Proper training for real estate agents is essential to professionalize the sector and improve the customer experience.
By Raquel Salas
Special for El Inmobiliario
Today I want to talk about the importance of onboarding processes in real estate companies. I've noticed that a significant percentage of agents come from other professional fields and enter this sector without a full understanding of what it entails.
I'm going to tell the story of Susana (a fictitious name), a real estate agent with only a few weeks in the industry. Her superiors assign her a client interested in a property with a maximum budget of $200,000 USD. Upon meeting with the client, Susana, with the basic information she received, presents three options without allowing any room for discussion.
The client and his wife began asking questions about the property size, permits, which option offered the greatest appreciation potential, and the mortgage interest rate. Overwhelmed by nerves and unsure how to handle the situation, Susana started making up answers. The client and his wife, both experienced investors, realized the advisor was misinformed and politely decided to discontinue her services.
What happened here?
Is Susana a bad real estate agent? Are the clients too demanding? Neither. What happened is that Susana, like 90% of real estate agents, transitioned from another professional field to the sector without receiving adequate training. Although she joined the sales team of a real estate agency, she didn't receive a proper onboarding process due to the company's urgency to hire staff.
What is an induction process?
It is a set of procedures that a company implements to help a new employee learn the work methods and adapt to their work environment. A proper onboarding process requires dedication and effort. It is necessary to have a systematic training program, a procedures manual, and clarity regarding the skills and competencies the employee must possess to perform their job effectively.
What would you suggest the induction program for a real estate company look like?
First, new employees must learn the corporate structure: mission, vision, and values, fostering a genuine sense of belonging. This is achieved through a pedagogical approach that appeals to emotions. Next, they should be taught how processes work, the role of each department, and the technical terminology.
Raquel Salas. (External source).
Technical language:
For a new collaborator to project professionalism and experience, they must be familiar with key terms such as renderings, floor plans, prospects, leads, lead generation, trusts, and capital appreciation, and understand what factors determine a property's added value over time. All of the above is just the starting point in this sector. In later stages, topics such as Laws 158-01 and 155-17 can be addressed.
The current reality:
Unfortunately, the only training many agents receive is about their commission percentage and payment dates. The worrying aspect of this situation is that, from the top of the leadership, new employees are already being molded to be commission-based agents rather than advisors, as Bienvenido Paulino pointed out in an interview with this publication.
What does this scenario create?
This scenario results in inadequate support, where the advisor, due to a lack of knowledge, omits basic processes, such as the correct management of the documentation necessary for the client to formalize a purchase, the verification of the legitimacy of the investor's resources, and the proper follow-up until all contracts and documents are at the construction company.
The solution:
Winston Churchill is credited with saying, "Doing the right thing is often easier than doing the wrong thing." I agree with Churchill on this point. The solution for real estate companies that have grown without following proper processes is to make adjustments. Before continuing to recruit employees, they should invest in strengthening their organizational structure, building an internal team, and standardizing processes. If they do this, they will notice a positive difference in the work environment.
Goodnews !
You might think you can't afford to add more staff to your company, but the good news is you can outsource a human resources management service and make a retainer that fits your budget.
Conclusion:
Proper onboarding for your employees not only saves you headaches but also builds a stronger, more committed team. Preparation is key to success, and a well-trained team is the foundation for achieving great goals. Investing in your employees isn't an expense; it's a sure bet for growth. As Henry Ford once said, "There is only one thing worse than training your employees and having them leave, and that is not training them and having them stay." So, invest in training, because the future of your company depends on it.
