Build a Real Estate Team: 9 Steps to Sustainable Success

Building a real estate team is a big step for any ambitious real estate agent looking to grow their business. It’s both exciting and challenging. Building a team expands your real estate business, creates opportunities for others, and positions you to serve more clients. But how do agents start, and how do you ensure success? Here are 9 essential steps you need to get started building a real estate team.

Define Your Vision and Goals

Before recruiting team members, you need a vision. What do you want to achieve with your estate team? Do you want to dominate your local market, expand into new territories, or focus on a niche?

Your goals will shape every decision you make as you build your team. If boosting sales volume is your aim, prioritize hiring a buyer’s agent. If improving client experience is key, a transaction coordinator might be your first hire.

Set Measurable Objectives

Having measurable objectives is critical. These will provide specific, achievable targets that provide guidance as your business grows. These can include specific metrics and deadlines that can be used to measure performance.

Here are a few examples:

• Increase annual transaction volume by 50% within the first year.
• Achieve a 95% client satisfaction rate.
• Expand into two new zip codes within 18 months.

These specific goals track progress and inform decisions as you grow.

Plan Your Team Structure

Your team structure impacts success. There’s no one-size-fits-all model. It takes time to determine what structure is best for your particular needs. Consider various factors before finalizing a structure for your team.

Traditional Small Team

This structure typically starts with a team leader who handles listings. This team lead manages important client relationships. The leader may add an administrative assistant for paperwork and scheduling. They can also bring on a buyer’s agent for property showings, as well as a transaction coordinator.

Lead Team Model

The lead team model allows the team leader to focus on generating leads for the business. This real estate team lead also builds and directs the rest of the team. The team structure is composed of inside sales agents, multiple buyers’ agents, and marketing managers.

Mentor/Mentee Model

This model focuses on building professional development. It pairs an experienced team leader who coaches their team members. The mentor/mentee relationship provides coaching and development to newer real estate professionals.

Whichever structure you choose, flexibility is important. As your sales team grows, adjust your structure to meet new challenges and opportunities.

Recruit the Right People

Your real estate team’s success depends on your team members. Finding skilled real estate agents is important. But a cultural fit is also important for team culture and achieving your goals.

Use Personality Assessments

Personality assessments help you understand working styles. For instance, an ESFJ might excel in client-facing roles, while an INTJ might prefer market research. A team composed of various personalities and strengths can compliment each other.

Look Beyond Experience

While experience is important, don’t overlook newer agents. They may be more open to learning new skills and processes. A new perspective could benefit the entire team, even the more experienced team members. New members are more open to adopting your systems and methods.

Prioritize Cultural Fit

Even if a candidate has an impressive track record, it’s not enough. They must fit with your team’s values. In interviews, reveal their approach to teamwork, service, and problem-solving.

Create Robust Systems and SOPs

As you build your sales team, systems and standard operating procedures (SOPs) are key to prevent chaos. A sales team requires documented processes to maintain consistency. A good process for team members improves the efficiency of all team members.

Essential SOPs to Develop

Area	SOP Examples
Lead Management	Lead qualification, follow-up protocols
Client Communication	Response time standards, update frequency
Transaction Management	Document handling, closing checklists
Marketing	Listing presentations, social media schedules

Leverage Technology

Technology boosts efficiency. A robust CRM system manages client relationships and tracks leads. Transaction management software streamlines paperwork, while marketing automation tools manage outreach. A business plan for including technology must be a core component of your operations.

Establish a Strong Team Culture

Culture binds a team together. A strong team culture helps a team work well together. It increases productivity and boosts morale, aiding in recruitment and retention.

Define Your Core Values

Identify the principles guiding business decisions. Are exceptional client service, innovation, or community involvement valued? Ensure they’re communicated and reinforced.

Foster Open Communication

Team members should feel comfortable sharing ideas. Encourage them to share any concerns they have as well. Regular team meetings, open-door policies, and anonymous feedback help.

Celebrate Successes

Recognize individual and team accomplishments. Acknowledge success to keep your team members motivated and appreciated. Public recognition increases positive morale.

Implement Effective Training and Development

Continuous learning is crucial in the competitive prices world of real estate. Training keeps agents informed on recent trends. Regular training provides estate agents an opportunity to learn new laws as they come out.

Create a Mentorship Program

Pair experienced agents with newer team members. This develops skills and strengthens team bonds. The more experienced members help mentor the newer members.

Provide Access to Industry Education

Encourage attending conferences and webinars. Industry experts could host training. It is highly valuable to stay on top of cutting-edge training in real estate.

Develop Internal Knowledge Sharing

A system where agents share insights is key. A team wiki, skill-sharing sessions, or a digital knowledge base promotes information sharing.

If this sounds like a lot, you can always enroll your team members in a third-party training program like the REDX 3-day prospecting boot camp. 

Set Up a Fair Compensation Structure

A good compensation plan motivates. A fair split commission incentivizes sales agents. A strong model keeps estate professionals engaged.

Consider Different Models

• Fixed Split: Set percentage between agent and team.
• Graduated Split: Split changes based on sales commissions.
• Salary Plus Bonus: Base salary with performance bonuses.

Be Transparent

Clarity around the compensation structure builds trust among team members. It is important to establish how a split commissions model works for both agents. Having a plan allows the agents to predict their income which keeps them happy and motivated.

Review Regularly

As your team and market evolve, adjust your compensation. Annual reviews ensure your plan is competitive. A regular review will ensure your team members are happy.

Focus on Lead Generation and Marketing

Leads are the lifeblood of any real estate team. Lead generation efforts and your business marketing strategies help generate business for your team. A showing assistant may be necessary if the incoming leads become too much for the agents to manage.

Diversify Lead Sources

Don’t rely on a single lead source. Explore online ads, content marketing like blog posts and podcasts, and networking events. Look into referral partnerships with other professionals like mortgage brokers and attorneys. You can also promote listings through your sphere of influence marketing and by hosting events. These efforts help real estate teams build and grow.

Implement a Strong Follow-Up System

Lead nurturing over time is critical. It takes time to establish trust with potential clients. An effective followup system may use email sequences, check-in calls, and personalized content.

Brand Building

Building a real estate team means building a brand. A real estate coach may offer suggestions to elevate your brand. Tom Ferry, one of the world’s leading business and real estate coaches has several valuable tips when conducting market research for building a team you’re proud of.

Monitor Performance and Make Adjustments

Building a team is an ongoing process. Reviews and a willingness to adapt are key for success. This takes time but leads to success in the long term. Team members appreciate the time invested by their leader to review progress and address concerns.

Track Key Metrics

Key performance indicators (KPIs) align with goals. Track important metrics to get a clearer picture of progress and productivity. Some common examples include a number of transactions, average sale price, lead conversion rates, and client satisfaction scores. Monitoring team member sales commissions can give valuable insights into their performance.

Conduct Regular Team and Individual Reviews

Schedule check-ins to celebrate successes and find areas to improve. Regular individual meetings demonstrate investment in your team members. Be consistent with both the team and individual reviews.

Be Willing to Pivot

If something’s not working, change it. You might adjust your team structure, or try new marketing strategies. If the team split for your real estate teams split, you may consider updating it.

If tracking all of those elements seems like a daunting task, you may want to check out REDX Teams. With their new Pulse feature, you can track calls, conversions and more so you always know how to pivot your team. 

Conclusion

Building a real estate team takes planning, leadership, and continuous improvement. It’s not easy, but the rewards are significant. Your team’s success is about serving clients and making a positive impact. Keep the client experience in mind while building your team.

Building a real estate team has no perfect formula. What works for one team might not work for another. Stay true to your vision, adapt, and prioritize your team’s growth. With the right approach, you can build a team that thrives and sets new standards of excellence.

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