There are two crucial parts involved when it comes to being a real estate agent recruiter. First is sourcing, which is when you look for, identify, and get in touch with candidates. The actual recruitment phase begins after sourcing. This involves the standard hiring processes, such as testing, interviewing, and evaluating the applicants.
Knowing this key difference between sourcing and recruiting will help real estate recruiters be more organized, especially if they aren’t working with separate sourcers. In addition, solid sourcing techniques can help you build a more well-rounded pool of candidates.
That being said, here are a few tips to keep in mind when sourcing the best real estate agents for future recruitment:
Source from Social Media
Many talented real estate agents can be found through various social media platforms. Indeed, sourcing through social media can help you streamline and speed your search process. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the different platforms’ native search tools and ad options to increase the chances of finding top agents.
LinkedIn is a great site for talent sourcing, chiefly because it’s the “professional” social media. With people sharing their career histories and accomplishments, it’s relatively easier to find a suitable candidate in this platform. You should definitely consider getting a LinkedIn Recruiter license so you can perform better searches and send direct messages.
Facebook and Twitter are also good places to start sourcing due to the sheer number of people present. Again, remember to use each platform’s native tools to launch ads and refine your search in order to reach the relevant people. Follow and use industry-related hashtags so you can improve your own posts.
Finally, you shouldn’t discount the power of job boards. They aren’t social media platforms, per se, but you will have access to millions of resumes—making it easy to build a sourcing database. Indeed is one of the biggest job boards globally, but there are also other excellent options such as Glassdoor and Google for Jobs.
Join and Host Industry Events
Digital tools and platforms may make sourcing and recruitment easier, but face-to-face interaction still provides irreplaceable value. As a recruiter, you should definitely join or host industry events on occasion. Doing so will give you the chance to network with job seekers, identify top candidates, and meet with industry professionals. It’s also easier to make a lasting good impression on potential recruits when you meet with them personally.
Some events you may want to consider attending or organizing include seminars or workshops, job fairs, and networking meet-ups. Remember to bring plenty of business cards. What’s more, focus on the sourcing side of the process and not recruitment. Build relationships first so it’s easier to hire later on.
Actively Ask for Employee Referrals
Referrals are some of the strongest candidates, simply because the ones who referred them are willing to vouch for their reliability. If you’re working with a brokerage, ask the employees to refer potential recruits to you. There are many companies that offer referral bonuses for their employees, so you usually won’t have any trouble. Apart from saving a lot of time, asking for referrals can also reduce the risks of getting unsuitable candidates. Finally, should the sourced agent be hired, it’s highly likely that they will be able to adapt easily to the work culture. This is in part due to their connection to the referring employee.
Use an ATS
An ATS or applicant tracking system can help you parse through thousands of resumes and organize them into a central database. From here, you can easily run a keyword search and the ATS will give you a list of matching candidates. In short, both the sourcing and recruitment phases are greatly simplified by using an ATS.
There are many ATS tools available online, including People Search by Workable. This is a Google Chrome extension that you can use with social media sites. It builds a complete profile of the candidates that match your search parameters, making it easier for you to study each one.
Build Relationships with Schools
Universities and colleges usually work with businesses and recruitment agencies to bolster their career programs. Get in touch with the corresponding department to establish partnerships so you have first dibs, so to speak, to the best candidates. You may also want to participate in school career fairs to let students know about their current and future prospects. If you can, ask for some time on stage to talk about various topics. Include subjects such as the required skill sets to become a real estate agent and the perks of the job. You might end up convincing an otherwise talented recruit who’s interested but not yet fully convinced about their current career trajectory.
Sourcing real estate agents can be a time-consuming task. There are thousands of job seekers, but only a few truly have great potential. These sourcing tips can help you sort through the crowd, so you can end up with a healthy list of the best candidates for future recruitment. Good luck on your search.
