Harris KhanA successful real estate brokerage is always ready with a robust real estate agent recruitment program. Maybe you have to replace an agent who went to chase other opportunities. Maybe a senior employee decided to enjoy an early retirement. Maybe you’re expanding your business and need more people to cover more territories. Whatever the reason, having a recruitment plan already in place will make hiring much smoother.
Placing real estate recruitment ads is a big part of this plan. There are many ways to let people know about job openings in your brokerage, such as through referrals. Still, ads are by far the best option when it comes to speed, reliability, as well as the number and quality of candidates.
Of course, you have to be strategic about your placements. For one, you have to learn more about the various recruitment ad platforms and how you can maximize each one. You also have to have well-crafted job ads to attract the right people. If you’re having a little trouble with this aspect, it’s helpful to start with the basics. Here are the top five things that must be present in your recruiting ads:
An Easy-to-Understand Job Title
Put yourself in the shoes of a job applicant. Will you be typing “future real estate superstar” in the search box? Probably not. You’re likely going to type “real estate agent jobs” or something similar. In short, your ad placement should have an easy-to-understand job title. Go for something generic, if you must. You can also use tools such as Google Trends to see which keywords you can use for more exposure and better results.
You might argue that using quirky job titles can attract more attention and you might be right. However, attention isn’t always positive. At best, job seekers could possibly remember the quirkiness. At worst, they may think you’re being pretentious. Either way, these are not the responses you want for your job ad. Stick to the straightforward to get positive responses.
Attractive Selling Points of the Job
The point of a job ad is to make the job as attractive as possible to the candidates. Thus, you shouldn’t post overly detailed job descriptions right at the outset. Reserve this for later, once the interested parties have already clicked on your ad.
What you want to include are the selling points of the job. What makes it great? What makes your brokerage great? Why is this job perfect for the candidate? It’s a good idea to again put yourself in the shoes of the job applicant, particularly your target audience. What would they like and what do they value in their careers?
Once you have answers, incorporate these in your job ads. If you still need a few more descriptions, you can ask your current employees who share the same or similar responsibilities. Doing this can give you more genuine results and thus more relatable ads.
Pay Information and Benefits
Many candidates could be turned off from sending an application if you’re too secretive about compensation. They’re looking for a job or better opportunities than the one they have now, so knowing what they’re getting into can help them make the best decisions. Besides, including pay information in your job ad (even if it’s just a range and not an exact amount) can help you narrow down the candidate pool.
Aside from the pay, include other benefits that the candidate is set to receive once they get hired. Health insurance is a big plus, so definitely mention this if you offer it for your employees. Some other perks include additional paid time off, 401(k), as well as various intangible benefits such as remote work arrangements and even your company culture.
The Location of the Job
For real estate agents, the location is one of the most important things they consider before accepting a job offer. This doesn’t just take into account their proximity to the office (if you have one), but also their expertise. Many agents can handle working in different cities or states, but some have more local knowledge. Be clear about the location so there aren’t any disappointments later.
An “About Us” and Contact Details
After reading your recruitment ad, the best thing an interested candidate can do is to get in touch and they can’t do this if they don’t know how. Sure, they can research the name of your brokerage, visit your website or social media page, and contact you from there. However, why would you make them go through all that effort? Give them your contact details and let them know exactly what they need to do, whether that’s to call or message you on social media or email a copy of their resume.
By being clear with your preferred response and making things as simple as possible, you’re already improving the candidate experience. This can increase the likelihood of job acceptance down the line. While you’re at it, add a couple of lines about your brokerage as well. Your mission, vision, and values can be helpful in finding like-minded individuals. Mentioning awards can also sway the more competitive real estate agents towards your favor.
With these details on your real estate recruitment ad, you have a higher chance of getting noticed by talented agents or companies like Forlify and potential top performers.
Good luck on your recruitment!
