Leadership

How to Motivate Real Estate Agents

Motivation works on agents who have drifted. It does not work on agents who are avoiding. Telling the two apart is the first job of a broker or team leader.

By Dr. Jeffrey Scott Stanton, DCH

Motivation works on agents who have drifted. It does not work on agents who are avoiding. Telling the two apart is the first job of a broker or team leader.

Drift versus avoidance

Drift: the agent knows what to do, has lost momentum and needs a reason, a goal or recognition. A clear target, a peer group and regular accountability usually restore it.
Avoidance: the agent knows what to do and does something easier instead. More motivation raises the pressure and the avoidance. See why motivation never fixes sales reluctance.

How to tell which one you have

Ask what they did the last time they planned to make calls and did not. Avoiders describe tasks they did instead. Drifters describe being busy or tired.
Check whether the behavior is missing everywhere or only in specific conversations. Avoidance is specific.
Ask for one small live conversation today. An agent who agrees and does it was drifting. An agent who finds a reason to delay is probably avoiding.

What works for drift

A written goal tied to behaviors, not outcomes.
Short, regular check-ins on conversations held.
Recognition for effort that the agent controls.

What works for avoidance

A diagnosis of the pattern. See the 13 R2R archetypes.
A smaller first step matched to the pattern.
Practice under graduated pressure, not a pep talk.

What to stop doing

Do not raise quotas or add contests for an agent who is avoiding. It adds pressure to a pattern that already feels threatening.

Frequently asked questions

Do contests and leaderboards work?

They can lift activity for agents who are drifting. They tend to be ignored or resented by agents who are avoiding.

What if I cannot tell which it is?

Start with one live conversation and observe. If you lead a team, use the agent assessment.

Is this the same as burnout?

Not necessarily. See agent burnout.

How often should I check in?

Weekly, on conversations held.

Where do managing brokers start?

With managing broker training.

About the Author

Dr. Jeffrey Scott Stanton, DCH is the former EVP of Learning & Development at Douglas Elliman Real Estate and the founder and Chief Learning Officer of R2R Diagnostic Group, where he helps real estate organizations and agents diagnose and fix the behavioral patterns behind inconsistent performance.

Start With the Pattern

Name the pattern, then change it.

The R2R Assessment identifies which pattern is actually running and what to do about it. Take a look at the assessment, or book a conversation.

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