Your real estate brokerage is ready for growth — you can just feel it in your bones, this is going to be your year!
But how do you actually make it happen? Where should you invest your hard-won dollars and limited energy?
New digital marketing strategies?
Grabbing as many new clients as you can?
Upgraded tech?
As it turns out, the #1 return on investment in growing your brokerage business sometimes can come from…
People.
And sure, hiring can be expensive. And time-consuming. But it is worth it.
Because building a strong team can help drive growth. That’s right, something as simple as a few savvy staffing choices could help launch your business right into the role of industry leader!
Quality People = Quality Service
While it can seem boring in its tried-and-true-ness, a consistently good customer experience is still one of the most important factors clients look for in a real estate brokerage.
Late last year, studies found that “trustworthy (80%) and responsive (80%) first impressions were among the characteristics sellers were most likely to consider highly important in an agent.”
Notice how “cheap” isn’t on the list? Those are two pretty impressive percentages of people who chose good service over bargain-basement commission rates.
And for real estate businesses that also include an in-house mortgage brokerage, that advantage could increase exponentially.
In a survey of over 1,200 residential mortgage customers, most of them “reported that an “exceptional customer experience” was almost as critical to them as getting the “best rate.” In fact, first-time home buyers said that learning — either through online reviews or word of mouth — that a lender delivered an exceptional customer experience was the most important factor in their decision to choose a lender.”
Basically, if you offer amazing customer service to your customers, the chances are higher that they’ll come back. And they might just bring their friends, too.
Long story short: An exceptional experience often comes down to the people involved.
From the appointment setters to the real estate agents to the mortgage professionals, there are lots of hands in any given home loan process. Anything you can do to ensure these people are all absolutely incredible could pay off in spades.
Diversity = Lasting Client Relationships
Shopping for a real estate professional isn’t exactly like popping into the corner store for a throw pillow. After all, a home is one of the biggest purchases most people will ever make.
So, while they might not really care where they pick up some living room decor, they probably will when it comes to spending lots of their hard-earned money on a house.
They need to feel good about the people (and the business) they’re working with.
But not everyone on your team will have the same experience, strengths, and skills.
This is a good thing.
A diverse, multitalented team can mean the perfect fit for each step of the process, or each flavor of customer.
Where one person is amazing at taking the time to walk nervous first-time buyers or sellers through the whole process…
Another may kill it with a seasoned real estate investor using his just-the-facts approach to delivering bottom-line info.
Basically, you could super-charge your growth by catering to different needs, tailoring solutions to each customer, and delivering the personalized service that is crucial to building lasting client relationships.
More Cooks = Faster and Better Soup
If you started your business as a one-man band (or even a two- or three-man band,) you know all too well that sometimes there are just not enough hours in the day to get everything done.
Especially when tackling tasks that are so not in your wheelhouse.
By expanding the team and then delegating things like client communication, loan research, and paperwork, realtors can focus on what they do best — taking care of customers and buying or selling homes.
More homes.
Potentially a lot more homes.
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One Stop Experience = Your “Secret Sauce”
Another classic way to grow your business is to expand the services that you can offer your customers.
An amazing realtor, a fabulous team of support staff, AND a professional mortgage broker all under the same roof, all working together to provide customers with the best options and seamless service?
Sign me up!
But wait…
Are you feeling slightly overwhelmed at the mere thought of starting yet another new business from scratch? A franchise solution, like Motto Mortgage, might be the right answer for you.
Not only do franchisors like Motto Mortgage provide the tools you need to hit the ground running in their Mortgage Brokerage-in-a-Box℠, but they also offer a range of products and services to help you attract and hire some of the best talent in the business.
Tools like a suite of recruiting materials, proven email strategies, and strategic recruiting ads.
To top things off, each Motto office has access to a recruiting liaison who can help bring pre-screened and pre-vetted candidates right to your front door.
Just like that… an easy button for expansion and netting top talent.
And, hey, remember the diversity bit we were talking about earlier? Once you integrate mortgage professionals into your team, that back-end support can make them even more effective and powerful.
Adaptability = Resilience
Volatile economic trends…
Stubbornly high interest rates…
Barely climbing inventory…
Let’s just say the real estate industry has had to embrace the art of the pivot in recent years.
Smaller brokerages are naturally more nimble than big real estate behemoths. But shops of all sizes need to pivot with grace every now and again.
Adding to your team can help with that, too. That’s because an expanded team can bring together professionals with varied perspectives, backgrounds, and expertise.
This approach of shared knowledge could bump your resilience during economic challenges and set you apart from folks who rely solely on their own experience.
Basically, if you’re seeing stormy market seas on the horizon, the collaboration and learning that cross-functional teams often bring to the table could allow your business to jump on growth opportunities even when times are… challenging.
Professional Development = Happier Campers
Supporting your team’s continued personal and professional growth is a win for everyone.
Your team feels valued, encouraged, and empowered.
Your business gets a staff that is on top of the latest trends and best practices.
You get employees who are primed and ready to fuel the growth and success of your brokerage.
You also get a team that is much more likely to stick around for the long haul and much less likely to become checked-out clock-punchers.
When you create an environment that encourages success, your business can succeed too.
And whether you’re growing your current real estate business or adding mortgage brokerage services, there are lots of resources available to help you build a formidable team.
Might we recommend “How to Find the Right Team for Your New Franchise” or “The Guide to Expert Recruiting That Will Help You Win LOs” to start?
Ultimately Growing Your Brokerage Business
To wrap it up, we’re turning to the sage words of Broker Engine:
“Hire wrong and you’re saddled with extra costs without increasing capacity.
But hire right…
And you unleash growth, profits, and lifestyle.”
So, we say to you… go forth and GROW!
Published on May 27, 2025
