Want to Hire Great Agents? Look for Emotional Intelligence

January 22, 2016

Lee Bressan

No matter what stage your business is in, you’re probably drawing up plans for growth. Of course in order to grow you know you need to build your team. Strategically. Maybe you’ve already designed the right roles for your team’s needs, but what’s the method behind the magic of finding great agents? Hiring emotionally intelligent people.

Emotional Intelligence in Real Estate

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is a person’s ability to perceive, understand, and manage human emotions. High EI makes for socially savvy folks. They’re attuned to the cues of other people’s tone and body language and can adjust their own emotional response effectively. Real Estate professionals with high EI are adept at building relationships, developing a strong rapport, and creating loyal clients.

Unfortunately, even in a relationship business like real estate, not everyone scores big on the EI scale.

46% of agent and client relationships have weak emotional communication, and only 26% are effectively operating on the same “emotional wavelength” according to a Keller Center Research Report

Success in real estate requires a keen attention to emotions. The nature of the job involves supporting people when their lives are changing significantly. Most transactions come about because of a major life shift like:

Marriage
Divorce
A new baby
A new job

On top of that, the home buying or selling process is exciting and stressful all on its own. Clients want to work with someone who demonstrates emotional leadership during the buying or selling process, and can help them cut through the stress and make strong choices.

Hiring for Emotional Intelligence

Top producers use their emotions, moods and feelings, as well as the emotions of others, to work for them. They stay motivated in difficult times, bounce back quickly from setbacks, and use their customer-oriented selling to boost the bottom line. When it comes to qualities like these, they can’t be easily taught. You have to hire for them.

Here’s your checklist of what to look for

The Likability Factor

The person clients say “gets it.” You want someone relatable who can quickly gain the trust of prospects and clients and easily build relationships. Clients identify with this person from the start, enjoy working with them, and will remember the experience and refer more business.

Trust and Street Cred

Of course anyone you hire should be trustworthy and well-versed in all that the job entails, but some are much more skilled at positioning themselves this way than others. Look for someone who immediately comes across as genuine, honest and an expert in their role. Clients will sense this and be much more inclined to do business with your company.

The Great Negotiator

Here’s where the empathy comes in. It’s more than communication skills, saying the right things or active listening. It’s about understanding how words and actions affect others and being able to better represent your point of view- tactfully. Someone who can do this will do wonders for the customer experience, fully understanding where your clients’ thoughts and perceptions are coming from and validating those concerns so they feel heard.

A Strong Sense of Self(Awareness)

This is the person who knows their own strengths and weaknesses and how to manage them. They can stay motivated, understand when mistakes were made, and resolve them quickly. These qualities also lend themselves to a level of confidence that helps them stay even-keeled and guide their clients through the often choppy seas of real estate transactions.

Hiring the right people may seem daunting, but following this guide will keep you on course. It’s easy to determine where someone sits on the EI scale during the interview process, so keep this list in mind and take special note of how each interaction goes. It’s the first step to building a team that will perform and grow your business.