Let me tell you the number one mistake rookie recruiters make when they're first released into the field. They've just been given the job of becoming a recruiter, and they think, “Okay, I better get out there and start making things happen.”

So they go to a REALTOR event—could be an MLS meeting, a board meeting, maybe a training or education event—and they jump into full-on “mayor mode.” They’re shaking hands, kissing babies, acting like the VP, president, or CEO. They’re working the room.

And then they make the classic rookie error:

They start trying to recruit in public.

Professional, high-level recruiters never recruit in public. Ever.

We build relationships in public. But we always recruit in private.

Why? Because if you’re seen recruiting openly at a public event, people will run from you. They’ll think, “I need to get away from this person before anyone sees me talking to them.”

Nobody wants to be seen as the agent who’s being recruited, and you don’t want to be the recrui...

Hey guys, what do you think is the average age of a REALTOR in the United States?

For the 35 years I’ve been in the business, we’ve been hearing—and I was a part of it when I got in at 19—that a whole wave of 20-somethings and 30-somethings would enter the business. We kept hearing that REALTORS were getting younger.

Guess what? The average age of a REALTOR today is still 53 years old.

Yes, we do see some younger people getting in—I was one of them. I have young people working for me, and I’ve got young people working at our companies. But the reality is, the average age is still 53.

Why does this matter when it comes to recruiting and retention?

Because we’ve got to be mindful of how we build out our companies. We’re constantly told to design everything for Gen Z or even Gen Alpha—but that’s not true.

The vast majority of your agents are going to be Gen Xers like me. They’re going to be in their 50s. I’m 55. That’s your actual market.

When you're building out your office, your ...

As a brokerage owner or team leader, you have a tech stack, right? We all have a tech stack of some kind, the technology we provide to our agents and teams to help them operate effectively in the local market.

But here's the question: Are you eating your own dog food? Do you know how to use your tech stack from top to bottom, inside and out? More importantly, are you using it every single day? Are you fully engaged with all the bells and whistles so that your agents see you actively using it?

When your team sees you texting out of it, video texting, using it for social media, and running drip campaigns—fully immersed in the CRM—they take notice. They follow the leader. If you're not leading from the front, why would they adopt it?

If you find yourself not fully understanding your own tech stack, it's time to dive in. Use it daily, attend all the training, explore the help sections, and go through all the tutorials. Learn it because you likely invested tens of thousands of dollars in...

Okay, guys, if you're a brokerage owner or team leader and you want your team to remember one key market statistic this week, what would it be? Something like:

• "Home sales are up 10%"
• "Pending sales are up 6%"
• "Listings are up 55%"
• Or "Home prices are up X."

How do you get people to actually remember those stats?

I'll tell you what you shouldn't do. When you have your next office meeting, don't do a "data dump," which is what we often do as brokerage owners or team leaders. We throw out 25 different stats, and guess what?

Nobody remembers any of it.

Instead, share just a few key stats—maybe three to five—and then clearly state what you want them to remember.

When you tell them what to remember, they actually retain it because you've set the expectation.

At the beginning of the meeting, I might say, "Hey, I want you to remember this: The list-to-sell price in our market has dropped from 100% to 98%. That means sellers are getting 98% of their asking price, which is still ...

As a brokerage or team owner, you should be recruiting every day—at least one hour a day. If you're not, that's a whole different conversation. But let’s assume you're doing your job, recruiting daily, because that’s the #1 way to bring new agents into your office.

When you get an objection, how do you react? Do you see it as an opportunity or something that scares you? Do you embrace it, or do you run from it?

Objections are just like the ones you get from buyers and sellers—they actually show interest. The worst thing that can happen is getting no objections at all. If a recruit gives you zero pushback, doesn’t respond, or their eyes glaze over, that means they’re not interested. They just want to move on, and you’re nothing more than a nuisance to them.

But when they object, that means they’re engaged. They’re processing what you’re saying, thinking it over, and that’s a good thing.

One of the best ways to handle objections is to anticipate concerns before they come up. Put your...

Let’s talk about the Primadonna agent.

We’ve all heard the term, but what does it mean? It refers to someone—hopefully not in your office—who believes they hold power over the broker or staff. They might wield this perceived power by being verbally aggressive or abusive, saying and doing things that are completely inappropriate. They think they can get away with it because of their production level or tenure in the office.

So, what do you do with a Primadonna agent? Here’s the unspoken fear many office and team leaders face: If I get rid of them, I’ll lose money. Maybe they’re a top producer, and you’re thinking, “I can’t afford to lose someone like that.”

But when you let this fear control your actions, it gives them even more strength—and their behavior gets worse over time. Worse still, having this kind of toxic person in your office impacts your recruiting. Potential recruits may avoid your office entirely, even if they don’t say it outright. They may think, “I’d join, but I can...

When you step into the role of recruiter for your team or office, you have to shift gears. You likely came from production, where you were a top agent and a confident salesperson. Talking to buyers and sellers felt natural.

But then you put on the recruiter hat, and suddenly making that first call to a potential recruit feels daunting—like the phone weighs a thousand pounds. It feels awkward and uncomfortable. Why is that?

It’s because you don’t have the skillset yet. Confidence comes from competence, and competence comes from learning and practice. The good news is you can develop those skills by getting coached and learning from others who’ve been where you are. We’ll share some tips and tools to help with that in a moment, but first, let me give you something to think about.

If you’re serious about growing your team or office, you need to commit at least one hour a day to recruiting. Without that, your business is at risk.

Here’s where many people get stuck: they think they can ...

I've heard this so many times over the years: "My market's different, Jim." When it comes to recruiting, people say, "We're in a tiny market, a rural market, a niche market, or a very cliquey market. People here don’t make moves like they do in big cities. Recruiting doesn’t work here."

Let me tell you something: I come from a small town with a population of 25,000. I’ve worked in big cities, small towns, medium-sized cities, and even cliquey ones. Here’s the reality: the numbers behind recruiting aren’t something I’m making up. These are national statistics.

The average agent in America moves every five years.

Look at your entire database of agents in your market and think about this: every single one of them will likely move in the next five years.

Statistically, some will move sooner, some later, but overall, they’re going to move.

The question is: where are they going to go?

Think about your own career. Did you stay at one company forever without ever making a move? Probably ...

What's the number one motivator for someone to move from Company A to Company B? It's not the commission plan, so get that out of your head.

The answer is this: the reason I'm going to move from Company A to Company B is because I believe Company B can help me close more transactions.

Transaction count is the number one motivator for all agents. Yet, when I talk to most brokers and ask them to list the top five reasons someone should join their firm, the first things they often mention are: "We've got a great culture here. It's a family organization really connected to the community. People just trust each other. We've got a great staff."

These are all fantastic qualities, but let me tell you what that is: soft value.

Soft values are what keep agents at your company. People love to work at places with great culture, a charitable spirit, an open-door policy, and strong support staff.

But soft value isn't what moves an agent from Company A to Company B.

What moves agents is one thi...

Here’s a question: Of the three types of real estate companies I’m about to describe, which do you think is the most dangerous to own in terms of survival?

• Type 1: Small boutique company with 1–30 agents, operating in a metro or small town.
• Type 2: Mid-size firm with 30–70 agents, maybe up to 100 in a bigger city.
• Type 3: Large firms with 70–100+ agents, scaling up to hundreds or even thousands.

Which one is the most dangerous?

For brokerage owners watching this, the answer is the mid-size company.

Here’s why: mid-size companies lack the economies of scale that smaller or larger companies enjoy.

• Small boutique companies operate on a lean footprint with minimal staff. They can hit their niche, maintain high profitability, and foster strong loyalty among their agents. They’re easier to manage and highly efficient.
• Large firms benefit from collective contributions. Even small amounts from many agents add up, allowing for investment in larger offices, better technology, more
...