The Building Blocks Of A Team
I’m all about the team atmosphere! If you want to do large volumes, a team provides the support that you’ll need to thrive.
Disclaimer: Just because it seems like everyone is starting a team, doesn’t mean that you have to. Really consider if you have the chops to be a leader. It’s helpful to look at your strengths and weaknesses. Figure out what you need to be successful. Remember, all teams need dedicated and loyal members. You can still be very successful, even if you aren’t blazing the trail.
The Most Important First Hires
That said, if you are ready to start a team, there are a ton of different models depending on what brokerage you are with or what region/city you are in. Here’s how I went about setting up my team (again, this is just one way to do it):
- The most crucial first hire is an assistant. If you are generating business, you can’t be worrying about confirming appointments, scheduling showings or following up on listings. Pass off any non-income producing items to your assistant. I know it’s hard to let go of these tasks. I know you think you do them better than anyone else (and you probably do) but if an assistant can do the menial tasks 80% as well as you, that’s good enough. You have to delegate and get that stuff off your plate so you can focus on growing your business. A good assistant is highly organized and be able to follow through.
- My second hire would be a buyer’s agent. When you are hiring a buyer’s agent, you need to show the value you provide. A few examples are: providing referrals, admin support (from the awesome assistant you hired), transparency in your business model, daily check-ins, etc. A buyer’s agent will allow you to focus on taking listings and generating referrals. A good buyer’s agent is patient, dedicated and loves showing homes.
Eventually, you will want to hire a listing agent, a field runner, a concierge, etc. but for now you have your work cut out for you. Start with an assistant and a buyer’s agent. Focus on growing your business and getting referrals.
Raise your hand if you’re ready to build a team! What questions do you have? Leave them in the comments.
Learn more about building and managing a team.
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