Know The Ultimate Buyers Agents DISC Profile And Hire Buyers Agents That Sell

You are swimming in leads and need to hire a Buyers Agent yesterday. You think you know the type of person you’re after, but have made a bad hire or two in the past. Who hasn’t? Using our research, you’ll learn how to identify and hire the BEST agents—not just this time, but every time. Our research reveals the key characteristics of top performing buyers agents you should look for when hiring. Recently we conducted a research study seeking the natural traits and strengths of top performing real estate buyers agents. Using a battery of validated personality profiles we sought to identify the characteristics that correlated only with top performers in a variety of real estate roles. We studied Listing specialists, buyers agents, administrative assistants, transaction coordinators, and inside sales agents. While we discovered some interesting things in each role, here we will only dive into the specific findings of the buyers agent.

The more motivated and excited people are for their culture and work, the better they perform.

We used the DISC Index and Values Index profiles in the research. The DISC Index measures individuals’ natural behavioral style, which directly affects their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to tasks and actions. The Values Index measures motivational preferences, which affects how engaged people will be in a given role. The more motivated and excited people are for their culture and work, the better they perform. Plus, they’ll be happier and stick around longer.

The Study:

• Over a period of 6 months, we administered DISC and Values profiles to 8,791 total agents.
• Of those, 5,554 were primarily buyers agents.
• Of those, 944 (17%) were “top performers” (i.e., >25 transactions in a calendar year), with 4,610 (83%) constituting the control group.

The Findings

Below you’ll find the statistically significant correlations (big words for ‘patterns’) of the best performing buyers agents. We’ll share their upside, downside and ideas for how you can support them to keep them producing.

Top Performers Were More Relatable

Upside: They had higher levels on the “I” DISC dimension (Interactive). This allows them to connect with clients quickly. This brings with it a natural strength for being an extrovert, engaging new people, being outgoing and very social. Is this describing your top agent (or even you 😉 )? Downside: The higher the “I” dimension goes, the more disorganized and unstructured people become.  Many times the best buyers agents are the worst at paperwork and organizational detail. How much does your top agent love to do paperwork? 💡 Be sure to bolster them with an admin team so your agents can focus on what they do best—selling.

The Best Performing Agents Were More Stable

Upside: The best buyers agents also had higher levels of the “S” dimension (Stabilizing). You’ve most likely seen your best agents excel at making others feel comfortable, safe, secure and supported. The best buyers agents are excellent at dealing with people who are feeling somewhat stressed out. They have a natural ability to calm them and provide stability – which helps them make the buying decision. Downside: The higher the “S” dimension goes, the more problems they have with aggressive sales activity. The best buyers agents are great at customer support and relational selling, but struggle with prospecting and proactive lead generation tasks. They prefer providing awesome support and service to their clients, rather than hunting for new clients. 💡 Support them with passive lead generation where clients come to them.

Great Buyers Agents Were Moderately Dominant

Upside: Unlike the best performing Listing agents, the best buyers agents have a moderate level of the “D” dimension (Decisive). It’s a sort of Goldilocks range—not too high—not too low. This helps them to be more understanding and patient with indecisive buyers, yet decisive enough themselves to push when need be. Do your struggling agents know when or how to push? Downside: While this level of “D” does help in dealing with the tasks of a buyers agent, it can be too low to support more aggressive lead generation and aggressive closing. 💡 Bring on an Inside Sales Agent to warm up those leads!

The Best Buyers Agents Possess A Low Attention To Detail

Upside: Since no one can have everything, the best buyers agents consistently score low in the “C” dimension (Cautious). This means that their level of attention to detail is naturally something they aren’t good at—at all. Yet overall this is a good thing. It allows them to be flexible enough to respond to the always shifting buyer’s will (e.g., I must have a pool, a garage, no we can’t live without… ). It also frees them up to be more creative and free flowing. Downside: The best buyers agents do much better when they have some external support from an administrative assistant when possible. They can manage the details themselves, but it requires significantly more conscious effort. It also creates a greater psychological drain, and in the end they still struggle to be as accurate as other personality types. What type of support do you currently offer? 💡 If you can’t afford a full time admin, hire a virtual TC on a per project basis.

Top Buyers Agents Have A Super-High Economic Motivation

The single most significant correlation seen in the study across any role was the degree of the “Economic drive.” The best buyers agents across the board are driven by one motivational dimension than any other—economic gain. Obviously, this works in their favor given the nature of the role. If you succeed, you earn money. If you don’t, you don’t. Every agent has ridden this revenue rollercoaster somewhere in their career. Seems like a real “Captain obvious” statement, but you’d be surprised how many buyers agents don’t have a significant drive in this area, and thus aren’t as intensely focused on making the sale or closing the transaction. They got into real estate with thoughts of having fun in their spare time, being their own boss, socializing with their network, etc. They failed to understand that it is very much a traditional sales job and requires sales activity. It shouldn’t come as any surprise to find that those who performed the best are those who are motivated like a traditional salesperson – they seek financial reward from the hunt and close.

Those who outperform the rest are more motivated by the sale

Summary

Look at any real estate team and you’ll see that all agents are not created equally. There are indeed significant personality characteristics that differ between the roles in real estate. Some agents are better suited to work with buyers, others sellers, still others inside sales. The distinct traits that predict superior performance in the role of buyers agent revolve around being more social, more stable, more supportive and a little less aggressive. Like all good salespeople, those who outperform the rest are more motivated by the sale and commission, but do better with sales leads generated for them, unlike the typical hunter/gatherer sales model. Teams or brokerages should provide supportive measures to drive more sales, like an inside sales agent and administrative assistant. This will free the buyers agents up to do what they do best: support the buyer through the process to find the right house and close. Using a DISC assessment when hiring can help you see the predominant personality traits of your applicants. When you focus on those who already possess the skills and motivation needed to be great buyers agents, you are taking the guesswork out of hiring. I’m done guessing!