June 3, 2025 • 18 mins
If you’ve ever had to let someone go from your real estate team (or wish you had), this episode is for you. After 14 years of running a brokerage, I’ve seen it all. Today, I’m spilling the tea on the six archetypes of agents I’ve fired—and what really got them booted.
This is your behind-the-scenes, no-holds-barred guide to the biggest red flags, interview questions that expose the truth, and how to protect your team culture without guilt. Because let’s be real: it’s not always about sales numbers. Sometimes it’s about sanity.
Whether you're a team lead, broker-owner, or just nosy (same), this one’s juicy and wildly useful.
In this episode, we cover:
- The 6 Agent Archetypes you should be careful of
- Specific red flags to watch out for
- Smart interview prompts to weed out future fires
- A permission slip to protect your culture and peace
You are not a babysitter. You’re a business owner. Let’s talk about what it really takes to build an aligned, happy, high-performing real estate team.
Mentioned in the episode:
- Episode 6 - Zero Cost, Big Results: 8 Free Lead Generation Tactics for Real Estate Agents: www.happyagent.co/podcast/ep6-zero-cost-big-results-8-free-lead-generation-tactics-for-agents
- Free Social Free Marketing Blueprint - Download Here: www.happyagentco.kit.com/socialfree
Let's stay connected!
💼 Coaching with Lindsay – happyagent.co/coaching
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🎓 Happy Agent Academy – happyagent.co/academy
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Oh boy, this episode's going to be a juicy
one.
Hey, there, I am Lindsay Dreyerand I am the owner and coach at
Happy Agent Co.
And then I am also thebrokerage owner of City Chic
Real Estate in the Washington DCmarket.
Today I am spilling the tea onagents I have fired, and there
are six kinds of them.
(00:22):
After 14 years of owning abrokerage, I have seen so much
in terms of agents and I havehad to fire more agents than I
ever thought I would or wouldwant to, honestly because it's
not the most fun, but because ofeither the energy, the ethics
or the effort that weren't justthere, it had to happen.
(00:44):
So in this episode we arebreaking those archetypes down,
with the ones that I've had topart ways with over the years,
from the rule breakers to theones who stopped showing up
mentally or literally.
This is your behind the sceneslook at what not to do if you
want to build a joyful, alignedand actually successful real
estate team.
(01:04):
Aligned and actually successfulreal estate team.
And, spoiler alert, it is notjust about sales numbers.
So this might be helpful forany agent who is doing hiring,
because I don't think thesearchetypes are just agents.
It could be employees too.
But we are going to go througheach of the archetypes, what the
red flags are to look for, andmaybe even an interview prompt
that might help you dig into itfurther.
(01:26):
But my biggest advice issometimes one is going to make
it through the cracks and it isnot your fault, but just be
quick to fire if they are not agood fit.
Do not let them ruin yourculture.
So let's dive in to archetypenumber one, which is the asshole
.
So let's dive in to archetypenumber one, which is the asshole
(01:47):
.
I also like to call them theegomaniac.
They may be top producers, butthey are absolutely toxic.
They are drama magnets.
They're always blamingeverybody else.
They also make life miserablefor your staff or for fellow
agents, and this is really whereculture is more important than
production and you have toprotect your culture.
(02:09):
That environment you'recreating is so important to your
staff and fellow agents thatyou can't have people like this
in your organization withoutthem absolutely taking people
down or creating toxicity in theenvironment.
So here are some red flags towatch for, and these could be
during the interview process,maybe during their first 30 days
(02:32):
.
They could show up later, buthere are some things that are
going to pinpoint whether you'redealing with an asshole or not.
They talk down about theirformer teams or leaders like I
was carrying everyone, no oneelse could keep up with me, or
they stopped doing things for me.
They also use really blame,heavy language, so things like
(02:56):
they didn't give me leads or theadmin team was always messing
things up.
They just never takeaccountability for their portion
of why things are notsuccessful.
The other thing to look out foris a lot of times they're just
focused on splits.
They are not focused on cultureor collaboration.
They are not team players.
So if that's important to youand your culture, definitely
(03:18):
that's a red flag.
They also like to interrupt ordominate the conversation and it
is literally all about them andit may not show overtly, but it
could just be subtle arroganceor superiority.
So they may just be dismissiveof others' contributions or
maybe questions, but just keepan eye out for that.
(03:38):
An interview question you couldask is tell me about a time
where you had to collaboratewith someone difficult and how
did you handle it?
Anything around team orcollaboration is going to be a
red flag or a trigger for theasshole archetype.
Let's move on to archetypenumber two, which is the fair
(04:00):
housing violator.
I also like to call this theunethical agent, but this is the
one who makes your stomach justdrop with the things that they
mess up, and, whether it'sarrogance or ignorance, this
should be a non-negotiable onyour team, and it is hard
sometimes to spot this person.
I will be honest, the ones thatI've had to fire and there have
(04:22):
been two in my past.
I will be honest, the ones thatI've had to fire and there have
been two in my past I have onlyfound out that they violated
fair housing or treaded thatline because of our CRM, because
our CRM tracks emailcorrespondence and there was
some stuff said that was justvery inappropriate and I had to
fire them immediately.
So those ethical blind spots,definitely before they become
(04:45):
legal liabilities, you have todeal them immediately.
So those ethical blind spots,definitely before they become
legal liabilities, you have todeal with them, and this is, I
think, one of the hardest onesto pinpoint or even discover.
But here's some red flags thatyou could look for.
They say things like thatneighborhood just isn't right
for my clients, or I know whatkind of people live there, right
(05:06):
for my clients, or I know whatkind of people live there or
maybe they make comments about,like, that side of the town or
that side.
They also may not use correctlanguage when describing areas
or clients.
It might be coded, it might bekind of stereotyped, so just be
careful.
They also are showing noawareness of protected classes
or compliance, and that can be ahard one for some people.
(05:30):
So when you're interviewing itmight be like quizzing them on
protected classes.
I know in the Washington DCmarket we have a lot of
protected classes.
So really asking them do youunderstand what discrimination
against matriculation means,which I mean probably most of
you are like what the hell areyou talking about?
(05:51):
It's being a student, by theway, but this is important, I
also think, having a system fortracking this stuff later down
the road.
But again, I'm big on fairhousing and being ethical and
really being above board.
So an interview question youcould ask again is about the
fair housing, but it could alsobe how do you ensure your
marketing and your clientcommunications are staying
(06:13):
compliant with fair housing laws?
I think that that's a reallyimportant question.
So that's wrapping up our fairhousing violator archetype,
moving on to number three, whichis the checked out real estate
agent.
This could be someone who'sentering into your brokerage
because they're checked out, orit could be someone that you
need to just give the bootbecause they have checked out.
(06:33):
But you guys know the type.
They stop showing up to thingstrainings, team meetings,
they've stopped caring, theymake excuses for everything.
Or maybe they just don't makeexcuses for everything and
they're just like they makeexcuses for everything.
Or maybe they just don't makeexcuses for everything and
they're just like meh, I mean,I'll work what I work and that's
what I'm doing.
But this could be because ofburnout and that definitely
happens and knowing thedifference.
(06:54):
As a manager or brokerage owneror team lead on how to
recognize the difference betweensomeone who needs support
versus someone who's just donewith real estate.
I have had many a conversationwith agents where I've said you
haven't sold a home in three orfour months.
Are you just done with realestate?
And I'm not going to lie, Ihave had people thank me for
(07:17):
having that conversation withthem because it gave them the
permission they needed to justleave the business and do
something else, or it has beenthe reboot they needed to really
refocus on their business.
Not everyone is going tocontinue to be a real estate
agent.
So, the checked out agent it'snot your fault and obviously you
can't invest more time andenergy in someone than they're
(07:38):
willing to invest in themselves.
But their business deservestheir full energy and if they're
done, that's okay.
But I know it's hard to havepeople around that are just
coasting, so some red flags towatch for.
They're just speaking prettyvaguely about their performance.
Things are slow, the market'sweird or they're lacking
(07:59):
personal or professional goals.
They also just seem likedisengaged or low energy during
an interview if you'reinterviewing them.
And the other one is that theydon't know what they want or
need from a brokerage.
So I think a really goodquestion and this could be for
someone you're interviewing, butcould also be someone on your
team that you feel is thisarchetype, the checked out
(08:20):
archetype, which is what are youexcited to create or accomplish
in your business over the nextsix to 12 months?
And see what they say.
I think that that can be reallytelling.
So let's move on to number four.
This is the cling on archetype,or the needy archetype.
This is one that is really hard, but they are emotionally needy
(08:45):
, they are boundaryless, theyhave no boundaries and they are
totally dependent on you formotivation, for answers, for
validation and probably fortherapy.
And this one is so hard becausemost team leads, most brokerage
owners, want to be helpful.
They want to make sure thattheir agents have what they need
(09:07):
.
But what you really need torealize is that it's not your
job to carry someone else'sbusiness.
You have your own job to focuson, which is leading your team
and maybe even being inproduction.
So it is okay to be there foryour people, but it is very
different to empower them versusenable them, and it is up to
(09:30):
you to create those boundaries.
So here's some red flags tolook for.
They overshare their personallife details early or completely
inappropriately.
They just have no filter andthey're just like I'm telling
you everything all the time.
They also ask how often they'llbe able to call or text you
directly.
So how often can I meet withyou?
How often will you be available?
(09:51):
Will I have access to you 24-7?
They also will describe pastbrokers as overly involved or
like family.
That is, honestly, one of mybiggest pet peeves is when
people describe their workplacelike family, because you are not
my family.
This is my workplace.
I love to create a friendly,collaborative environment.
(10:13):
But you're not family.
Your family is your family.
And then they're always askingfor reassurance or permission on
things, or they're alwaystrying to loop you in on things
that you do not need to belooped in on, and this can be
just a totally energy suck likebig time.
I think that these are probablythe hardest ones for me
(10:33):
personally to deal with, becauseI'm a very self-motivated
person and I'm not puttingthings on other people unless I
really need their help.
So maybe in an interview promptyou could ask when you're
feeling stuck in a deal or inyour business, what's your first
move?
And if they say, call my broker, I don't know if that's what I
(10:53):
would like to hear.
I would like to hear I'm goingto do some research, come up
with some options and then, if Ineed affirmation or
confirmation, I'm going to thengo to my broker and see if that
makes sense or if that's legalor whatever.
But the cling on again, theemotional neediness, the no
boundaries it can be really hardfor you.
And then it's also really hardfor your team because everyone
(11:16):
else is like what is wrong withthis person, like they're just
like TMI all the time.
Moving on to number five, whichis the no common sense agent.
Oh my gosh, okay.
So this one is like oh, it'slike the, okay, anyway, oh boy,
(11:36):
all right, right, let's diveinto this one.
I'm just like.
I'm trying to like not be sorude, okay, they lack basic
problem solving skills, so theyreally just don't have the
common sense to solve problemson their own.
They also sometimes lack clientawareness or decision making
skills.
So with these agents, typicallyfiles are a mess, every
(11:59):
situation turns to chaos.
Sometimes they just whensomething arises, they don't
know how to solve the problemthemselves.
Or like they don't know whatthe logical next step should be,
even though it's pretty obviouswhat it is.
So these people just they can'tfigure it out for themselves.
And I have had no common senseagents come through the
(12:21):
brokerage.
I have offered them so muchtraining we have reviewed
contracts five times, like howto do them, how to write them,
what they mean, all of thatstuff.
It seems that it's like it justcouldn't be any simpler, and
then they still can't figure itout.
And so with these agents, it'slike no matter how much training
you provide, they're not ableto figure it out on their own.
(12:44):
So here's some red flags tolook for.
They struggle to describe basiccontract timelines or next
steps in a transaction.
They blame clients or coworkers, sometimes for the past
problems.
They also don't use checklistsor systems or if something falls
outside the checklist or system, they aren't able to like
problem, solve that or figure itout.
(13:05):
And they also make chaotic orunclear statements when they're
asked about like past deals,like so, tell me about how you
solve problems in that or whathappened in that deal.
So that leads me to theinterview prompt, which is walk
me through your process fromcontract to close.
What tools or systems do youuse to stay organized?
(13:26):
Or tell me about a time whenyou were solving a problem when
a deal blew up.
I think it's really good to getthat answer to that question
and sometimes I even might likegive them a little test, which
is you have no idea what this is, but can you solve this problem
(13:48):
and see how they do it?
Again, it just comes down tohaving common sense and being
able to solve problems on thefly and make good decisions.
And honestly, I saved the bestfor last, which is the hot mess
express.
You know the type they arealways late, they are always
overwhelmed.
They are always apologizing.
They are always all over theplace.
(14:09):
Do they have technology?
No, do they meet deadlines?
Barely.
Is their file compliance adisaster?
Yes, and here's the deal.
They're not bad people.
They're actually usuallyextremely friendly and really
nice.
They're just a walking stressbomb.
So some people thrive in chaosand sometimes that energy will
impact the whole team.
(14:30):
So it's really a situation ofwhen does potential become a
liability?
Again, with all of thesearchetypes, I think we all can
be these things sometimes, butit's about when it becomes a
liability.
When does it become detrimentalto you and your team?
So examples of this is they'relate to the interview or they're
(14:52):
rescheduling last minute, orthey don't showuling last minute
, or they don't show up at all,which definitely I've had that
happen.
They admit to winging it.
So it's like I just go with theflow or I'm not really a
systems person.
They don't use digital toolslike a CRM.
They're like it's all on myphone or in my head or somewhere
, and they're overwhelmed whenasked detailed questions.
So an interview question youcould ask is how do you stay on
(15:15):
track when you're jugglingmultiple clients and deadlines
at once?
I have definitely seen my fairshare of hot mess expresses who
are successful.
So it's not to say that thesepeople don't have success, but
it all comes down to culture andproduction and which one is
more important to you.
So I know for me, my supportstaff and their happiness and
(15:38):
their ability to work withagents is really important to me
, and the success of thebrokerage.
So just really being aware thatyou are creating a culture,
whether you know it or not andthese archetypes are again the
six most common that I have seenand fired over the 14 years of
owning a brokerage I just wantedto remind you that it is okay
(16:03):
to protect your time, yourenergy and your vision for your
business.
You don't owe anyone a place onyour team or in your brokerage,
because you are not ababysitter and you are building
something.
You are building a culture.
You are building somethinggreat and really that starts and
comes down to with who is onthat ride with you, who is on
(16:27):
your bus.
So I want you to know that youhave the ability, you have the
power to choose who is on yourteam.
Sometimes it is hard to findand identify those red flags
during the interview process,but if after 30 days or 60 days
or a year or five years ofworking with someone, you
(16:48):
realize that it's not a good fitanymore.
This isn't about being a dickthat it's not a good fit anymore
.
This isn't about being a dick.
This is about really owningyour business and making sure
that you're protecting yourculture and protecting what you
have built and not letting itget hijacked by any of these
(17:08):
agent archetypes.
So hopefully this episodewasn't too harsh and if anyone
feels personally attacked, I'mreally sorry.
You can send me a message and Iwill reassure you that you are
not one of these archetypes.
If you have a team lead or abrokerage owner who needs to
listen to this episode, feelfree to forward it on to them.
(17:29):
I know that it can be kind ofhelpful and maybe a little
affirming to have someone knowthat they have been in that
position and they have dealtwith that type of person.
Also, please hit the subscribebutton so you don't miss any
future episodes and until nexttime, stay happy.
Oh boy, this episode's going to be a juicy
one.
Hey, there, I am Lindsay Dreyerand I am the owner and coach at
Happy Agent Co.
And then I am also thebrokerage owner of City Chic
Real Estate in the Washington DCmarket.
Today I am spilling the tea onagents I have fired, and there
are six kinds of them.
(00:22):
After 14 years of owning abrokerage, I have seen so much
in terms of agents and I havehad to fire more agents than I
ever thought I would or wouldwant to, honestly because it's
not the most fun, but because ofeither the energy, the ethics
or the effort that weren't justthere, it had to happen.
(00:44):
So in this episode we arebreaking those archetypes down,
with the ones that I've had topart ways with over the years,
from the rule breakers to theones who stopped showing up
mentally or literally.
This is your behind the sceneslook at what not to do if you
want to build a joyful, alignedand actually successful real
estate team.
(01:04):
Aligned and actually successfulreal estate team.
And, spoiler alert, it is notjust about sales numbers.
So this might be helpful forany agent who is doing hiring,
because I don't think thesearchetypes are just agents.
It could be employees too.
But we are going to go througheach of the archetypes, what the
red flags are to look for, andmaybe even an interview prompt
that might help you dig into itfurther.
(01:26):
But my biggest advice issometimes one is going to make
it through the cracks and it isnot your fault, but just be
quick to fire if they are not agood fit.
Do not let them ruin yourculture.
So let's dive in to archetypenumber one, which is the asshole
.
So let's dive in to archetypenumber one, which is the asshole
(01:47):
.
I also like to call them theegomaniac.
They may be top producers, butthey are absolutely toxic.
They are drama magnets.
They're always blamingeverybody else.
They also make life miserablefor your staff or for fellow
agents, and this is really whereculture is more important than
production and you have toprotect your culture.
(02:09):
That environment you'recreating is so important to your
staff and fellow agents thatyou can't have people like this
in your organization withoutthem absolutely taking people
down or creating toxicity in theenvironment.
So here are some red flags towatch for, and these could be
during the interview process,maybe during their first 30 days
(02:32):
.
They could show up later, buthere are some things that are
going to pinpoint whether you'redealing with an asshole or not.
They talk down about theirformer teams or leaders like I
was carrying everyone, no oneelse could keep up with me, or
they stopped doing things for me.
They also use really blame,heavy language, so things like
(02:56):
they didn't give me leads or theadmin team was always messing
things up.
They just never takeaccountability for their portion
of why things are notsuccessful.
The other thing to look out foris a lot of times they're just
focused on splits.
They are not focused on cultureor collaboration.
They are not team players.
So if that's important to youand your culture, definitely
(03:18):
that's a red flag.
They also like to interrupt ordominate the conversation and it
is literally all about them andit may not show overtly, but it
could just be subtle arroganceor superiority.
So they may just be dismissiveof others' contributions or
maybe questions, but just keepan eye out for that.
(03:38):
An interview question you couldask is tell me about a time
where you had to collaboratewith someone difficult and how
did you handle it?
Anything around team orcollaboration is going to be a
red flag or a trigger for theasshole archetype.
Let's move on to archetypenumber two, which is the fair
(04:00):
housing violator.
I also like to call this theunethical agent, but this is the
one who makes your stomach justdrop with the things that they
mess up, and, whether it'sarrogance or ignorance, this
should be a non-negotiable onyour team, and it is hard
sometimes to spot this person.
I will be honest, the ones thatI've had to fire and there have
(04:22):
been two in my past.
I will be honest, the ones thatI've had to fire and there have
been two in my past I have onlyfound out that they violated
fair housing or treaded thatline because of our CRM, because
our CRM tracks emailcorrespondence and there was
some stuff said that was justvery inappropriate and I had to
fire them immediately.
So those ethical blind spots,definitely before they become
(04:45):
legal liabilities, you have todeal them immediately.
So those ethical blind spots,definitely before they become
legal liabilities, you have todeal with them, and this is, I
think, one of the hardest onesto pinpoint or even discover.
But here's some red flags thatyou could look for.
They say things like thatneighborhood just isn't right
for my clients, or I know whatkind of people live there, right
(05:06):
for my clients, or I know whatkind of people live there or
maybe they make comments about,like, that side of the town or
that side.
They also may not use correctlanguage when describing areas
or clients.
It might be coded, it might bekind of stereotyped, so just be
careful.
They also are showing noawareness of protected classes
or compliance, and that can be ahard one for some people.
(05:30):
So when you're interviewing itmight be like quizzing them on
protected classes.
I know in the Washington DCmarket we have a lot of
protected classes.
So really asking them do youunderstand what discrimination
against matriculation means,which I mean probably most of
you are like what the hell areyou talking about?
(05:51):
It's being a student, by theway, but this is important, I
also think, having a system fortracking this stuff later down
the road.
But again, I'm big on fairhousing and being ethical and
really being above board.
So an interview question youcould ask again is about the
fair housing, but it could alsobe how do you ensure your
marketing and your clientcommunications are staying
(06:13):
compliant with fair housing laws?
I think that that's a reallyimportant question.
So that's wrapping up our fairhousing violator archetype,
moving on to number three, whichis the checked out real estate
agent.
This could be someone who'sentering into your brokerage
because they're checked out, orit could be someone that you
need to just give the bootbecause they have checked out.
(06:33):
But you guys know the type.
They stop showing up to thingstrainings, team meetings,
they've stopped caring, theymake excuses for everything.
Or maybe they just don't makeexcuses for everything and
they're just like they makeexcuses for everything.
Or maybe they just don't makeexcuses for everything and
they're just like meh, I mean,I'll work what I work and that's
what I'm doing.
But this could be because ofburnout and that definitely
happens and knowing thedifference.
(06:54):
As a manager or brokerage owneror team lead on how to
recognize the difference betweensomeone who needs support
versus someone who's just donewith real estate.
I have had many a conversationwith agents where I've said you
haven't sold a home in three orfour months.
Are you just done with realestate?
And I'm not going to lie, Ihave had people thank me for
(07:17):
having that conversation withthem because it gave them the
permission they needed to justleave the business and do
something else, or it has beenthe reboot they needed to really
refocus on their business.
Not everyone is going tocontinue to be a real estate
agent.
So, the checked out agent it'snot your fault and obviously you
can't invest more time andenergy in someone than they're
(07:38):
willing to invest in themselves.
But their business deservestheir full energy and if they're
done, that's okay.
But I know it's hard to havepeople around that are just
coasting, so some red flags towatch for.
They're just speaking prettyvaguely about their performance.
Things are slow, the market'sweird or they're lacking
(07:59):
personal or professional goals.
They also just seem likedisengaged or low energy during
an interview if you'reinterviewing them.
And the other one is that theydon't know what they want or
need from a brokerage.
So I think a really goodquestion and this could be for
someone you're interviewing, butcould also be someone on your
team that you feel is thisarchetype, the checked out
(08:20):
archetype, which is what are youexcited to create or accomplish
in your business over the nextsix to 12 months?
And see what they say.
I think that that can be reallytelling.
So let's move on to number four.
This is the cling on archetype,or the needy archetype.
This is one that is really hard, but they are emotionally needy
(08:45):
, they are boundaryless, theyhave no boundaries and they are
totally dependent on you formotivation, for answers, for
validation and probably fortherapy.
And this one is so hard becausemost team leads, most brokerage
owners, want to be helpful.
They want to make sure thattheir agents have what they need
(09:07):
.
But what you really need torealize is that it's not your
job to carry someone else'sbusiness.
You have your own job to focuson, which is leading your team
and maybe even being inproduction.
So it is okay to be there foryour people, but it is very
different to empower them versusenable them, and it is up to
(09:30):
you to create those boundaries.
So here's some red flags tolook for.
They overshare their personallife details early or completely
inappropriately.
They just have no filter andthey're just like I'm telling
you everything all the time.
They also ask how often they'llbe able to call or text you
directly.
So how often can I meet withyou?
How often will you be available?
(09:51):
Will I have access to you 24-7?
They also will describe pastbrokers as overly involved or
like family.
That is, honestly, one of mybiggest pet peeves is when
people describe their workplacelike family, because you are not
my family.
This is my workplace.
I love to create a friendly,collaborative environment.
(10:13):
But you're not family.
Your family is your family.
And then they're always askingfor reassurance or permission on
things, or they're alwaystrying to loop you in on things
that you do not need to belooped in on, and this can be
just a totally energy suck likebig time.
I think that these are probablythe hardest ones for me
(10:33):
personally to deal with, becauseI'm a very self-motivated
person and I'm not puttingthings on other people unless I
really need their help.
So maybe in an interview promptyou could ask when you're
feeling stuck in a deal or inyour business, what's your first
move?
And if they say, call my broker, I don't know if that's what I
(10:53):
would like to hear.
I would like to hear I'm goingto do some research, come up
with some options and then, if Ineed affirmation or
confirmation, I'm going to thengo to my broker and see if that
makes sense or if that's legalor whatever.
But the cling on again, theemotional neediness, the no
boundaries it can be really hardfor you.
And then it's also really hardfor your team because everyone
(11:16):
else is like what is wrong withthis person, like they're just
like TMI all the time.
Moving on to number five, whichis the no common sense agent.
Oh my gosh, okay.
So this one is like oh, it'slike the, okay, anyway, oh boy,
(11:36):
all right, right, let's diveinto this one.
I'm just like.
I'm trying to like not be sorude, okay, they lack basic
problem solving skills, so theyreally just don't have the
common sense to solve problemson their own.
They also sometimes lack clientawareness or decision making
skills.
So with these agents, typicallyfiles are a mess, every
(11:59):
situation turns to chaos.
Sometimes they just whensomething arises, they don't
know how to solve the problemthemselves.
Or like they don't know whatthe logical next step should be,
even though it's pretty obviouswhat it is.
So these people just they can'tfigure it out for themselves.
And I have had no common senseagents come through the
(12:21):
brokerage.
I have offered them so muchtraining we have reviewed
contracts five times, like howto do them, how to write them,
what they mean, all of thatstuff.
It seems that it's like it justcouldn't be any simpler, and
then they still can't figure itout.
And so with these agents, it'slike no matter how much training
you provide, they're not ableto figure it out on their own.
(12:44):
So here's some red flags tolook for.
They struggle to describe basiccontract timelines or next
steps in a transaction.
They blame clients or coworkers, sometimes for the past
problems.
They also don't use checklistsor systems or if something falls
outside the checklist or system, they aren't able to like
problem, solve that or figure itout.
(13:05):
And they also make chaotic orunclear statements when they're
asked about like past deals,like so, tell me about how you
solve problems in that or whathappened in that deal.
So that leads me to theinterview prompt, which is walk
me through your process fromcontract to close.
What tools or systems do youuse to stay organized?
(13:26):
Or tell me about a time whenyou were solving a problem when
a deal blew up.
I think it's really good to getthat answer to that question
and sometimes I even might likegive them a little test, which
is you have no idea what this is, but can you solve this problem
(13:48):
and see how they do it?
Again, it just comes down tohaving common sense and being
able to solve problems on thefly and make good decisions.
And honestly, I saved the bestfor last, which is the hot mess
express.
You know the type they arealways late, they are always
overwhelmed.
They are always apologizing.
They are always all over theplace.
(14:09):
Do they have technology?
No, do they meet deadlines?
Barely.
Is their file compliance adisaster?
Yes, and here's the deal.
They're not bad people.
They're actually usuallyextremely friendly and really
nice.
They're just a walking stressbomb.
So some people thrive in chaosand sometimes that energy will
impact the whole team.
(14:30):
So it's really a situation ofwhen does potential become a
liability?
Again, with all of thesearchetypes, I think we all can
be these things sometimes, butit's about when it becomes a
liability.
When does it become detrimentalto you and your team?
So examples of this is they'relate to the interview or they're
(14:52):
rescheduling last minute, orthey don't showuling last minute
, or they don't show up at all,which definitely I've had that
happen.
They admit to winging it.
So it's like I just go with theflow or I'm not really a
systems person.
They don't use digital toolslike a CRM.
They're like it's all on myphone or in my head or somewhere
, and they're overwhelmed whenasked detailed questions.
So an interview question youcould ask is how do you stay on
(15:15):
track when you're jugglingmultiple clients and deadlines
at once?
I have definitely seen my fairshare of hot mess expresses who
are successful.
So it's not to say that thesepeople don't have success, but
it all comes down to culture andproduction and which one is
more important to you.
So I know for me, my supportstaff and their happiness and
(15:38):
their ability to work withagents is really important to me
, and the success of thebrokerage.
So just really being aware thatyou are creating a culture,
whether you know it or not andthese archetypes are again the
six most common that I have seenand fired over the 14 years of
owning a brokerage I just wantedto remind you that it is okay
(16:03):
to protect your time, yourenergy and your vision for your
business.
You don't owe anyone a place onyour team or in your brokerage,
because you are not ababysitter and you are building
something.
You are building a culture.
You are building somethinggreat and really that starts and
comes down to with who is onthat ride with you, who is on
(16:27):
your bus.
So I want you to know that youhave the ability, you have the
power to choose who is on yourteam.
Sometimes it is hard to findand identify those red flags
during the interview process,but if after 30 days or 60 days
or a year or five years ofworking with someone, you
(16:48):
realize that it's not a good fitanymore.
This isn't about being a dickthat it's not a good fit anymore
.
This isn't about being a dick.
This is about really owningyour business and making sure
that you're protecting yourculture and protecting what you
have built and not letting itget hijacked by any of these
(17:08):
agent archetypes.
So hopefully this episodewasn't too harsh and if anyone
feels personally attacked, I'mreally sorry.
You can send me a message and Iwill reassure you that you are
not one of these archetypes.
If you have a team lead or abrokerage owner who needs to
listen to this episode, feelfree to forward it on to them.
(17:29):
I know that it can be kind ofhelpful and maybe a little
affirming to have someone knowthat they have been in that
position and they have dealtwith that type of person.
Also, please hit the subscribebutton so you don't miss any
future episodes and until nexttime, stay happy.
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