Have someone on your team who is passionate about all things paperwork—your go-to contracts and compliance pro who every agent can rely on.
As a pilot, you would never allow someone to take off if they hadn’t been taught how to land the plane. Yet in real estate, team leaders send agents out to “dial, dial, dial” with no end in sight—telling them to just figure it out once they get a client.
Here’s what actually happens:
- Scenario 1: They dial, dial, dial and get nowhere. Frustration sets in, and they start avoiding you.
- Scenario 2: They dial, dial, dial and get a client—then panic because they don’t know what to do. Suddenly, every call becomes a liability because why would they want more clients if more clients make them feel stupid and inexperienced?
We assume because we figured it out, that’s the best way to learn. We call it “failing forward” or “fake it until you make it.” But that’s not leadership.
When I started, I had no choice. I was furloughed from the airlines, and after nine months of no income as an agent—with just $300 left—I went to Link Transit and bought a bus pass to get to the office. I turned down multiple jobs. There were dozens of times I could have quit—and probably should have.
It’s a good story. But it’s not a sustainable onboarding plan. I was lucky to survive.
Your job as a team leader is to ensure onboarding creates competence before confidence. I’d rather an agent quit after learning how to properly write offers, execute contracts, and navigate the transaction process than quit having only learned a phone script.
Stop producing professional call center reps. Start producing professional agents. That starts with having a dedicated paperwork expert—someone who eats, sleeps, and breathes agreements, contracts, and procedures—so your agents never have to “fake it” in front of a client.
