As a brokerage or team owner, you should be recruiting every day—at least one hour a day. If you're not, that's a whole different conversation. But let’s assume you're doing your job, recruiting daily, because that’s the #1 way to bring new agents into your office.

When you get an objection, how do you react? Do you see it as an opportunity or something that scares you? Do you embrace it, or do you run from it?

Objections are just like the ones you get from buyers and sellers—they actually show interest. The worst thing that can happen is getting no objections at all. If a recruit gives you zero pushback, doesn’t respond, or their eyes glaze over, that means they’re not interested. They just want to move on, and you’re nothing more than a nuisance to them.

But when they object, that means they’re engaged. They’re processing what you’re saying, thinking it over, and that’s a good thing.

One of the best ways to handle objections is to anticipate concerns before they come up. Put your...

Let’s talk about the Primadonna agent.

We’ve all heard the term, but what does it mean? It refers to someone—hopefully not in your office—who believes they hold power over the broker or staff. They might wield this perceived power by being verbally aggressive or abusive, saying and doing things that are completely inappropriate. They think they can get away with it because of their production level or tenure in the office.

So, what do you do with a Primadonna agent? Here’s the unspoken fear many office and team leaders face: If I get rid of them, I’ll lose money. Maybe they’re a top producer, and you’re thinking, “I can’t afford to lose someone like that.”

But when you let this fear control your actions, it gives them even more strength—and their behavior gets worse over time. Worse still, having this kind of toxic person in your office impacts your recruiting. Potential recruits may avoid your office entirely, even if they don’t say it outright. They may think, “I’d join, but I can...

If you're coaching agents as part of your real estate brokerage or team, which we all do, one of the best methods I’ve learned is the 1-3-1 Method.

When someone brings you a problem, start by asking:

First, let's clarify the problem: What’s the one main issue we’re dealing with here?

Not 55 different things—just the one big issue we need to solve.

Then, ask: What do you think are three viable solutions for solving this?

If they can’t come up with three, help them brainstorm.

Finally, have them choose: Which do you think is the most viable option for actually getting this resolved?

Encourage them to go out, try it, and see how it works.

As a leader, whether you're a team leader or a brokerage owner, make a note in your CRM to follow up with that agent in a day or two. Check if the resolution actually solved the problem. Sometimes they'll come back and tell you, but if they don’t, reach out and ask, "Did that solve the issue?"

By using the 1-3-1 Method, you’re teaching them to f...