Build a Team: 4 Essential Tips to Maximize Success

“Build for your team a feeling of oneness, of dependence on one another and of strength to be derived by unity.” – Vince Lombardi

Realtors can learn a lot from nature. Take this fall for example. Did you see geese heading south for the winter in their typical V formation? Ever wonder why they fly that way?

When each bird flaps its wings, it creates a slight lift for the bird behind. So a flock can fly farther in a V shape than a single bird on its own. When a goose falls out of the V, it can feel the drag and quickly rejoins the formation. And if one falls away, two geese will follow it and stay with it until it’s able to fly or it dies.

In my life as a coach in real estate, I’ve come to realize top producers also fly in a V. Oh sure, a top producer is a single person but they know the real reason they’ve reached such great heights and flown so far: they have a team around them. Look at the so-called individual sports. Take tennis.

Without fail, every time tennis pros win a tournament, they talk about their teams: their coach, their physio, their trainer, their parents, etc. They always have their V around them. And they know they wouldn’t be hoisting trophies without their team. They travel on the thrust of others.

Here are four tips to help you build a team to help you soar to new heights:

1. Know why you want to build a team. Consider your business as it is now and ask yourself what’s been the key to your current situation. Then ask yourself where you want to be in three months, half a year, a year and three to five years. Create your team based upon where you want to be. Ask yourself why you need someone: Do you have too much business to build a team?

Do you need a transaction specialist for paperwork? Do you just want more time to enjoy life? There’s no right or wrong answer – the reasons just help you find the right group of folks to achieve your goals.

2. Start small. I’m not suggesting you go out and hire 10 people next week to build a team. Start small. For starters consider a part-time assistant. See how that feels. After a few months, maybe you make your assistant full-time. Then look at adding a buyers’ agent. Many of the clients we have at Corcoran Consulting and Coaching came to us as individual agents who were struggling.

One that comes to mind is Lisa Burridge in Wyoming. At first it was just her. We discussed the idea of building a team, albeit slowly. We started with a client care assistant, and then moved to a buyers’ agent. Today, she’s the top agent in her market.

3. Don’t forget the team you already have. You may not think of co-workers, attorneys, home inspectors and closing specialists, etc. as your team but you couldn’t get your job done without them. Take time to nurture these existing relationships and brainstorm ways to help each other to build a team.

4. Hire slow, fire fast. The last thing you want is to hire someone who just doesn’t fit. It’s not fair to you or the job seeker and it’s a waste of time for both parties. Take all the time you need to decide who fits your team best. But if you do hire the wrong person, waste no time showing them the door. Their vibes can spread like cancer throughout your office and perhaps even worse, to your prospects.