Introduction
Are you considering expanding your team by hiring ISAs? If so, this comprehensive blog post provides all the information you need about the role, responsibilities, skills, compensation, and training of ISAs in the real estate industry.
The Struggles of a Solo Real Estate Agent
As a solo real estate agent, you’re likely overwhelmed with tasks such as contacting inbound leads, managing accounting work, scheduling open homes, coordinating with escrow, and much more. Juggling all these responsibilities simultaneously can be exhausting and inefficient for your business.
The Benefits of Hiring an Inside Sales Agent (ISA)
If you’ve reached a point where you need assistance with lead qualification, follow-up, and prospecting, it’s time to hire an Inside Sales Agent (ISA). An ISA can be a game-changer for your business, saving you time, boosting efficiency, and increasing your deal conversion rate.
Understanding the Role of an ISA
An ISA, also known as a cold caller, lead scrubber, or appointment fixer, is responsible for qualifying incoming leads, prospecting for new leads, and following up with past leads to make them sales-ready for real estate agents. Depending on their assigned roles, ISAs may perform various tasks.
Skills Required for an ISA
To excel in the role of an ISA, candidates should possess several essential skills, including effective verbal and written communication, comfort with making calls throughout the day, self-motivation, problem-solving abilities, and friendly demeanor. They should have organizational skills, understand the sales process and company services, and be familiar with CRMs and drip campaigns.
Hiring an ISA: Where to Look
To find qualified ISA candidates, you can explore options such as local college job boards, reaching out to your brokerage’s agent recruiting team, attending local career fairs, and more. These platforms attract enthusiastic individuals who may be interested in starting their real estate career as an ISA.
Evaluating Prospective ISAs
Finding the right personality fit for an ISA is crucial. Evaluating a candidate’s personality type can be done using the DISC model, which helps identify dominant, influential, steady, and compliance-oriented traits. Building a team with a diverse mix of personalities can be beneficial.
Training and Evaluating Your ISA
Training an ISA should focus on call etiquette, scripting, and tonality since their job involves contacting leads. Evaluating an ISA’s performance is critical for fine-tuning your sales pipeline and compensating them fairly. Key metrics to evaluate an ISA’s performance include call to appointment ratio, attempts per lead, and speed to lead.
Compensating Your ISA
When it comes to compensating your ISA, three common models are fixed salary (hourly rate) plus commission, fixed salary (hourly rate) plus a bonus per qualified lead, and 100% commission. Each model has its pros and cons, and it’s essential to choose one that balances safety and opportunity for your ISA.
Avoiding Pitfalls when Building Your ISA Team
Building an effective ISA team requires careful consideration. Hiring two ISAs with different personalities can create healthy competition and provide diverse insights. Consider having ISAs work different shifts, and assign higher or lower value leads based on experience. Additionally, using a lead qualification platform can help manage lead volume and ensure growth.
Conclusion
Hiring an ISA is a significant decision for your real estate business. By following the guidance provided in this article, you can ensure a successful hiring process, training, evaluation, and compensation of your ISAs. Take the time to find the right fit, and reap the benefits of increased productivity and efficiency.
