RE/MAX Real Estate Central Alberta doesn’t see much turnover – and that retention, a reflection of the brokerage’s strong culture rooted in care and collaboration, is by design.
“I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure agents don’t want to go somewhere else,” Russell says. “Several agents have been here for more than 20 years and a whole lot more have been here for over 10 years. Agents are dedicated to training, mentoring and fixing problems – they don’t get in trouble and it’s something we’re very proud of.”
Support – in the form of guidance, education opportunities and more – continues to make all the difference for serious entrepreneurs.
“RE/MAX Real Estate Central agents lean into the tools, skills and training they need so they can go out and do their job in a way that that generates repeat and referral business. That’s the lifeblood of our business,” Russell shares.
“My brokerage’s agents know that if they have a question, they’ll get an answer as quickly as possible. It’s way simpler to prevent a problem than it is to fix one, so the goal is for my agents to feel supported at all times.”
The end goal for this group of hard-working agents is “success,” but not in terms of the word’s standard definition.
“To be successful, you have to really understand what success is. Everybody wants to make it big in real estate and be the multi-million-dollar producer,” he says. “But we know success is also about wanting to get up in the morning and being excited to go to work. It’s having a balanced life where you have time to spend with your family. It’s working smart and using the tools and the training provided to allow you to have that flexibility. And it’s loving what you do each day.”
Real estate is a long-term game, he says, and it’s full of ups and downs. But the key is to persevere and filter out the industry noise. His advice to his brokerage’s agents and those looking to join? It’s simple.
“The first thing is that you have to get clients. And the second thing is that you have to know how to provide excellent service to them. It’s that simple – focus your efforts on these two things you’ll be fine.”
