Recently, Craig was contacted by REAL Trends to share his story and tips for building a top-producing real estate team. REAL Trends is one of the real estate industry’s leading sources for news and analysis on the national real estate market. Read their article, written by Leslie Stone, Craig Hartranft’s Tips on Building a High-Performance Team below:
When Craig Hartranft left law enforcement for real estate in 1989, he was doing it all: coordinating appointments, showings and open houses, generating leads and working with buyers and sellers.
“I had 40 to 45 transactions by my third year and knew I needed to do something different,” says the sales associate and leader of The Craig Hartranft Team at Berkshire Hathaway Homesale Realty in Lancaster, Pa.
Hartranft discovered the late Howard Brinton’s Star Power Systems and shadowed Allan Domb, a successful Philadelphia real estate broker who taught him the team concept. “I started with an assistant and added a buyer’s agent and kept growing,” he says. His buyer’s agents and listing agents gradually became separate divisions.
Hartranft eventually stepped out of day-to-day operations and took on a leadership role. One of his key team members, Jim McPhail, did the same. “Jim complements my weaknesses, so we work well together.” The team now averages more than 500 transactions (40-plus per team member) per year.
Here are Hartranft’s keys to success:
Hire with Intention
“We used to hire the first person who said yes,” Hartranft says. “Now our goal is to develop productive agents.” To find the right talent, he enlists the help of John Pyke, one of the nation’s leading authorities on hiring for real estate. “Candidates take extensive personality testing—like DISC behavior assessment on steroids—that tells us if they are the right fit.”
Provide Tools to Succeed
Hartranft offers a hands-on, paid training program. “A lot of folks cannot afford to come into the business without a 100 percent commission,” he says. “So, as part of our training, we provide an hourly or weekly wage to come and assist our veteran agents for the first six months.”
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