With today’s job market, recruiting and retaining great talent can be a challenging task. In the battle for the top estate agent, going above and beyond in your recruitment is essential. It’s not just about what questions you ask during an interview, as Kelvin Elliott, Purchasing Director at Yes Homebuyers states, "It's also how the company markets itself online, the work culture and how it nurtures its staff."

Don’t just follow the same script

Whether you’re looking for a candidate just starting out their career in or a seasoned professional with years of experience, think about what your employees want. You need to compete with other companies to recruit the best talent for the job. If you’re looking to recruit estate agents in the millennial age bracket, many candidates are looking for remote and mobile-first technology that allows them to work from anywhere and complete job tasks quickly and accurately.

Track the interview process

Once you’ve selected the pool of candidates for the position, you can begin the interview process. Track the process from start to end efficiently by asking each candidate the same questions or tasks. Using the same, standardised method will help you keep track and report on the entire recruitment process. Every candidate will be judged fairly and balanced.

Social events

Hosting events that focus only on recruiting agents is a great way to get to know a number of candidates in an informal setting. Whether it’s a monthly or quarterly social event, an informal environment is a great way to interact and build a rapport with potential estate agents. These social events can be happy hours, speaking events or just open evenings. Even if you’re not actively looking for recruits, it’s always important to start finding promising agents early on so you’re not caught off guard when you suddenly need to find the perfect match.

Market your online presence

A strong online presence is key to attracting the right talent. A marketing presence isn’t just for canvassing prospects but for promising agents looking to make their next career move. Make sure your online profile is up to date and active.

With 79% of job seekers using social media to search for a job, an online presence is a must. With younger job seekers who are in the first 10 years of a career, this figure jumps to 86%. Out of the Jobseekers using social media in their job search 67% use Facebook, 45% use Twitter and 40% use LinkedIn. Therefore it’s so important to use different platforms to reach out to new talent.

Workplace culture

Professionals place a heavy importance on the cultural aspects of the company they work for. Providing a supportive and helpful environment with a focus on implementing high-quality training and marketing are all things that potential candidates are looking for in a new position.

Measurement for performance and the opportunity for career development are all vital aspects of company culture for new employees. Offering up the right environment and culture for the employees you’re looking to hire is crucial.

Be proactive

When recruiting a new estate agent, it can often be due to another agent leaving. When an estate agent leaves on short notice, you have to find great talent in a short period of time. In these cases, the pool of candidates can be limited to individuals looking for a move at the time.

Rather than being restricted to a pool of candidates, proactively cultivate candidates that could be potential replacements or even new additions. By casting a wide net and looking at both entry-level candidates as well as seasoned agents, you can have a much smarter and proactive approach to your recruiting process.

Keep hold of great talent

Recruiting the right estate agent for a company is one thing but retaining great talent can be a whole different story. Companies should be constantly nurturing an individual’s skillset whether that’s through extensive training, marketing programmes or productivity tools. With 79% of people who quit their jobs citing a ‘lack of appreciation’, retaining staff can be an issue. Keeping hold of great real estate agents involves thinking about their long-term happiness, investing and appreciating them.