Why Most Recruiting Strategies Don’t Work (And What Actually Does)
- Mark Cadesky
- May 19
- 2 min read
Ask most brokerage owners how they recruit, and you’ll hear some version of this:
“It’s all about relationships”
“I just talk to agents when I can”
“Referrals bring in most of our people”
And while none of that is wrong… it’s also not a strategy. It’s hope.
The Problem With “Organic” Recruiting
Organic recruiting works until it doesn’t.
It tends to be:
Inconsistent
Hard to scale
Dependent on timing
Driven by individual effort
You might have a great month. Then nothing for three. And when growth depends on unpredictability, it becomes very difficult to plan your business.
What Agents Are Actually Looking For
Most brokerages assume agents are primarily focused on:
Commission splits
Fees
Branding
But experienced agents, especially the ones you want, are thinking differently.
They’re asking:
“Will this brokerage help me grow?”
“Will I get support when I need it?”
“Is there structure or is it chaos?”
“Can I scale my business here?”
If your recruiting message doesn’t answer those questions clearly you’re blending in.
The Real Issue: Lack of Positioning
Most brokerages don’t have a recruiting problem. They have a positioning problem.
If your brokerage sounds like everyone else:
“We offer great support”
“We have a collaborative culture”
“We care about our agents”
Then you’re forcing agents to guess what makes you different. And when people have to guess they default to what’s familiar.
What High-Performing Brokerages Do Differently
They don’t just recruit.
They attract.
That starts with clarity.
They know:
Who their ideal agent is
What specific problems they solve
How they deliver value differently
Why an agent should choose them over competitors
And they communicate that consistently.
Not just in conversations, but across:
Their website
Their onboarding process
Their training structure
Their agent experience
Recruiting Is a System, Not an Event
Most owners treat recruiting like a series of conversations. But the most effective brokerages treat it like a system.
That includes:
A clear value proposition
Defined messaging
A repeatable outreach approach
A structured follow-up process
A strong onboarding experience
When those pieces are in place, recruiting becomes predictable.
The Hidden Miss
Here’s where many brokerages lose great agents - they rely too heavily on a single conversation.
But top agents don’t make quick decisions.
They observe.
They compare.
They revisit.
If you’re not staying visible and reinforcing your value over time… you’re losing opportunities you didn’t even know you had.
A Smarter Approach
Instead of asking: “How do I recruit more agents?”
Start asking: “How do I build a brokerage that agents want to join and stay with?”
That leads to better decisions around:
Systems
Support
Training
Culture
Leadership
And ironically, when those improve, recruiting becomes easier.
The Bottom Line
Recruiting isn’t about convincing people. It’s about clarity and consistency.
When your brokerage is clearly positioned and operationally strong:
The right agents notice
Conversations become easier
Decisions happen faster
And growth becomes intentional - not accidental.
Call to Action
If recruiting feels inconsistent or harder than it should be, it’s usually not about effort. It’s about structure.
At AskMark, we help brokerage owners:
Clarify their positioning
Build recruiting systems
Strengthen their agent value proposition
Create a more scalable growth strategy
If you’re ready to attract better agents and not just chase them - let’s connect.
