JEREMY ROSENS OF Gary Peer St Kilda examines how to define roles and recruit the perfect team to create your ideal Effective Business Unit (EBU).
IN REAL ESTATE, just like in any other industry, we should always be looking to be smarter and more efficient, while keeping a strong focus on the customer.
This mentality extends beyond systems and technology. We can use iPads, the latest CRM software and tools that help us automate repetitive tasks, but what about our people? How can we work together to create efficiencies? Grow our business? Enjoy a better work/life balance?
The Super Team model offers a solution. The concept is simple: leverage the expertise and skills of three or more individuals to create the perfect Super Team.
Traditionally, real estate agents have had to be ‘all things to all people’ – lead generator, lister, administrator, advertising copywriter, auctioneer, negotiator – the list goes on. We can do it all, but is it really the most effective use of our time and skills?
In other industries there is room for experts who work together to create a holistic customer experience. Doctors need anaesthetists, nurses and admin staff. The legal profession has solicitors, barristers and paralegals. So what can we learn from these models?
For some years I have been building and fine-tuning my own Super Team. There are many variations on this model, but I have found the following set-up works well with my team of three.
Team leader – Highly skilled in winning listings and responsible for overseeing the team strategy and day-to-day workflow. They provide direction, motivate the team and have developed excellent sales skills. They have high vendor interaction and are the ‘face’ of the team.
Buyer agent/Lead generator – The engine room of the Super Team, mining databases and buyer lists for potential leads. They are focused on building relationships with buyers, assisting them at open for inspections and generating new leads from those buyers.
Campaign coordinator – Providing administrative support to the team, this is a highly organised guru who creates and maintains all the paperwork, advertising schedules and daily vendor communication. They are always available when the team leader is not and ensure that communication is seamless throughout every stage of the campaign.
From experience, I have found that the first recruitment decision for the Super Team after creating the team leader (most likely yourself) is the campaign coordinator. Their support role is vital in freeing up the team leader’s time to focus on gaining new business, and ultimately the lead generator to focus on their area of expertise.
When it comes to recruiting the members of your Super Team, it’s tempting to employ people like you. But this can be a mistake. Look for complementary personality traits and skills. It’s no good employing your twin – there’s already one of you.
Sales people, by definition, are constantly focused on running to close a sale; a similarly focused admin assistant will just create double chaos. It is important that the campaign coordinator has a strong focus on being calm and thorough, always ready to address the detail that can send so many top sales people running away.
THE BENEFITS OF A SUPER TEAM
Become an expert. Each member of the team is able to develop genuine expertise in their area. The more time they spend focused on their tasks, the more knowledgeable, confident and authoritative they become. This specialised advice then benefits the client and leads to a better result.
Defined roles. Everyone knows what part they play in the team. Their expertise is relied upon and appreciated by the other members.
Faster, smarter systems. Tasks flow smoothly between team members who have input to process improvement. Constant refining of your model leads to increased efficiencies.
Team culture. Never underestimate the value of being in a high-functioning team where ideas are encouraged and success is celebrated. By empowering team members to implement the system improvements they have suggested, team morale and levels of job satisfaction go through the roof.
The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Ultimately the success of a Super Team will be evident in the bottom line. The aim is to create higher GCI than three individuals working independently.
WHAT CAN GO WRONG?
Too many similar personalities. As mentioned previously, it’s in everyone’s best interests to ensure there is a good cross-section of personality attributes and skills in the team. This means all the gaps are covered and clashes are avoided.
Down time. The seasonal nature of real estate means we have very busy periods (such as spring) and quieter times. An effective Super Team will plan ahead for these quieter times and ensure there are plenty of projects that can be tackled. It’s also a great time to review any lessons learned or discuss, agree and execute potential system improvements.
CUSTOMER SERVICE – MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER
The real estate industry needs to learn from models used in other industries. The Super Team is an effective way to help our people become subject matter experts and bring that expertise to bear in a collaborative environment.
Most importantly, the Super Team model, and others like it, is a direct response to the growing sophistication of our industry. Demand for superior customer service is higher than ever, but we also need to show value. Buyers and sellers have access to so much more information than they did 20 or even 10 years ago.
A client who experiences outstanding touch points from all members of the Super Team is far more likely to re-employ, refer and recommend based on the ‘wow’ experience they have just received. Our challenge is to continue to raise the bar and reach it.
