Team Training Becoming Increasingly Important
With the real estate industry becoming increasingly complex, Rudy Kusuma, team leader of Titanium Real Estate Network, a RE/MAX agency in Rosemead, Calif., has thought a lot about the key to success.
To Kusuma, the key is to build effective teams. Since its inception in 2013, the Titanium agency has been comprised entirely of teams; there are no solo agents.
“I’ve modeled my business after other successful businesses [and businesspeople] outside of real estate such as lawyers, accountants, doctors, etc.,” says Kusuma, noting that the aforementioned professionals do not handle all the tasks at their office, which enables them to focus on their primary goal with undivided attention.
Indeed, REAL Trends 2014 book Game Changers described the team model as a positive evolution of the industry, driven largely by high-volume agents who have used technology to achieve efficiencies.
The team structure is so important at Titanium that the firm has a regimented training schedule: two weekly sales training meetings (buying and selling covered separately); a monthly two-day workshop for outside sales agents; and a quarterly three-day conference.
Rudy Kusuma
“Ideally, there are around seven people on a team,” says Kusuma. Each team member is responsible for specific tasks—such as marketing, administration, inside sales, outside sales, transaction paperwork, and customer service. No details fall through the cracks. No one makes cold calls.
With a team approach, “everyone is well aware of what jobs they are responsible for, what order they were to be done in and what the desired outcome is for each client,” says Kusuma.
He believes that without a reliable system, it’s challenging for agents to define their objectives and goals. By solving logistics related to day-to-day activities, agents can also focus more on long-range planning.
The Titanium realty has about 70 agents, which Kusuma believes is nearing optimal capacity. He would like to replicate its success and believes that customers will be better served by their approach.
“Our existence serves as a real solution in order for many real estate clients to experience the best quality service in the industry,” he says. “To make this happen, start building a group of professionals with the help of a dependable system.”