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Recruiting pressure is at an all-time high, as shown in the latest Inman Intel Index, and how you handle it says everything about your company. When your first touchpoint is lazy, impersonal or misleading, agents don’t chalk it up to a bad day. They assume that’s your culture and your leadership and what working with you would feel like.
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Here are five tactics that need to go and what to replace them with.
1. Mass emailing and blind outreach
Agents know when they’re part of a list, and they talk.
Years ago, I received a recruiting email from a brokerage leader praising my “recent production” and “impressive sales.” The only problem? I hadn’t sold anything that year as I was a non-selling managing broker. They were clearly blasting a roster without doing their homework. It reminded me of the third-party award programs I still get invited to … despite still having no production.
In talking with Sean Soderstrom, co-founder and CEO of Courted.io, he put it plainly: “Just like you’d never walk into a listing presentation without knowing the comps, you shouldn’t reach out to an agent without doing your homework. The difference now is that modern tech can do that homework for you instantly.”
He’s right. Research shows that personalized communication significantly increases response rates and improves the perception of your organization. A recent McKinsey research study shows that 76 percent of people are frustrated by impersonal interactions. If you’re still mass-blasting and calling it a strategy, you’re sending the wrong message and alienating your audience.
What to do instead: Take the time to research, or use smart tools like Courted, to personalize your outreach. The time and effort will be validated in the responses and results. Lead with relevance, not desperation.
2. Copy-and-paste messaging (via text, social and anywhere else)
Yes, it’s easier. It’s also the way to be dismissed, or worse.
A brokerage executive once sent the same generic message to thousands of agents. Another firm turned it into a contest: If you received the message and sent a screenshot, your office got a raffle entry to win a happy hour.
What was meant to be outreach became a punchline. The happy hour contest sounds cutthroat, but it was effective in erasing any sense of exclusivity, and it devalued the message entirely.
“Agents are savvy,” Soderstrom said. “They’ve seen it all before. If you can copy and paste it, it’s probably not worth sending.”
What to do instead: Mention a standout transaction they handled. Reference feedback from one of your agents who enjoyed working with them. Point to a marketing campaign or listing that caught your attention. The best outreach feels like it was written for one person, the person you’re messaging.
3. ‘Let’s grab coffee. No recruiting; I promise’
This one has to go.
A top-producing agent recently told me she agreed to a “casual, no-pressure coffee,” the first meeting she’d taken in years. Within five minutes, the broker launched into a full-on filibuster about tools, culture and their entire brokerage offering. She left the meeting and said she had no interest in working with that brokerage, now or in the future.
There’s a trust gap in recruiting, and tactics like this bait-and-switch widen it.
What to do instead: Be upfront. Say, “I’d love to talk about the possibility of working together. Here’s why I think it could be a good fit.” Honesty like that is rare enough to stand out.
4. ‘We’re like a family’ (and other clichés)
Agents aren’t looking for a new family. They’re looking for a place to grow their business and professional sphere.
I’ve lost count of how many brokers and recruiters still lead with “We’re like a family.” In most industries, that phrase has become a meme, usually signaling blurred boundaries, unrealistic expectations or a lack of professionalism. It doesn’t resonate, and it doesn’t work.
The Inman Intel Index backs this up: Nearly a third of agents responding ranked cultural fit as their top priority, but not in a vague or sentimental way. They want mentorship, strong leadership and a collaborative environment that pushes them forward.
What to do instead: Highlight real stories and case studies of mentorship, collaboration and growth. If your culture is what you say it is, agents will feel it without you needing to lure them with your “family.”
5. Overpromising support, tools and resources
This may be the most damaging tactic of all, especially when word gets out.
I’ve spoken with agents who were interested in and joined a brokerage based on promises of robust support, marketing tools and coaching, starting with their first interaction.
One told me she was promised full marketing support with a shared designer and marketing coordinator. When she reached out to utilize that support, multiple staff members ghosted her. She left after four weeks, and her entire peer group heard about it.
Soderstrom was direct, “Saying you offer ‘the best tools’ means nothing if you can’t show how those tools actually grow an agent’s business. Results speak for themselves — especially when your agents can share their own success stories.”
What to do instead: Use data. Share case studies. Show how your value proposition solves the problem that the agent is experiencing without inflating. Enlist your top agents and brand advocates to speak directly to recruits, sharing your company’s value proposition as they live it. Peer proof beats your polished pitch, every time.
It’s not a numbers game
Recruiting isn’t about sending more messages, duping someone into meeting you or exaggerating your offering. It’s about sending the right message in the right way.
Agents are looking for leadership, systems and culture that align with and support their goals. Your message and the delivery set the tone. It either builds trust or breaks it. A miss now may result in a lost opportunity for years to come.
When recruiting is your biggest challenge, refining your approach, investing in the right tools and committing to personalization can turn it into a strength. Don’t just reach out. Reach out in a way that reflects who you are and why you’re worth joining.
Kevin Van Eck is Principal of Maverix Advisory Group and is based in Chicago. Connect with him on Instagram.
