The Art of the Real Estate Agent Recruiting Letter

If you’ve been a real estate agent for any amount of time at all,  you’ve probably received more than a few broker recruitment letters as part of a real estate agent recruiting package in your career. Each brokerage sharing their real estate recruiting messages and begging you to take a look at what they have to offer. It’s an inevitable part of the process for any company to recruit real estate agents. But I’m guessing you didn’t read them all in full (if you opened them at all), and you definitely didn’t hang it on the fridge like your kid’s artwork.  Fast forward to today. You’ve realized that on the other side of that letter is someone wondering, how to recruit real estate agents to come on board with your brokerage. And that someone is you.

It’s your turn to send that same kind of real estate agent recruiting letters to a new class of agents for your brokerage.  Even starting with a sample letter to real estate agent candidates can help get the ball rolling. Crafting the letter to the right people, with the right content, and through the right channels is an art of its own to generate a new lead when recruiting agents for a real estate brokerage. With the right guidance, you can leverage these real estate recruiting best practices to get your letter to real estate agent prospects on the fridge of some of the best agents in town. 

Choosing Your Audience

There are 1.3 million real estate agents in the country which are potential candidates. You’re probably not going to want to start by soliciting all of them when you are recruiting for a real estate broker.  It’s just as important to figure out the ‘who’ that goes with the ‘what’ and ‘where’ when it comes to sending a real estate agent referral letter.  It’s time to look at a few ways that you can narrow down your audience in your market so your realtor recruiting emails and real estate recruiting messages have a personal touch.  Each real estate agent recruiting letter will have a similar message, but will be crafted just slightly differently whether you’re working from a newly licensed real estate agents list or a more experienced pool.  Each one of these targeted audiences has a uniqueness of their own. 

New Licensees

Now comes the question, how to recruit newly licensed real estate agents?  They don’t have many, or any, transactions under their belt, but there are plenty of great reasons to recruit the newly licensed for your brokerage.  First, you know they are going to be looking for somewhere to hang their license, which can help you entice them when recruiting agents for a real estate brokerage. It’s not a matter of being committed to moving when they haven’t settled down anywhere yet. Second, there are no old habits to break. When working from a newly licensed real estate agents list, these agents are coming in with a fresh mind and a clean slate.  Don’t just limit yourself to those agents that pass the test the first time either.  Those bad test takers that take a few tries, can be just as valuable in the long run and deserve consideration when contemplating how to recruit newly licensed real estate agents. 

So, you’re wondering how to recruit new real estate licensees? The thing to keep in mind when you’re recruiting for real estate broker these green behind the ears new licensees is training and support. You need to assure them that you have the pieces in place to make them successful.  They are going to need a little more guidance than a seasoned agent.  When crafting a sample letter to real estate agent recruits, be sure to include information around training an mentorship. Think back to when you got licensed (yes, you). Were there mentors or helpful staff available? If you have your technology, processes, and training program in place, go get them.  As for the message, and real estate agent changing brokers letter,  you need, we’ll get to that. 

High Producing Agents

It’s time to bring in the experience to complement the new licensees.  This is going to be a slightly different process than how to recruit new real estate licensees. We all know the type—established branding, high volume, excellent record of customer service.  Keep in mind they didn’t all start off that way.  There was likely some nurturing and training provided by their current or former brokerage. They could have offered them continuous education, the right mentality, and a whole lot of blood, sweat, and tears.  So, even though some of the others you’re recruiting aren’t there yet, they can definitely become a high producing agent under your brokerage. It’s one of the real estate recruiting best practices to have a few in the office that can lead by example for the rest of the group. This message should be part of your sample letters to recruit real estate agents and should be differentiated from how to recruit newly licensed real estate agents. You want to speak directly to more experienced candidates.

Now, how do you go about recruiting for real estate broker with experience?  You can use your MLS or other resources to identify those agents that meet your threshold for high volume over the last 12 months.  I wouldn’t recommend looking at a shorter length of time, because you want to take seasonality, vacations, etc. into consideration.  Once you have a list of the agents within your market with, for example,  more than 20 transaction sides in the last 12 months,  you can begin doing a little due diligence on each and crafting your real estate agent changing brokers letter and real estate agent recruiting package.  They are going to need to see real value in your brokerage to make the switch and it helps when you reach out with a personal message. 

Agents on the Other Side of Your Transactions

Another great resource for recruiting agents, which applies to both how to recruit new real estate licensees and more experienced professionals, is taking a look at the other side of all your brokerage transactions. Some could look at these other agents as competitors, while you should look at them as an opportunity that you didn’t really have to go seek out.  They fall into your lap as a result of doing good business.  For every deal your brokerage closes,  you can access the information of the agent on the other side.  A simple message, preferably one that starts by thanking them for doing business, is a good way to get your name out there and create interest in your brokerage. Keep a set of sample real estate recruiting letters and a section of your real estate agent recruitment site for just this type of candidate.

Referrals

There is no better way to get an agent’s information for sending real estate recruiting letters and recruiting for real estate broker than from your own agents that already love your brokerage. Plus, what a compliment. If you haven’t already created an agent referral program as part of your recruiting agents for a real estate brokerage,  now is the time.  For a real estate agent referral letter or sample letters to recruit real estate agents, you probably don’t have to work nearly as hard to convince the prospect of how awesome your brokerage is with your real estate agent changing brokers letter. Their friend that referred them has already done that part for you. You might be wondering what it’s going to cost you, well,  you do probably owe the referrer a little something.  Just think about the return on investment if the agent that was referred joins your brokerage and thrives in it. This real estate agent referral letter will be worth it in the long run. 

Make Your Content Stand Out

You’ve reviewed your options for who should get your real estate recruitment letters whether it’s a newly licensed real estate agents list or a group of more experienced candidates. It’s time to look at the letter to realtors you’re sending and consider your complete real estate agent recruiting package.  Maybe you’ve created one with a snazzy subject line that gets opened, dare we say even clicked, but you want to create a new real estate agent letter that gets a response. If you want to figure out how to recruit real estate agents to come on board with your brokerage, this is a crucial next step for a company to recruit real estate agents.

The following tips will guide you in creating a sample letter and effective real estate recruiting messages to real estate agent prospects.  

Personalize Your Message In Your Real Estate Agent Recruiting Letter

Ok, so maybe you can’t social stalk every person on your potential recruit list when recruiting agents for real estate. That shouldn’t stop you from trying.  Finding something, like a hobby or interest, that aligns with your brokerage’s values or culture, can be a great foot in the door to a bigger conversation.  If Agent John donates a portion of each commission to a housing project that your brokerage is also passionate about,  bring it up in your sample letter to real estate agent prospects.  You’re a lot more likely to respond to something that doesn’t look like canned mass realtor recruiting emails and shows value. Keep that mind when developing your real estate referral letter samples.

Beyond what you can find out by social stalking, look for some other ties between you and the individual you’re trying to recruit.  Do you have a mutual friend you could reference in your real estate referral letter examples? Have they worked with an agent in your brokerage before?  Are you part of the same associations or professional groups?  Finding something or someone as a connection between the two of you establishes credibility in your letter to the real estate agent.  You’re not just reaching out at random like many of the other brokerages. 

This should go without saying, but address them in your new real estate agent letter and letter to realtors by their first name.  No one wants to receive a letter with their full name like their mom uses when they forgot to take out the trash.  Craft your letter to be like a conversation between two friends with a lot in common.  Do not send a real estate agent recruiting letter that reads like a canned letter printed from a machine. 

Lastly,  ask them to meet in person.  There is no better way to personalize your offer. Meet them at the local coffee shop, invite them for an office visit, or even for a quick virtual meet up.  It shows you’ll make time and give individual attention to your agents, and lets the agent get a better idea of culture and fit.  

Sell Your Culture

Compensation is great,  but it’s not going to be the only thing that sets you apart when recruiting agents for real estate, especially if you’re looking at hiring new agents like millennials or you have a new brokerage.  According to a study by Fidelity,  millennials would take a $7,600 pay cut for better company culture.  Consider your company values, achievements, and what makes your brokerage different and emphasize it in your real estate referral letter samples and across your real estate agent recruitment site. Do you celebrate the small milestones like anniversaries and birthdays?  Do you have monthly happy hours? Mention it in your letter to realtors.  Does the company contribute to building for Habitat for Humanity every year?   Showcase it in your agent recruiting letter and letter to the real estate agent.  Include links to your brokerage blog and social media accounts, and make sure you keep them updated with everything going on in the company.  This will be key for all the audiences of your real estate referral letter samples.  Even high producing agents switch for satisfaction and fit with their brokerage. Be sure to be clear on why they should consider your firm in your sample recruitment letter for real estate agents

What’s In It For Them?

Now it’s time to add the shiny glitter to your new real estate agent letter with your value proposition.  Why would they come to your brokerage over the other hundred reaching out regularly?  Really think about what would stand out to an agent.  This is where we talk compensation packages,  established branding, company leadership, or support (assuming you actually stand out in one of these areas) The audience receiving the message should also be top of mind. While compensation might be your value proposition for one group,  it may be leadership and support for another.  Take what your brokerage offers that is outstanding compared to others, and use it. 

Deliver Your Message the Right Way

You’re feeling pretty good at this point with your list of potential recruits, you developed perfect sample letters to recruit real estate agents, and a carefully crafted letter to real estate agent you are ready to send. But it’s not over yet.  Now you have to decide the best way to go about sending this recruitment letter out for effectively recruiting agents for real estate.  You can send it via snail mail and wait for the postman to deliver in a couple of days,  or you can shoot off real estate referral letter examples email for immediate delivery. Both options are among the real estate recruiting best practices, if done properly.

Paper Route

If you choose to go the mail route for your company to recruit real estate agents, don’t forget you have to use a stamp (you know, that thing that goes in the top corner).  But really, don’t underestimate the power of actual mail.  A U.S. Postal Service survey shows 98% of people open their mail daily. You receive a lot less of it these days with e-bills and email ads, so they are much less likely to skip over it.  Pair an increased chance of exposure and awesome content to warrant interest, and you might be onto something. 

You’ve Got E-Mail

On the other hand, email has its own perks aside from avoiding postage.  It’s quick, traceable, and you can include other cool things.  For example- personalized videos, attachments, and links to really drive home your message in your sample real estate recruiting letters.  This allows the recipient to show immediate interest by clicking on something within the realtor recruiting emails and being directed to your real estate agent recruitment site or social media pages.  For regular mail, they would have to navigate to your site on their own time, which could be immediately, but is most likely going to be a little later (or never).

Your third option would be to incorporate both.  Maybe your initial reach out is a real estate recruitment letter or a sample recruitment letter for real estate agents sent in the mail with a fifty-cent forever stamp, but your follow up letters beyond that are done via email.  Go crazy, the inbox is the limit, you have nothing to fear but mail itself.

Create a Follow Up Process for Your Real Estate Agent Recruiting Letter

You’ve done the initial reach out with your sample recruitment letter for real estate agents,  and you don’t want to lose momentum now.  If you don’t already have a follow-up process,  you need to get one ASAP.   It’s one of the most important best practices in the recruitment process.  Even if the agents you reach out to aren’t interested right this second, they may change their minds in the future if you reach out on a regular basis. A letter to real estate agent candidates is only effective as your follow up steps, so plan accordingly. Consider this outreach as a part of your real estate agent retention strategy.

You’ll need a place to keep notes about them.  On top of that, you may want to measure and test your content to see which are the most successful pieces.  There are a ton of 3rd party tools out there that can simplify and streamline this process.  Do your research on which sample real estate recruiting letters will give you the most value for what you need. 

Once They’re In, Don’t Disappoint

You did it! You answered the question, how to recruit real estate agents to come on board with your brokerage, and you’re ready to welcome your new hires. Don’t disappoint them by treating your brokerage like a presidential election and fail to follow through on your promises. It’s time to focus on real estate agent retention.  Agent retention is another aspect of recruiting that typically takes a backseat, but should stay top of mind. If your value proposition was an excellent training program and mentorship program with experienced agents, make sure you have a process for conducting training and matching up mentors. Regardless of your brokerage values and promises,  just uphold them. Whether it’s a prospect or agent already belonging to your brokerage. As you see improvements in real estate agent retention, you’ll feel the value immediately.