We all know how important recruiting is to the growth of your office, but sometimes you need to re-energize your strategies in order to maintain consistent a recruiting effort.  The following list of recruiting tactics are meant to give you some fresh ideas about how to fill your office with qualified, desirable agents.  Keep in mind that some of these ideas are also useful as retention tools.

1. Host an RU Class at your office.  Invite your agents and recruits from your hit list to attend a screening of a RU course in order to earn credit hours towards their designation.
2. Set aside 20 minutes at the beginning of every morning to totally devote to placing recruiting calls.  Rotate the names on your hit list so that you contact each agent at least once every month.
3. Hold a recruiting incentive contest within your office.  Encourage your agents to set up appointments for you with recruits and reward those whose appointment results in hiring a new agent.  Prizes can be dinner for two, a trip to a local bed-and-breakfast or free gas for a month.
4. Hold a movie night for your sales associates and recruiting guests at your local theatre.  Most likely your theatre has private rental rates.  Make sure to send invitations in order to make the event special.
5. Contact your regional office and arrange for them to do a “60 Minutes with RE/MAX” presentation next time they are in your area.  This presentation is designed to educate recruits about the countless benefits afforded to RE/MAX agents.
6. Include your top prospects in the monthly regional mailing program.  This program is an easy way to continuously “touch” your prospects.  Follow-up with each prospect after they received the mailer.
7. Comprise a running list of the strengths in your office.  Use this information as a part of your office value proposition or in recruiting presentations to differentiate your office from your competitors.  Continually update this list as new technologies and innovations are made.  Pay particular attention to trends or issues that occur at other local offices and update your list of strengths to reflect this information.
8. When meeting with a recruit for the second or third time, invite their spouse or partner to dinner with you and your significant other.  Remember that recruits make the decision to move many times based on the recommendations and advice of their partner/spouse.
9. Place congratulatory notices in the local newspaper anytime a new agent joins your office.  Be sure to include a photo and a quote from that agent explaining why they decided to join your office.
10. Consider placing a monthly ad in your local paper that includes testimonials from your current agents about why they love working at your office.  This is an excellent recruiting as well as retention tool.
11. Get involved in local charities and attempt to serve on at least one non-real estate related board in your community.  You never know who is considering a career in real estate.
12. Make sure you are active in your local real estate boards and service organizations.  Recruits will make note of your involvement.
13. Get back to fundamentals!  Send compelling mailers to key prospects, follow-up on each mailing by phone, set up interviews and make presentations.
14. Don’t neglect targeting co-op agents!  Try placing a call prior to closing to simply say thank you, followed by sending a gift and hand-written note at closing thanking them once again for their professionalism.  Encourage the agents in your office to do the same.
15. At the end of the year, send a letter to each of your recruits noting the sales they made for the year, and the commissions they would have kept if they were on a Top Commission split.
16. Invite recruits to office or regionally sponsored continuing education events.
17. Invite a recruit to your office to take a tour of remax.net to demonstrate to recruits the many invaluable tools included in RE/MAX Mainstreet.
18. Be sure to mention how they can leverage the forums and chat rooms as personal farming tools. Show your recruit how easy it is to send and receive agent-to-agent referrals without paying a share of their commission to RE/MAX.
19. Make a list touting  what makes RE/MAX the “Real Estate Leaders” and “Above the Crowd”.  Be sure to mention that “Nobody in the world sells more Real Estate than RE/MAX”.
20. Highlight our various technology partners and approved suppliers to your recruits, explaining to them how they can benefit from the services the GryphTech or Marrill Corp offer especially to RE/MAX agents.
21. Invite a recruit to explore the Design Center/iList (if available in your region) website using your password.  Walk them through the various continuous education opportunities offered for agents in your region.  Demonstrate how they can download the listing presentations, farming techniques, postcard programs and secret tools of the top RE/MAX agents in the system.
22. Interview your current agents about the positive experiences they have had while attending RE/MAX events such as R4 international convention, Summer Conference, Encounter of the Americas or any other event held on the national or regional level.  You will come away with a list of testimonials to use when talking with recruits about how easy and beneficial networking at RE/MAX events can be!
23. Since it can be daunting to share your recruiting techniques with RE/MAX Brokers in your hometown, post a request for innovative recruiting ideas in the RE/MAX Mainstreet Forum.  Because this is a members-only website, you can share and receive great recruiting ideas from RE/MAX Brokers in all different parts of the world.  The information posted in Mainstreet’s Forum is password protected from people outside the RE/MAX system.
24. Pool resources with other RE/MAX Broker/Owners in your hometown.  Invite recruits to a BBQ, cocktail party or luncheon that is hosted by ALL the RE/MAX offices in your area.  Recruits will notice your willingness to work together and appreciate the opportunity to meet several Broker/Owners at once.  Remember, a recruit that may not be a good fit at another RE/MAX office in your area may be a great addition to your office.  The goal of RE/MAX offices in any area should be to increase agent count and increase yard sign presence.  That means more business for everyone!
25. Organize a trip for your current agents, as well as recruits, to a local sporting event.  You may want to host a tailgate party beforehand in order to provide yourself ample time to network.
26. Project a positive attitude to others in your community.  Participating in gossip may harm your ability to recruit down the road.
27. Focus on the break-even point in terms of sales volume or closed transactions that a recruit would need to reach at your office to make more money than using their current split.  Ask the agent whether this is an achievable goal.  In most instances they are already closing enough sales to make more money using the Top Commission concept.  This cut and dry presentation allows them to see how much money they are losing.
28. To overcome objections from recruits who hesitate to leave their current office because they will lose their listings, compare their short-term loss with long-term gain.  Provide them successful examples from other new recruits at your office who faced a similar situation.
29. Agree to supply new recruits with a few referrals to get them started at your office or agree to do one initial mailing to their client list when they join your office.
30. Provide information about the SUCCEED, 100 DAYS TO GREATNESS or FIRE-UP programs to new agents.  This intensive programs offer training to completely new agents or agents in whom you see great potential for growth.
31. Farm new recruits from local real estate schools or colleges.  Some of these students may be excellent candidates for your recruiting programs.
32. Arrange for selected recruits on your hit list to receive weekly copies of the RE/MAX Weekly.  This will keep your recruits up-to-date with news from RE/MAX.
33. Contact your recruiting hit list via email.  This demonstrates that you are technologically savvy and will save money on postage.
34. Lend prospects a copy of your Approved Supplier Catalog to take home.  Follow-up by asking them if they see anything in it that might help them generate more business.
35. Add the recruits to your PROFESSIONAL Facebook, LinkedIn or Blogging website. This will help send home the message that you’re an experienced professional with knowledge that can help a top producer achieve more success.
36. Ask your current agents who they would like to see join your office.  They may suggest someone that you do not have on your current hit list.  Remember, your current agents are your best recruiters.
37. After recruiting a new agent, offer to help move them out of their current office.  You may want to rent a truck or hire movers for this purpose.  Other agents will be impressed with your detailed follow-up and the way in which you welcome new agents into your office.
38. Send flowers, wine or candy to top recruits on a monthly basis complete with a personal note from you.
39. Send e-cards or e-greetings to recruits when they have a closing or do something noteworthy in the real estate community.
40. Take time to visit other offices in your community twice a year.  Deliver a basket of flowers to your competitors, thanking them for their efforts and hard work.  You will remain visible to other agents in the community by extending small acts of kindness.
41. Do not accept transferring agents from other RE/MAX offices in your area before discussing the option with your fellow Broker/Owner.  The agent may be leaving their former office for delinquent fees or other indiscretions.  A little investigation can save you a possible headache down the line.
42. Consider office assistants your next generation of agents.  Although it can be difficult to house several assistants in your office, you will find that most office assistants want to become Sales Associates after they gain some experience.
43. Invite recruits to attend your office meetings to present their listings.  This will give them an opportunity to see how your office is run and familiarize themselves with your agents.
44. Make an effort to take one recruit to lunch each week.
45. Constantly revise your recruiting hit list.  Agents who used to be your number one prospect may not be at the top of your list now.  Make sure you are aware of an agent’s production and reputation in the community.

Remember: Be persistent!  Recruiting is an on-going process that can result in great rewards!

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