As professional recruiters in the real estate industry, we’ve all had this happen to us.

You receive a phone call from a well-qualified, prospect with an impressive skill set currently working with a strong competitor. First they want to make sure that what they’re about to tell you is confidential. Then they tell you they’re looking for new challenges in a new environment.

You listen carefully since your company – is thirsty for just this type of candidate. This prospect could be the right fit. You set up a meeting for the next day.

The applicant is picture perfect from her carefully coiffed hair to her high end wardrobe…classy but no attitude. Her greeting is cordial and business-like, and her voice, well modulated. Personable, well-educated, and respected in the community she appears to be “a dream recruit”! But, within seconds you know something isn’t quite right. When you ask the prospect to tell you about herself, her skills, her strong points and her ideas about becoming a leading member of your company’s sales force, an intuitive doubt leaps in the pit of your stomach.

When you ask about her vision for herself and where she wants to be in 2 years, it becomes clear. This experienced, highly successful, apparently skilled Realtor is unclear where she’s going. Moreover, she isn’t sure what she doesn’t like about her current employment and is vague and, uncertain about what it is she needs from a company to nurture her to future success. 

You can’t recommend this applicant to one of your sales team leaders, or even take the interview process further. A bad fit is far worse than no fit at all. So, what do you do?

More and more top real estate recruiters are turning to professional business coaches in exactly these situations.

“In the last ten years I’ve developed strong relationships with real estate recruiters,” says Bill Phillips, owner and President of 360 Coach© in Vancouver, Canada. “With over two-thirds of Realtors® reaching the retirement zone in the next five years, a growing trend towards multi-career lifestyles, and single parent families, professional real estate recruiters recognize that business coaches can do a lot up front to ensure the applicant [new to the industry or recruit from a competitor] that recruiters recommend to their company is not just a good fit, they have long-term staying power which both will grow company profit”

With 30 years real estate industry experience through all points of the business cycle, Phillips has an MBA and has owned and led several companies before becoming a professional business coach in 1999. As a recruiter he was very selective and, established an astonishing attrition rate of just 6% per annum while simultaneously breaking sales and profit records along the way. With 70% of his clients in the real estate industry, he specializes in coaching mid-career corporate executives, managers, business owners, entrepreneurs and even celebrities and is known for getting right down to business the moment he meets someone referred to him by a recruiter. In the words of a senior vice president of a leading national real estate firm “Nothing gets by Bill, we like him because personally or vicariously he’s been there…he knows what it takes to grow a business, while nurturing the individual at the same time…there’s no one like him in our industry.”

“I don’t charge for the first session. This lets me evaluate whether or not I think the prospective coachee and I can work effectively together. It’s critically important to me that I can look forward to working with someone and vice versa; the relationship must have a potential for mutual achievement; otherwise I will recommend the prospect talk with someone else”

If Phillips thinks there is a good match between what he can offer and what the recruiter requires, he starts laying the foundation for success right away.

“Like all of us, professional real estate recruiters are always on tight timelines and they want to know as quickly as possible if I can help them. Usually, that is a symptom of the work required; many recruiters are masters at just 1 or maybe 2 of the 3 essentials of successful recruiting.”

That means in the second session, which typically occurs the next day, Phillips begins asking tough questions. “Coaching isn’t about giving answers, it is about growing a person’s ability to stand and thrive while standing on his or her own two feet….most clients at some point struggle with this, but in the end they all engage…” says Phillips.

These include where the coachee sees themselves right now, where they see themselves in 90 days, 180 days and 360 days, what their goals are, how they plan to get there and what they have to offer. If they don’t know Phillips challenges them to find out…fast.

“My role is to help them develop an effective business approach which includes a vision statement that fits with their life purpose. If they don’t have a life purpose, we discover what it is through a series of questions and exercises. Once we know, then we determine what they want to accomplish in the next 90 days and we map a strategy between weekly or biweekly coaching appointments, there is homework mixed with the day-to-day challenges and opportunities for the recruiter/coachee.

“I hold their feet to the fire and make them understand that they are accountable. They’re responsible for their strategic and tactical plans and their timeline and they’re responsible for determining and tracking achievements.”

Together Phillips and the client identify barriers to higher, sustainable achievement. Phillips will recommend training and skills development, if that what it takes.

Teresa Murphy is an example of what coaching can accomplish.

"I was in a rut. I wanted to start my own business but I had no idea how to do this," says Murphy, who had been working as a corporate communications manager for more than a decade. After just one in-person session with Phillips, she hung out her shingle as a marketing communications consultant and as a result of Bill’s connections, also started writing resumes for local recruiters and clients.

After a few more on-line sessions Murphy was able to move forward and produce good results. Within the first year, she was making more than she had at her previous full-time job.

“Bill had great insight. He helped me clarify exactly what I wanted and I was able to develop a step-by-step plan to get there,” says Murphy.

Recruiters who use the services of a professional coach typically see benefits quickly. Within just a few sessions coachees know what they want and how to get there.

 “Professional real estate industry recruiters are increasingly forming powerful relationships with professional business coaches not only for the direct benefit of the recruiter but now more than ever the successful recruiter will use a reputable business coach to help nurture a new recruit to grow his or her success and thus work to maximize the real estate company’s profit ….definitely a win-win-win situation” says Phillips.

For more information
P: Bill Phillips (604) 290-6123
W:www.360coach.ca
E: bill@360coach.ca