Why Agents Aren’t Joining After Your Recruiting Appointments (and How to Fix It)
Does this sound familiar?
You’re booking appointments with productive, high-quality real estate agents. The conversations feel strong, the agents seem interested… but in the end, they don’t join your brokerage.
So, what’s going wrong?
It might be your presentation, your closing style, or even your commission plan. But more often than not, the real reason lies in something deeper: you’ve shifted from being a passive recruiter to an active recruiter. And that transition changes everything.
The Passive Recruiter: Why Agents Came to You
As a passive recruiter, most of your hires come from agents who reach out to you first.
They may have been referred by your current agents.
They may be attracted by your company’s reputation, brand, or market share.
These agents are easier to hire because they’re already motivated and the timing is right. They’ve essentially pre-qualified themselves.
That’s why so many passive recruiters confidently say:
“If I can just get in front of agents, I can hire them.”
The Active Recruiter: Why You Hear “No” More Often
Becoming an active recruiter means you are making the first move. You’re reaching out, booking the appointments, and starting the conversation.
Here’s the challenge:
You don’t know if the timing is right for the agent.
You don’t know how much they know about your company.
You don’t know how motivated they are to make a switch.
Because of this, most of your recruiting appointments will end with a “no” instead of a “yes.” That doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong — it means you’re stepping into the harder, but more scalable, side of recruiting.
The Transition: From Passive to Active Recruiting
If you’ve made the move from passive to active recruiting, it’s likely because you realized one important truth:
👉 You can’t grow your brokerage by waiting for agents to come to you.
But here’s the catch — the transition can feel frustrating.
As a passive recruiter, you were used to quick wins and easy “yeses.”
As an active recruiter, you’re hearing “no” more often.
That shift can make you second-guess your skills and lose confidence.
Why “No” Usually Means “Not Right Now”
Here’s the mindset shift that separates average recruiters from successful ones:
When agents say “no”, they rarely mean “never.” More often, they mean “not right now.”
Timing is everything in real estate recruiting. An agent who declines today may be the perfect fit six months from now. That’s why consistent follow-up with every agent you’ve met is essential.
