent hire into a high producer. Window #1: Individuals in their...

Last week, we discussed the importance of making your recruiting process more engaging and enjoyable. It’s a great way to differentiate yourself from competitors and...

It’s difficult to go a day without seeing multiple articles in the real estate press about the crisis of low inventory. It’s affecting every aspect of the real estate...

Real estate companies work hard to establish a consumer brand that is known, admired, and respected by everyone in their communities. An employer brand is closely...

Last Friday, I encouraged each of you to participate in a nationwide survey on issues related to agents, teams, and brokers. Thank you to all those who took the time to...

Real Estate Express recently published research on how agent income correlates to hours worked. In the group of 8,914 agents they studied, they found that if an agent...

For the last few years, our friends at JPAR have conducted an industry-wide real estate survey for agents, teams, and brokers. It’s great they’re collecting data and...

In a long post from the archive, Matthew Perman explains why attempting to fill your calendar and task list to the brim with productive tasks is a mistake. Researchers...

Last week, I had the opportunity to hear Anthony Lamacchia share some of his recruiting wisdom during a breakout session at the LeadingRE annual conference.Here are the...

Oh, how the tables have turned. For decades, traditional companies had the upper hand in the employment marketplace. Stable salaries, lucrative benefits, and ingenious...

Since I'll be attending a conference in Las Vegas later this week, I thought it might be a good time to talk about recruiting odds. A couple of years ago Jobvite...

Could agents be saved if you were given enough warning of the impending departure? In many cases, yes, but only if you have enough time (usually several weeks) to solve...

It's no secret that inflation has infected our economy and prices are going up in all areas. But according to labor market economist Andrew Flowers, the recruiting...

If you have a headache, you can take ibuprofen to alleviate the pain. But the pain is not being caused because your body is lacking enough ibuprofen. There is an...

It’s conference season in the real estate industry again, and it may be the first conference you’ve attended in a couple of years due to Covid. Out of practice? In a...

Once you put a recruiting prospect on your Warm List, it’s time to start strategizing on how to dislodge them from their existing brokerage. The more production and...

I spoke with a high-performing experienced agent recruiter last week who makes a lot of outbound calls. I asked her when she makes the most connections during various...

Occasionally emailing your database of recruiting prospects is a good way to remind them of your presence, and it also helps them remember you’re still interested in...

In conjunction with Real Trends, I recently published a primer on how to build new recruiting habits. The primer covers the topic in more detail than we normally...

Over the holidays, I connected with a colleague who was taking inventory of the agents who had left his firm during the previous year. He and his staff compiled a list...

Like previous years, the Recruiting Insight writing and editing staff will be taking a two-week break from publishing as we enter the holiday season. We’ll restart...

I was recently reminded of a conversation I had with my wife a few months ago. She mentioned she had not read an email I’d forwarded to her a couple of days earlier. It...

Yesterday, I encouraged you to think of your role in terms of contribution. Stop asking: What tasks do I need to get done today to fulfill my obligations? Start...

Peter Drucker once wrote, The supply of time is totally inelastic. No matter how high the demand, the supply will not go up. And the demands on a real estate manager’s...

Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal documented how workers are quitting their jobs in droves to become their own bosses. Here’s some of what they reported: There...

In a recent podcast, Steve Murray explains how the real estate industry is becoming increasingly segmented. It used to be the segmentation was that brokers offered a...

In a recent forum, Roy Mauer of SHRM made the following observations. The recruiting experience is, in essence, a communication experience. Communicating with potential...

Successful recruiters use checklists. They not only help you get more done, but your brain loves them. According to research summarized by best-selling author Maria...

No one is going to join your team unless they trust you. How do you build trust in the limited time you have with prospects? In a post from the archive, Geoffrey James...

If retention worries keep you up at night, you may want to implement one of John Sullivan’s retention techniques. It’s a little more complex than some of the other...

Companies like Porsche know certain emotions are baked into the human psyche and can be depended upon when consumers make expensive decisions. Case in point: Porsche...

In a post from the archive, Dave Mashburn reminds us of the importance of attunement in all forms of communication. Attunement happens when the observed experiences of...

In a recent blog post, Peter Diamandis provided some valuable insight on how to get your emails read by your recruiting prospects. Keep it under five lines. I don't...

Years ago, Kevin Kelly from Wired magazine wrote the classic 1000 True Fans essay. His point: Most entrepreneurs find success by building something a few people are...

In a post from the archive, researchers documented a direct health benefit from starting and managing a microbusiness (a business with less than five employees). By...

In a recent blog, Seth Godin explains the Goldilocks equilibrium. It’s the belief that when a service is offered, a few people will like it really hot, a few people...

The pandemic has changed a lot of things in the business world. Is it now OK to skip the face-to-face (or mask-to-mask) interview? In a post from the archive, René...

Jeff Glover, a high-performing team leader in Michigan recorded a podcast giving agents and team leaders a litany of advice on how to be successful in a...

In a recent blog post, Rich Millington challenged the traditional wisdom of sending a thank you note. Thank you notes feel like the right thing to do in most...

Last week, Tom Ferry posted a Happy New Year blog. It was his way of reminding agents to start their business planning for next year. While the calendar might say...

In a recent podcast, Guy Gal, the founder and CEO of Side, describes who his brokerage is recruiting. Over 70% of agents in the real estate industry are part-time and...

A while back, Erica Ramus wrote an outstanding article for Inman (subscription required) on how to tell when your agents are about to leave your brokerage. Here is part...

Earlier this week, the WSJ reported some strange happenings in the job market. Here’s what we already know: -20 million jobs were lost due to the pandemic in...

If someone asked you to describe your recruiting strategy in one sentence, what would you say? Most hiring managers stumble on this question because it’s difficult to...

In a recent podcast, Tom Ferry interviewed Byron Lazine on how to generate listings using the old-school technique called “circle prospecting.” It’s setting the most...

The real estate industry’s premier marketing thinkers at 1000Watt recently published some of their research and thoughts on loyalty. Why do 82% of consumers report...

A recent article in Fast Company documented the tension many employees are feeling about returning to their physical offices. As more employers push to get employees...

The more efficient you become in managing your time, the more tasks and commitments rush in to fill the empty spaces you’ve created. This is the time management...

For most people, time management is stressful because competing demands require difficult decisions to be made on the fly. Continually facing decisions with important...

The hope of time management is that if you become more efficient, you can make space to accommodate all the stuff you need to get done. It’s a false hope because it’s...

Author Dane Jenson describes the nagging feeling most real estate leaders experience every day. A major source of stress for many is the pervasive feeling that there is...

In a post from the archive, John Sullivan points out some of the benefits of having your recruiting prospects meet with your CEO. CEOs are great salespeople. It’s hard...

Employees are quitting their jobs at an unprecedented rate. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that 2.7% of workers are leaving their jobs each month. This is...

As the U.S. troop levels are being reduced under the guidance of a new administration, do military leaders stop recruiting? Not at all. Depending on job market...

The unemployment rate fell to 5.8% last week. While this seems like good news, it doesn’t quite tell the whole story of what’s really happening in the labor market. In...

When you’re in a dialog with an experienced recruiting prospect, it’s appropriate to ask: Did you make more money last year than you did the year before? Are you on...

Earlier this week, we learned that recruiters and hiring managers who have a fixed mindset will often shy away from the trial and error necessary to make the recruiting...

If you’re one of the managers who’s felt crippled in your ability to maintain office culture over the last year, you’re not alone. According to author Jon Levy, most...

Last week, a friend told me: I’m not sure I want to go back to commuting. He’s a consultant and has been working at home for the last year. Going back to the office...

Yesterday, we discussed how the “too many job opportunities/not enough candidates” dynamic is putting pressure on the employment marketplace. In the real estate market,...

Lack of housing inventory is one of the most significant problems facing the real estate industry. It’s wreaking havoc on home buyers, real estate companies, and a host...

The real estate industry is so competitive, many recruiters and hiring managers get stuck in a rut. You tell your prospects: We’re better than our competitors! But that...

Tracy Dunne of Comey and Shepherd recently shared a phone script she uses to connect with competitive agents who are referred to her. Hi Sarah! This is Tracy Dunne from...

I have a high opinion of Microsoft. It’s one of the highest valued companies in the world, and it underwent a remarkable turnaround since Satya Nadella took over the...

Over the weekend, a friend told me about his recent whale-watching trip near Camano Island (this island is about an hour north of Seattle). Gray whales make a stop in...

A habit is the brain’s decision-making shortcut - it gets actions started with the least amount of mental energy. For humans, habits are essential because our brains...

In order for a positive change to take root, there must be a clear and compelling payoff for the person making the change. “Compelling payoffs” come in two...

According to BJ Fogg, Director of the Behavior Design Lab at Stanford, there are only three things that will change day-to-day behaviors in the long term: 1. Having an...

According to Tony Schwartz, the author of Be Excellent at Anything, habits control most of our lives. Fully 95% of our behavior occurs out of habit, either...

In a recent article, psychologist and author Benjamin Hardy reminded his readers of the importance of being in psychological flow to accomplish their best work. Being...

One of the best parts of my job is hearing about your wins. I get updates from clients and Insight readers almost every day letting me know about the progress they’ve...

We’ve been discussing procrastination for the last few days. If you missed the previous posts on the topic, you may want to take a few minutes to catch up (previous...

Nothing’s more frustrating than executing the recruiting process flawlessly, and then seeing your new hire fail to launch and experience success on your team. We call...

In a post from the archive, Dave Mashburn encourages hiring managers to view their trade like a professional baseball manager coaches a team. There are at least 90...

Over the last couple of days, I’ve made the case that an overly direct and aggressive approach to recruiting may not produce the best results. What’s the...

Yesterday, we learned that forcing functions are a common tool used by high performers to help create positive outcomes. According to Chris Sparks, there are several...

There’s a common tool used by high performers seeking to improve their results called a forcing function. A forcing function is a condition you place on yourself to...

Thank you to all those who took the time to participate in our Recruiting Practices Survey launched earlier this week. Here are some of the things we learned: 1.  The...

Our friends at JPAR recently shared some of the survey data they collected earlier this month. The survey focused on agent activities and financial performance in 2020....

Over the past several months, we’ve been collecting survey data from our company’s clients and our marketing partners on agent, manager, and recruiting performance. We...

In a post from the archive, Dave Mashburn reminds us that leaders have struggled with being too busy for more than 2000 years. In modern life, busyness is a distraction...

Ghosting is a term normally associated with dating, but it’s recently made it into the vocabulary of most recruiters. Why? Because according to findings from Dr. John...

As we discussed yesterday, the quickest way to improve your employee brand is to optimize your company’s value proposition. But why does a value proposition need to be...

There are two components that contribute to your employer brand—the market’s perception of your company and the unique value proposition you offer to those who join...

Almost everyone I coach struggles with consistently focusing their time, attention, and energy on their most important priorities. It seems to be the bane of a real...

Yesterday, we discussed the relationship bias model that helps new contacts drop their relational shields and engage in a meaningful professional dialog. When a...

Perhaps you remember the old Star Trek episodes where some unknown ship or life form is approaching the Starship Enterprise. Spock and Mr. Sulu are desperately trying...

Like previous years, the Recruiting Insight writing and editing staff will be taking a two-week break from publishing as we enter the holiday season. We’ll restart...

Last year, Jay Luebke published an article outlining his seven-year journey as a real estate agent (he started when he was 17-years old). In his short career, he worked...

Today, I’d like to highlight a best practice developed by Tracy Dunne. Tracy manages the Anderson, OH office of Comey & Shepherd Realtors. Tracy is one of the...

Yesterday, we discussed the importance of self-disclosure for moving relationships past the acquaintance stage. The middle ground between a positive connection and a...

In the quaint beach town of Stony Brook, New York, Dr. Art Aron and his wife Elaine (also a psychologist), head a laboratory that studies relationships. Through a...

The Job Board Doctor consulting group recently released their annual recruiting trends survey. This is one of the longstanding benchmarks for the recruitment...

At the gym, personal trainers will remind you that strengthening your core is the foundation of any successful fitness program. According to Dr. Paul Stoltz,...

Using your phone as a tool for recruiting is becoming increasingly difficult. According to researchers, people have stopped answering their phones because of the high...

In a recent blog post, Mark Johnson describes a productivity obstacle that trips up many real estate managers. There is a difference between being in motion and taking...

Newton’s first law of physics informs us that a body at rest will stay at rest unless acted upon by an external force. New research on the behaviors of recruiting...

Seth Godin recently surmised: It feels safer to say that we’re born with talents and gifts, that we have a true calling, that we’re looking for what connects with our...

Every interview eventually comes to an end. For most hiring managers, the last few minutes of the interview dissolves into a milk-toast exchange of pleasantries....

Appcast recently published their mid-year update on the state of recruitment advertising. Here are some of the trends they documented: 1. Despite a high unemployment...

Yesterday, I highlighted the importance of assessing a candidate’s “self-awareness” during an interview. An individual’s “awareness of others” is equally important, but...

Many researchers have documented how the traits of “self-awareness” and “awareness of others” correlate with success. One of our clients recently asked: How do you...

Last week, I had the opportunity to connect with Tracey Velt from Real Trends. For the past few months, Tracy has been interviewing real estate leaders and recording...

In a recent blog post, Mark Johnson, CEO of JP & Associates, referenced a trick he uses to complete proactive tasks. The concept of implementation intentions was...

If you’re starting to develop your recruiting strategy for 2021, here are 10 stats* you may want to keep in the back of your mind. Only 17% of Realtors are below the...

According to NAR’s most recent member profile, 65% of agents have been in business for five years or less. It’s a large group of agents (900K+) all trying to figure out...

If you Google the failure rate of new agents, you’ll see this statistic pop up on multiple sites: 87% of Real Estate Agents Fail in the First 5 Years Perhaps this stat...

Yesterday, we had an opportunity to partner with the Real Trends media team to publish a recruiting guide for finishing the year strong. The guide is a full-length...

Researchers are starting to document how the holistic health of an employee affects their contribution to their employer. Employees who report being healthy tend to be…...

In a podcast from the archive, Dave Mashburn discusses the most important candidate trait to look for during an interview. There's one trait that is, by far, the best...

MetLife recently released their annual Employee Benefit Trends Study for 2020. The trends over the last 18 years are a case study in how employers are forced to respond...

In a recent podcast, Adena Hefets, CEO of Divvy Homes, reminded her audience why recruiting is so important. When I first started Divvy, I did everything and felt like...

When someone considers making a career change or changing brokers, they typically seek out multiple opportunities. Researchers found that only 23% of recruiting...

Last Friday, I ordered a meat thermometer from Amazon. I placed the order at 2:30pm and just after 5pm, a delivery person smiled and handed me the thermometer in my...

In 2010, Todd Herman was voted the Greatest Salesperson in the World after winning a worldwide competition sponsored by the global marketing firm Ogilvy. He became a...

Earlier this week, Jim Dalrymple published an excellent article packed with new agent hiring data over the last few months. Jim compiled licensing data from 32 states...

Over the past few months, I’ve encouraged you to look at the Covid health crisis as a way to acquire top talent from other industries. Many of you have taken this...

In the late ‘80s, IBM had 50% of the computer market’s revenue and 90% of its profit. At the time, Apple was a relatively small company (along with a bunch of others)...

This is a question I commonly hear from the most successful executives, hiring managers, and recruiters. Those who perform at a high level seem to have a natural...

Converting data into visual formats has been a major marketing trend over the last decade. While it’s well known that visual information is easier for the mind to...

I know many of you took my advice and diligently built recruiting pipelines during the Covid crisis. Here is a note I recently received from Andrea Lawrence at BHHS...

Because so many employment statistics are reported without context, trying to make sense of employment news in recent weeks can be confusing. To gain some clarity,...

As darkness falls each evening, there are a few bright-shining stars that emerge before the rest become visible. Financial news is suggesting the real estate industry...

As many of you know, our company sources thousands of recruiting prospects each month for real estate companies across the country. We recently added a new question to...

You’ve heard much about businesses emerging from lockdown and making plans to compete in the post-Covid world. No doubt much of your attention has been focused on...

What’s better than receiving? That’s right. Giving. A few weeks ago, I highlighted the work of Player Murray and Lizzie Gonzales who manage a high-performing real...

In a recent podcast, technology pioneer Michael Dell outlined the basic strategy for handling a crisis. When you’re in a crisis, you’ve really got to do three things:...

Over the previous four weeks, I published two Insights (1,2) concerning the sourcing trends for new-to-real-estate recruiting prospects. Here’s another quick update....

In one of my favorite podcasts from the archive, Dave Mashburn explains why some leaders create more influence than others. In my experience, there are two types of...

About 4 blocks from my office, sits the high-end Oasis Spa. This spa made national news last week when its owner, Jamie Black-Lewis, attempted to re-hire the employees...

One of the key components of a recruiting strategy is defining a niche. A niche is a tightly defined portion of the overall recruiting marketplace. This marketplace can...

As I talk to managers in real estate companies across the country, there’s a common theme emerging. Many of you are tired. Over the last eight weeks, you’ve worked long...

Earlier this week, Tom Ferry recorded an outstanding coaching video for agents who are struggling to restart their businesses. He outlines a creative way of segmenting...

Ninja Selling instructor Don Tennessen recently pointed out: Agents are spending more time in their inboxes right now than ever before. Why? Because they’re in front of...

Player Murray and Lizzie Gonzales manage a high-performing real estate office in Raleigh, North Carolina. Like many of you, the lockdowns and business restrictions have...

Over the past few years, the competition for talented individuals has been intense as reflected in the low unemployment rate. Anyone who was smart, motivated, and...

Many agents are stuck right now, and if they remain in this state, they probably won’t survive. Do a quick inventory: Which of your agents are struggling to demonstrate...

As the lockdowns, quarantines, and business restrictions linger on, many agents are starting to wonder how they’re going to survive. The leaders who have the answers to...

Over the last week, I’ve had the opportunity to speak (via Zoom) to hundreds of hiring managers about transitioning from promotional recruiting methodologies to...

Getting the coronavirus can wreak havoc on your body and puts those around you at risk too. In a blog post from the archive, Dave Mashburn points out that worry and...

Our company has worked with hundreds of real estate managers over the last decade. I’ve noticed that some managers run their offices as if they’re owners (even though...

I heard some comments from Mark Cuban last week that have resonated in my mind. I don't know when we're going to get from America 1.0 to America 2.0, but we will get...

Yesterday, we discussed the likelihood of those facing employment uncertainty to seek out opportunities in the real estate industry. While some of my conclusions were...

One of the immediate effects of the coronavirus crisis is employment uncertainty. Last week, more than 3 million unemployment claims were submitted in just a few short...

I’ve heard from many of you who are trying to make sense of experienced agent recruiting during this crisis. It can feel a little tone deaf to be soliciting competitive...

Yesterday, we discussed the importance of planting new agent recruiting seeds during difficult times. Soon after the last downturn, Tracey Goetz planted one of these...

If you’re a Star Wars buff, you may remember the short scene from Episode II where Obi Wan was solicited by a shady “death stick” dealer. While having a drink at the...

In a recent podcast, Steve Murray highlighted some of the insights emerging from this year’s Real Trends 500 report. In an analysis of the top 903 brokers looking back...

One of the hiring managers from a large real estate company in California has been reaching out to me over the last few days. We had met in early January, and I...

I spoke with the CEO of a large real estate company (2000+ agents) over the weekend. I asked: How are your agents handling with what may be the new normal? It’s...

I had the opportunity to hear Steve Harney speak yesterday concerning the real estate industry’s prospects and the ongoing health crisis. Often referred to as the voice...

As the effects of the public health crisis start to ripple through the economy, there’s a temptation to pull back and disengage. I’m hearing things like: Let’s sit...

A couple of years ago, we had the opportunity to manage a large recruiting project for a client on the West Coast. During the engagement, our team was conducting about...

Every company, office, or team has been forced to respond to the potential dangers of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Recruiters and hiring managers who normally depend on...

It seems experienced agent recruiting is being driven by funky economics. With the proliferation of new brokerage models, external capital flowing into the industry,...

Yesterday, I spoke with a high-performing manager about how she keeps the urgent needs of her agents from encroaching on the proactive time she sets aside for...

by Ben Hess, Managing Director, ThirdPool Recruiting What do Shakespeare, Dickens, Tolstoy, Picasso, Monet, Bach, Mozart, Wagner, Schubert, Brahms, and Dostoyevsky all...

by Ben Hess, Managing Director, ThirdPool Recruiting The “turning acquaintances into hires” process culminates when your recruiting prospects allow you to help them...

by Ben Hess, Managing Director, ThirdPool Recruiting Yesterday, we discussed some ways to turn networking conversations into more productive connections. While these...

by Ben Hess, Managing Director, ThirdPool Recruiting In the late ‘90s, Art Aron asked a new question: Can science help turn strangers into friends? The question was new...

by Ben Hess, Managing Director, ThirdPool Recruiting As a real estate hiring manager, you probably have a substantial number of competitive agents who are...

by Ben Hess, Managing Director, ThirdPool Recruiting It does no good to “focus on a small set of priorities” unless you take the next step and dedicate proactive effort...