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Frequently, when agents join new teams or switch brokers, they time the move for the very end of the year or January. Agents will plan their move in the year’s final quarter and execute as the new year arrives.
It takes a few months to get your bearings — learn the lay of the land, explore new systems and tools at the new office, push out a marketing campaign to alert current and past clients of the switch, and make sure your pipeline stays full.
There’s a lot to do to keep business rolling. But once you come up for air, how do you know if you’ve made the right move? The year’s first quarter flew by, and now the second quarter has begun.
If you are with a new team or brokerage, was it a good move, or did you perhaps make a mistake? Is the new office inspiring and a game changer, or did you land in a potentially toxic environment?
Culture
First, if you’re even questioning the office culture, this is a good indication that you’re not in the right fit. It does take time to settle in and feel comfortable in any new situation. There will be a learning curve, and your business will probably dip for a few months as you settle in.
But if your gut is screaming that you are not in the right place, take a moment to listen and figure out why.
In hiring agents, I have found that the first 30 days are crucial to getting to know them and figuring out how they best fit in the brokerage. Are they team players who help other agents without being asked? Do they need assistance in learning contracts better or help with time management? What staff services do they need, and how can we help them take their business to the next level?
The vibes are off
If I have a bad feeling in the first month or two that this person will not fit in with our team or culture, I have found that my gut instinct is normally right. Forcing someone to conform to the office systems or get along with the staff rarely works. I prefer to have an honest discussion with the agent to determine if they would be better suited in another office.
The same holds true for agents and their gut instinct. If it’s been a few months and you’re just not feeling the vibe is right or something is off, you are probably right.
Maybe the broker promised you a list of items during the recruitment stage and never followed through. Maybe the staff is less than helpful when you need assistance. Or you’re just not “feeling the love” when you walk into the office. Whatever is going on, listen to what your gut says. You might be in the wrong place.
Red flags
The office may be a mismatch for you and your needs. It could also be a toxic culture, which is not reflected in you but in the office leadership.
Here are a few clues that you could be in a toxic team or brokerage.
Bullying
Bullying can come from either management and staff or from other sales associates and takes many forms. Leadership should enforce a no-bullying policy, but in some cases, the harassment may come directly from the company leaders. This is one of the worst forms of toxic office culture.
Favoritism
In established offices or teams, you may see one or two particular agents who seem to be given extra special perks, higher splits or the best leads.
In one company I worked with, the manager regularly quoted, “There is no I in team,” and then gave her daughter the best listing leads while sending the lowest-quality leads to the rest of the office. This does not go unnoticed by agents, and it breeds resentment against the favored agents and the manager.
Excessive gossip
All offices have some levels of gossip. It goes with the territory. However, if agents spend more time gossiping about each other, staff, and management than prospecting and serving clients, something is very wrong. Gossiping can lead to workplace bullying, hurtful rumors and loss in productivity.
If agents come in to drink coffee and talk about each other rather than do business, this is not a productive, professional office. Agents who are not a part of the gossip group may feel left out or that they are the subjects of the gossip. It’s a toxic situation that leadership should not tolerate.
Tying the three above traits together — bullying, favoritism and gossip — leads to a feeling of noninclusiveness. If you don’t feel like a respected member of the team or the office, you won’t want to stay in that situation. It’s a toxic environment.
Unethical or cutthroat behavior
Besides how the group makes you feel personally, other toxic traits revolve around how the team operates. Do other agents operate unethically or cutthroatly? What does leadership do to rein that in, or is leadership part of the problem?
Salespeople can be competitive in a healthy manner. When it devolves into shady business practices and an all-or-nothing mentality, problems occur.
Lack of support
Is the broker or team leader there for you when you need them? What happens when you have questions or problems? Do the admins help you when you ask, or do they seem to prioritize the tasks of other agents?
In one office, I worked with the main admin who refused to help one particular agent in the office and even went so far as to sabotage her files because she didn’t like her. The broker did end up terminating that admin, but only after the office lost a good salesperson.
Lack of transparency
In any office or team, subjects will always be out of bounds to agents. Salaries paid to administrative staff or commission splits paid to other agents may not be open for discussion, for example. But I tried to be as open and transparent as possible in my office.
In office meetings, we discussed the advertising and marketing budget and where the spending was going. I asked agents for their opinions on what was working or not working so we could adjust the spend. I encouraged an open discussion on office expenses so we could spend wisely and take into account agent opinions.
A manager doesn’t have to divulge every line item on the budget to staff or agents. But they should be open to discussing matters that affect the business and the agents. A broker who stonewalls agents when they ask questions or refuses to explain what is going on in the company — things that affect the agents and their own businesses — does not gain the trust of their agents. When trust is lost, loyalty is fast behind it as well.
Loyalty vs. trust
Trust is the backbone of the broker-agent bond. Without trust, there is no loyalty, and without loyalty, agents will leave.
How do you know if you are in a toxic team or brokerage? When you do not trust your leadership to support you or to do the right thing. At that point, it is time to find another place to do business, one with a positive work environment. Luckily, in his business, your license is portable. Trust your gut, and move on.
Erica Ramus, MRE, is the broker/owner of RAMUS Real Estate. You can follow her on Twitter or LinkedIn.
