Recruiting estate agents quickly and efficiently: how do you do it?

The property market is dynamic, and so is the demand for talented estate agents. Whether you're a growing estate agency or want to expand an experienced team with new expertise, finding the right professionals can be a challenge. Speed and efficiency are crucial to land the best candidates. But how do you approach recruitment in the property sector?

1. Who are you actually looking for?

This is obviously an important question. Yet many employers aren't clear enough about it before they start an interview. And if you don't know exactly who you're looking for, chances are you won't ask the right questions either. So before you go into an interview like that, it's important to ask yourself questions like these:

• How much experience does the ideal candidate have and what exactly has he or she learned in that time? Think of both hard skills and soft skills.
• Has your ideal candidate specialised in a particular direction? You may already be familiar with the different types of estate agents (residential agents, commercial agents, valuers, letting agents…), so don't forget to ask this question. Not only will you find out whether someone fits your open vacancy; you'll also see whether someone is willing to keep learning and where his or her interests lie.
• How would you describe the culture in your organisation? Only once you know this can you find out whether a candidate would fit into a team. Do you take everything very seriously, or is there room for a joke? Is it important to you that someone is sociable, or are there also people in your team who keep more to themselves?

Know who you're looking for? Then you can start preparing your questions for the introductory meeting based on that. Remember that you can certainly ask about the information on someone's CV, but that a lot of important information isn't on it. So you'll most likely have to ask about someone's negotiation skills, network or digital expertise yourself.

2. Does your job ad suit the estate agent you're looking for?

Your job ad is your calling card. So it's well worth putting some time into it. That way you'll not only attract enough estate agents, but specifically the ones who fit your organisation. And that matters, because estate agents who feel at home, stay.

Use jargon that estate agents understand. Make sure it isn't internal jargon (that you only use within your own organisation), but general industry jargon that's common in the estate agency world. Estate agents will recognise it and see that you understand their profession.

Also make sure you say enough about what makes your company so special. Estate agents can work in lots of places these days, so why would they choose you? Is it the atmosphere, or the package of employment conditions that will win them over? Make sure you spell this out clearly. Photo and video material of your organisation can also be a valuable addition to your vacancy page.

3. Make sure your application process is efficient

The property world moves fast, so feel free to keep the pace of your application process high too. Remember that when someone applies, he or she may be approached by another party in no time (or keep searching themselves). The longer you wait, the greater the chance you'll lose your candidate.

Also keep communicating clearly with the candidate, so he or she knows about every step in the recruitment process. Rejecting someone? Then make sure you communicate clearly about that too.

Digitalising can also be a smart choice for anyone looking for property professionals. With an ATS (applicant tracking system) you can keep track of exactly who has applied, who you've already responded to and which stage of the application process the applicants are in.

Start with a smart strategy

Recruiting estate agents isn't always plain sailing. That's why it's important to take your search seriously and take the time to come up with a smart recruitment strategy before you get started. That saves you a lot of time, and in the estate agency world that's an important factor too. With the right questions in an introductory meeting and a catchy job ad, you'll find the estate agent you're looking for in no time.