How to source and shortlist {role_name}

Where can you find qualified {role_name}?

What are the best practices for headhunting {role_name}?

  • Leverage Your Network: Use your professional network to find potential candidates. Reach out to industry contacts for recommendations.
  • Social Media Engagement: Actively participate in real estate groups on LinkedIn and Facebook. Post job openings and engage with potential candidates.
  • Attend Industry Events: Participate in real estate conferences, seminars, and networking events to connect with qualified candidates.
  • Use Employee Referrals: Encourage current employees to refer qualified candidates by offering referral bonuses.
  • Direct Outreach: Identify top-performing agents in the market and approach them directly with attractive offers.

How to shortlist candidates?

Once you have started to get applications from applicants, a thorough screening process and shortlisting of prospects will help you make the most of your time spent with the most qualified ones. 

Automated shortlisting tools :

Automated screening quickly filters out unqualified candidates, saving time for manual review. This allows the manual process to focus on the most promising candidates, ensuring the best ones are considered for further evaluation.

Screening questions to auto-shortlist based on predefined criteria

like qualifications, location, experience, and skills. Either use job board or use an ATS such as whitecarrot. Here are some questions for {role_name}

  • Do you have a real estate license in [specified location]?
    • Auto-reject criteria: No
  • How many years of experience do you have in real estate sales?
    • Auto-reject criteria: Less than 1 year
  • Are you located within [specified location] or willing to work remotely?
    • Auto-reject criteria: No to both

Skill based question to auto shortlist candidate

Analyze the skill test data to automatically shortlist top-performing applicants. (recommended screening test time - 15 minutes). Here are some skill test questions for {role_name}

Sales foundations

Some sample questions:

  • What is the most effective method for lead generation in real estate?
    • Cold calling
    • Social media marketing
    • Open houses
    • Referrals
  • Which CRM feature is most beneficial for tracking client interactions?
    • Lead scoring
    • Email automation
    • Task management
    • Client notes
  • What is a key element of a successful sales pitch?
    • Knowing your product
    • Overloading with information
    • Pressuring the client
    • Avoiding client questions

Communication Skills

Some sample questions

  • What is the best way to ensure clear communication with clients?
    • Regular updates
    • Using technical jargon
    • Short emails
    • Avoiding phone calls
  • How should you handle a situation where a client misunderstands a property feature?
    • Ignore the issue
    • Blame the client
    • Clarify the misunderstanding
    • Change the topic
  • What is a key component of effective communication?
    • Active listening,
    • Talking more than the client
    • Using complex language
    • Avoiding eye contact

Empathy

Some sample questions:

  • How do you show empathy towards a client's concerns?
    • Dismiss their concerns
    • Listen actively
    • Provide quick solutions
    • Avoid the topic
  • What should you do if a client is upset about a property issue?
    • Ignore their concerns
    • Acknowledge their feelings
    • Blame them
    • Change the subject
  • Why is empathy important in real estate?
    • Builds trust
    • Reduces client satisfaction
    • Increases sales pressure
    • Shortens the sales cycle

Note - Auto reject candidates if scores less than 70% in this section

One way video interview

Recruitment Bullet

Use tools like hirevue, whitecarrot.io to ask candidates pre-recorded questions about their experience and skills.

Recruitment Bullet

Use sample question given in scorecard.

Collect other information 

Recruitment Bullet

Collect data from shortlisted candidates, such as salary expectations and visa status.

Manual candidate profile shortlisting:

Recruitment Bullet

Thoroughly review the CVs of the top scoring candidates from the automated process

Recruitment Bullet

Look for evidence of the required skills, experience, and achievements

Recruitment Bullet

Review the candidate’s portfolio or GitHub repositories to see examples of their work.

Schedule recruiter calls with the candidate

Recruitment Bullet

Use a tool like calendly or whitecarrot to allow candidates to self-schedule calls based on your availability

Recruitment Bullet

Confirm the call details (date, time, dial-in info) with the candidate via email

What questions to ask in the recruiter phone screen?

Recruitment Bullet

 Use scorecard for rating candidates for recruiter

Recruitment Bullet

Sample scorecard : 

Sales Candidate Evaluation
Criteria Sample Question Rating (1-5) Comments
Sales Experience Describe your approach to closing difficult sales.
Communication Skills How do you tailor your communication to different clients?
Interpersonal Skills How do you build rapport with clients?
Empathy How do you handle client concerns?
Adaptability Describe a time when you had to adapt to a challenging situation in sales.
Technical Skills (CRM) How proficient are you with CRM software?
Location Are you located within [specified location]?
Recruitment Bullet

Check for consistency in responses from the candidates.

Recruitment Bullet

Record such scorecards in an ATS like whitecarrot or use google doc