man pointing questionnaireAre you slap-happy about your selection process? The market is heating up. So, this month, I’m focusing on the selection process.

Selection. I think it’s a big problem today in the real estate industry. Do you? Let me know your feedback about the comments below.

How do you know if you have a selection problem?

1. You have too large a turnover.

2. Your agents aren’t making money fast enough.

3. Your office lacks pizazz and excitement (because they aren’t working!)

That a�?Give Everyone a Chancea�� song is so played out.

Ita��s time for us brokers to get serious and re-vamp our selection process. Start thinking of your potential recruits as a�?candidatesa��. It helps us use a selection process to actually screen candidates, not just sell them on us. Other businesses have used stringent candidate screening processes for years. We are about the only industry left that doesna��t use a planned interview process. The a�?on firea�� market covered a multitude of sins. However, our less than skilled business practices dona��t work for us when we need real workers and when our clients expect a high level of service.

Recommendations:

1. Get and use a planned interview process.

Questions to ask yourself: Do you have one now? Could you train someone else to interview masterfully with what you have been using?

2. Spend at least A? of the time you have with a candidate asking questions and listening.

Ask yourself: What’s your ratio? Do you jump right in and start selling before you know what they want?

3. Ask the right questions (questions about their pasts). Practice those questions and keep a list of them in front of you. In my next blog, I’ll talk about the 5 dumbest questions interviewers ask–and what we need to do about them. Watch out!

Questions to ask yourself: Are your questions to the candidate leading him/her to the answers you’d like to hear–or are you really finding out about the person?

4. Use the hiring ratios great companies use: Hire only one out of five candidates at minimum and one out of ten to create a quality company. Do these ratios this frighten brokers? Sure. It means we must become skilled recruiters. Businesses hiring service people use hiring ratios of one to twenty.

Ask yourself: What is your hiring ratio? Would you hire a secretary with the interview-to-hire ratios you hire agents? Do your agents have as great an impact on the perception of your company from the public as do your staff?

5. Create a a�?mutual expectationsa�� dialogue to assure that agent sees the value in your training, coaching, and start-up plan. a�?You never have another chance to make a first impressiona�? is the truism here.

Question to ask yourself: Do you have a ‘mutual expectations’ talk? Do you put it in writing? Or, do you spring expectations on the agent after they are hired…..

Bottom line question: Are the agents youa��re hiring tough and good enough to deal with the discriminating client of today?

Tell me: If you believe real estate managers aren’t being as selective as they need to be, why?

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What’s your Blueprint for Selection Look Like?

For an 8-step ‘sure-selection’ process, best questions to ask, and what to put in your selection packages, see Your Blueprint for Selecting Winners. This unique resource is all online, so you get instant access. Isn’t it time to polish your selection process so you don’t have to work so hard and get better results?