5 Tips for Recruiting Younger Real Estate Agent Candidates
The real estate sector is rapidly changing due to major shifts brought about by the digital era. As with any industry, there is mounting pressure for agencies to keep up with the times, or risk lagging behind more forward-thinking competitors.
One way that real estate stakeholders go about these demands is by recruiting agents from younger generations—more specifically, millennials and Gen Z. While it’s true that experience plays a key role in the success of an agency, it’s also crucial to bring in young professionals who can offer fresh perspectives on emerging markets and new trends. What’s more, they grew up in the digital era; thus, millennial and Gen Z real estate agents may be able to offer a more effective approach to interacting with the younger market with regard to matters such as home ownership.
Beyond all that, young professionals can provide valuable insights into work culture that could deliver ideal results and propel your agency to the 21st century.
To ensure your agency’s survival, you may need to renew your focus on recruiting professionals that belong to the millennial and Gen Z demographic. To guide you in this task, here are a few helpful tips you may want to follow:
Refresh Your Technology
Millennials came of age as the internet was just starting to exist. Gen Z, on the other hand, grew up when the internet was already ubiquitous. Either way, one thing is for sure: the younger generations are digital natives. To entice more people from these age groups to join your team, you may want to reassess your agency’s tech inventory. It’s not enough to have computers in the office; you also have to consider matters such as the availability of helpful tools and apps, cybersecurity measures, and mobile compatibility, to name a few.
More than just a way to appeal to tech-savvy generations, digitally updating your workplace allows you to explore tools that can optimize everyday tasks. From project management capabilities to specialized agent recruitment software, there are plenty of tools that can make life easier for the whole organization. Overall, upgrading your agency’s tech arsenal offers plenty of benefits that go beyond just enticing young professionals with shiny new tools.
Maximize Social Media
Millennials and Gen Z are pretty much tied to their smartphones, so it’s not surprising that most of them spend a large chunk of time on social media. Thus, you may want to consider ramping up your social media strategy when recruiting younger members for your team. For one, you can use social media to reach out to prospective hires and make the vetting process a lot easier.
Many young social media users also give themselves a “brand” online, especially those in heavily client-facing industries such as real estate. So other than being a means to cast a wider net, social media can also simplify your recruitment process by helping you get an early overview of your potential candidates’ professional profiles.
Revamp Your Online Branding
In relation to maximizing social media, you should also consider how your real estate agency presents itself online and offline. After a thorough evaluation, you may need to up the ante on producing various types of online content—whether it’s videos, one-minute clips, shareable infographics, or something else. You should also revisit your agency’s website, which must be well-designed and user-friendly enough for millennial and Gen Z users to believe in your credibility.
Basically, your agency must look fresh, up-to-date, innovative, and inclusive. The general idea is to brand yourself as a humanized modern agency, not a cold enterprise unwilling to do away with old systems and traditions.
Promote a Positive Work Culture
The younger generations tend to be very particular when it comes to work culture. Unlike their predecessors, millennials and especially Gen Z are more vocal about preferring workplaces that foster a harmonious environment. So, if you want to persuade younger professionals to join your agency, consider making a thorough analysis of how your agency approaches work.
Apart from work-life balance and consideration of employee wellness, millennials and Gen Z also tend to highly regard career fulfillment. You can achieve this ideal by recognizing good work; it’s also great to offer autonomy and flexibility. For example, you can reward and incentivize agents that surpass quotas or consistently get positive feedback from clients. All in all, agencies that seek to introduce younger people to the staff must know how to prioritize company values as much as results.
Emphasize Community Efforts
Millennials and Gen Z thrive in places with a sense of community. They also prefer to work with a meaningful goal in mind, particularly one that strives toward the greater good. So, apart from work-related tasks and activities, you may want to encourage active participation in philanthropic events. These community efforts foster teamwork among the staff; it’s also a great way to connect with potential clients looking to explore the area and its viability for real estate opportunities.
As such, it would also be a good idea to reinforce your agency’s strong adherence to diversity and inclusion, environmental protection, and other worthwhile causes. As mentioned, millennials and Gen Z tend to be principled and view their workplaces beyond the lens of profits and career progression. To attract and retain younger real estate agents, you should show how your organization plays a role in shaping a better future.
Future-Proofing Your Agency with a Younger Workforce
No matter how established your real estate agency is in the industry, there’s no denying that hiring young people is an important step toward continuous growth. The truth is, it’s not at all difficult to cater to the younger generations. As long as you’re aware of the tools they prefer and understand where they’re coming from, you can establish a solid recruitment strategy that will help future-proof your company. In the end, it’s best to approach younger folks with empathy and a genuine desire to include them in your vision for progress and success in the competitive world of real estate.
