Top 10 Qualities to Seek When Recruiting Real Estate Agents

It would be great to know when recruiting real estate agents, that they were going to excel. They would help attract new clients to your brokerage, and together you could help each other be very successful. Unfortunately, it is impossible to have a guarantee of any of that even when recruiting top real estate agents. If you’re wondering should I hire a recruiter for my real estate brokerage or look into a real estate recruiting agency—start by educating yourself first. Knowing what qualities to look for when recruiting real estate agents, will be wildly helpful in determining which are bound for success. Your goal while recruiting real estate agents is to have the best and most promising on your team. The more successful your agents are, the more successful your brokerage. 

Recruiting Real Estate Agents

Before you start recruiting or consider hiring a real estate recruiting agency, put together a list of qualities of a good real estate agent so you know what you are looking for. You can be confident in hiring, even a new and inexperienced agent, if you know good qualities of a real estate agent. If they possess the qualities listed below, they will not settle for just being mediocre. Over time, they will prove to you, through their work ethic, that they will prosper as a realtor. Evaluate these qualities during your brokerage’s recruitment and hiring process to ensure you are recruiting top real estate agents.

The Top Ten

Just as being a recruiter does, being a realtor brings about its own specific set of challenges. When you become a licensed agent you essentially become the owner of your own small business. One in which you are trying to sell your own services. Therefore, to be successful in this unique industry, one needs to possess the qualities of a good real estate agent. When a person possesses these traits, it is a great determinant of if they will be successful in the industry. Evaluating these qualities of a great realtor in each potential new agent will only benefit your brokerage in the long run. So, before you ask yourself, should I hire a recruiter for my real estate brokerage—consider learning to be a recruiter for real estate office yourself by understanding what you’re looking for in a great hire.

The following are the top ten qualities of a great realtor:

1. The Negotiator 

Unfortunately, Samuel L. Jackson is not a Realtor. But if he was, his skills as a negotiator would serve him well. What personality traits do real estate agents have? Expert-level negotiation skills. This skillset is required of any agent in the real estate industry. Poor negotiation skills can lead to clients losing the home of their dreams. This scenario only leaves everyone angry and dissatisfied. Definitely not a situation that you want on the hands of your brokerage. An agent with great negotiation skills will be able to make everyone at the table agree on a fair price and terms. This is what makes it one of the qualities to look for in a realtor. An excellent negotiator makes everyone feel comfortable vs cheated. The entire experience is more enjoyable for everyone involved when an agent is able to facilitate peaceful and positive relations between buyers and sellers. This is why being a good negotiator is one of the top 10 real estate agent’s qualities.

Overall communication skills can also be seen clearly when an agent is practicing their negotiation skills. Effective communication skills are essential to any aspiring real estate agent and of the qualities of a real estate agent to look for. An agent must be able to communicate and negotiate, with every type of person. Evaluate these skills when recruiting top real estate agents. Successful realtors are not picky with who they serve as their client. Even if the real estate agent IS choosy about their clients, they are not able to choose who the other party affiliated with their deal is. Real estate agent qualities like versatility and flexibility are very important. Recruit real estate agents who are practiced, comfortable with their communication and negotiation skills in order to be successful. The best real estate agent recruiting techniques will include ways to put these communication skills to the test.

2. Local Tour Guide

Another one of the qualities of a good real estate agent is knowing the ins and outs of their local real estate scene. This includes knowing neighborhoods, the best school districts, and the most popular community amenities. This attention to detail is one of the important to acquire skills for real estate agents. This information will be just as important to clients as knowing how an economic boom, decline, or period of stability will affect their investment. Real estate agents need to know it all when it comes to the local market and have the qualities of a successful real estate agent.

Clients expect to be guided through their real estate experience—this is one of the qualities of a great realtor. It is always best to be guided by someone who has ample information on the decision you are making. This quality is a must in any real estate agent who hopes to be positively reviewed by clients. Even if an agent is new to the area; they should still be able to demonstrate some degree of local knowledge. Show that they researched the are they will be servicing. Most importantly, show their dedication to your brokerage’s clientele base. If you are wondering how to recruit experienced real estate agents, look for ones that are good local tour guides.

3. Geek Squad

A new quality that sets agents apart: having a solid knowledge of the technology that is popular, or up and coming in the industry. Top 10 real estate agents take technology seriously. Real estate is rapidly changing and evolving. Technology is becoming a bigger part of the industry every day. If you are asking what are the qualities of a good real estate agent, one key trait is technological know-how. Agents need to have a good grasp of that technology in order to best serve their clients. Social media, email tracking, automated lead generation tools, and even apps for lockboxes are becoming standard in the field, which makes tech-savviness one of the good qualities of a real estate agent. Your agents need to be up to date in each one of those forms of technology. It’s one of the qualities to look for in a realtor and skills for real estate agents.

Good indicators that an agent is dedicated to the field:

• Can demonstrate a strong understanding of popular technology in the industry
• Is willing to expand on their knowledge and skills
• Understands how the field is changing (and what they need to do in order to be successful through that change)

Make sure you, the broker, also have the perfect POS for managing YOUR responsibilities.

4. Honest Abe

This may seem like a cliche but honesty is essential, and one of the most important qualities of a successful real estate agent. Agents are constantly forced to give people the hard truth about their situation. Often times sellers will have an unrealistic number in mind for the value of their home. It is one of the qualities of a good realtor to be straightforward with them. This is not the only time an agent is required to give brutal honesty to clients. When any client has an unrealistic expectation about timelines, pricing, or the type of home they want. Top ten real estate agents must be able, to be honest, polite, and helpful about the client’s situation. When you’re learning to be a recruiter for real estate office be sure you’re prioritizing this essential personality trait.

5. Tunnel Vision When Recruiting Real Estate Agents

Determination and persistence are qualities that every real estate agent should have. It is impossible to be successful in the industry without them. Especially at the beginning of an agent’s career having these qualities is vital. It takes some time to see the return from commissions that most new agents hope for. The lags in commission at the beginning of any career is difficult to push through. You want agents who are enthusiastic and demonstrate a drive for success. The best real estate agent recruiting approach will include ways to seek out exactly these candidates.

A strong sense of determination is also important for any experienced agent and one of the top skills for real estate agents. An agent may be successful from a revenue-generating standpoint. However, they may not be a great asset for your brokerage if they are not:

• Constantly working on continuing education courses
• Staying up to date on the latest trends in the industry
• Learning all the latest technology that could benefit their clients and the qualities of a successful real estate agent

6. Mr. (Mrs.) Personality 

Not the cheesy, schmoozy used car salesman type, but genuine likeability is one of the important real estate agent qualities and one of the qualities to look for in a realtor. The real estate industry is a people-oriented business. Thus having a winning, likable personality makes being successful in the industry exponentially easier. When considering what personality traits do real estate agents have—think of someone who is genuine and authentic, someone who you yourself would trust. Clients want to feel confident in their real estate agent which is why top 10 real estate agents are easy to like. They share their financial information, and aspects of their personal life with someone who is essentially a stranger to them. Recruit real estate agents who make clients feel comfortable, as they are more likely to be successful. When an agent is able to demonstrate a friendly and engaging personality, it immediately establishes trust and connection between them and their client that is sure to lead to a positive real estate experience. If your question is how to recruit experienced real estate agents, the answer is to look for a great personality.

7. A Mind For Business

To avoid a harassment case, we’ll not finish that Melanie Griffith quote from Working Girl. As stated previously, being a real estate agent is a lot like owning your own small business. You deal with loads of transaction paperwork, administrative duties, negotiation, marketing, and many other aspects of a business. Therefore having a strong sense for business, potentially even education in the field, is greatly advised for top ten real estate agents and is one of the good qualities of a real estate agent. An agent must be able to handle complex transactions and deals and is an answer to the question “what are the qualities of a good real estate agent?” Simultaneously, they must be able to simplify them and explain them to their clients. This takes a developed and extensive understanding of the transactional business that takes place during a real estate deal.

On top of having the knowledge to effectively have conversations about paperwork, they must also have sufficient skills in self-marketing. Agents need to be organized enough to conduct some administrative work. That is if they ever hope to be independent and successful, without the constant assistance of others. Having these skills requires a person who is just as dedicated to the business side of real estate as they are to client interactions. In the same way that you’re committed to learning to be a recruiter for real estate office, you need to look for candidates who are committed to their craft. Recruit real estate agents who possess this quality. They are sure to be dedicated to understanding the industry as a whole.

8. The Devil Is In The Details 

Grave attention to detail is one of the most important real estate agent qualities and something top 10 real estate agents have. The real estate industry is full of small details, which is why the best real estate agent recruiting techniques emphasize the key points. Every step of the process of either buying or selling a home contains details that can heavily impact the outcome of the sale. A great real estate agent:

• Notices when the curb appeal of a home is not the best it could be
• Will be creative with their MLS listings to grab attention
• Will ensure that only the best photographs are presented of the property being sold.

Attention to detail does not only apply to the physical attributes of selling a home though. Promising real estate agents will also be extremely timely in their response to emails, texts, or phone calls. They will constantly be paying attention to their clients and try to evaluate their wants and needs. Both from the home they wish to buy, and the real estate agent themselves. Once they determine these wants and needs they will do everything in their power to try to meet them. An agent’s job is to ensure that the client has the most satisfactory real estate experience possible. A job that is unattainable without unwavering attention to detail. 

9. Social Butterfly When Recruiting Real Estate Agents

A successful real estate agent is well connected within the industry. This includes:

• Other real estate agents
• Potential buyers and sellers
• Appraisers
• Mortgage loan offices
• Home inspectors, etc

Having good relations and a good reputation among the local real estate scene is one of the qualities of a good realtor. Some may even think it’s essential for your list of qualities of a real estate agent. Without connections, you are completely on your own as a real estate agent. Due to the complexity and intricacy of the job, it is very difficult to be successful without anyone’s support. If a real estate agent does not have a wide established network, it needs to be obvious that they are willing and capable of networking. If you want to know what are the qualities of a good real estate agent, recruit real estate agents who possess the following:

• They are good listeners
• Pleasant to be around
• Able to show dedication and growing interest in all aspects of the field

10. Problem(s) Solved

What personality traits do real estate agents have? Not being afraid of a challenge is key. Having a problem solver mindset is crucial for any real estate agent. Every client comes to you with a problem. They need help or guidance buying or selling their home. While the overall process may be the same between clients, each individual client will have circumstances that are a little (or even drastically) different from each other. Therefore a real estate agent needs to be quick thinking. Agents need to have ideas for any potential problem that may come along during the process of buying or selling a house. If you want to know how to recruit experienced real estate agents, find agents who can solve problems.

Maybe the open houses aren’t going great for a specific listing. Top ten real estate agents need to be able to recognize that and think of a different way to present the home, to make it more appealing to buyers. Maybe an MLS listing is not getting enough traffic. Can the agent present a fast and creative solution, in order for clients’ homes to get more attention? Problems like these arise frequently in the real estate industry. The circumstances surrounding them will most likely be different on a case to case basis. While recruiting real estate agents, choose the ones who have this necessary problem-solver mindset as one of the qualities of a real estate agent. They have the qualities of a good realtor and the potential to do a great job as a real estate agent, and truly please clients. 

Now that you’re up to speed on the qualities of a top real estate agent, you can revisit the question of should I hire a recruiter for my real estate brokerage or explore a local real estate recruiting agency. You’ll be armed with the information you need to explore this crucial decision for your brokerage.

So, on your journey of recruiting real estate agents who possess your top 10 qualities, make sure your Broker CRM is taking the manual work off your plate. Get a demo of Brokerkit to make your life easier. They provide real estate recruiting tools to help brokers scale their teams.