10 Brick-and-Mortar Brokerage Culture-building Activities That Can Be Done Virtually

1. Turn Conference-Room Sales Meetings into Interactive Webinars

• Schedule and host a live webinar during the normal meeting time for consistency.
• Change presenters/speakers and share your screen just like an in-person presentations
• Use online tools or webinar software features to have participants ‘raise their hand’ to ask a question, answer a poll, take a vote and more. This way you can replicate the interactive portions of your meeting.

2. Buyer Networking

“During our meetings, we take a moment for agents to share info about a buyer they’re working with in hopes that another agent may have something soon-to-be-listed.”

• Create a special chat room using Yammer or Facebook Groups to share your information.
• Think of it like posting a personal ad in the classifieds – “buyer seeking lake-front 4bed4bath, but willing to compromise. Call me 555-5555.”

3. Pocket-Listings and Listings Coming Soon

“Our company dedicates a short portion of our sales meetings for agents to share information about their listings that haven’t gone live on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) yet.”

• With firm guidelines in place to protect your agents and their clients around local and national regulations, your agents could also use a forum or chat style webpage to share the info (remember, no identifying addresses or features, just beds/baths/zip code/estimated readiness.)

4. Manager-Agent Performance Reviews

• Managers and agents can use 1-to-1 video conferencing!
• A key part of a confidential conversation is being able to read and interpret each other’s body language. These non-verbal cues prevent misinterpretation and confusion.
  
• At the end of the call, if you have paperwork to sign, consider using an e-signature service to sign and receive a document.

5. Mentorship

• Does your brokerage have a mentorship program in place? Keep them communicating and collaborating virtually.
• Organize video calls with members of the group to have regular, consistent check-ins.
• Encourage mentors to include their mentees on calls to clients, partners, or prospects.
• Have mentors and mentees hold each other accountable throughout the week to achieve weekly goals.

6. Training

• Now is an awesome opportunity to promote learning.
• Build out a video library of pre-recorded webinars, how-to videos, and other resources on your ‘HUB’ (an intranet or resource website for your agents to access from anywhere).
• Consider getting a group of agents together to complete online NAR (National Association of Realtors) certifications together.

7. IT Assistance

“We employ a Help Desk to assist agents with their devices, sometimes troubleshooting needs to be done in person. How do we manage?”

• Video chat saves the day again!
• Participants can share their screens and your IT guru can guide them through the problem.

8. Partner Events

“What about brokerage partner services like mortgage lenders, title, and insurance — how can they engage with my agents if they can’t hold events in the office?”

• Try out a “Bring-Your-Own-Lunch & Learn.”
• Schedule a video conference around lunch and invite your agents to listen while they eat at home.

9. Water Cooler Talk and Camaraderie

“My company’s culture depends a lot on the ability for agents to socialize in the space. We have coffee and snacks, comfy lounge areas, places for people to have good conversations.”

• You may not be able to replicate the snacks and coffee, but you can encourage agents to take part in a group discussion using social media.
• Facebook groups are a great platform for internal conversation threads that can be easily shared with other members of your company.
• Set the group to private and invite your agents and staff to join! (This also cuts down on too many company-wide e-mails).

10. Charity and Community Action

“This is normally a time where my brokerage gives back to the community with a day of service. What can I do now?”

• A trending event that different local communities are organizing are car parades. Individuals decorate their cars or make signs and then drive together in a ‘parade’ and wave to others outside their homes. Teachers parade past student’s houses, friends parade and cheer past clinics and hospitals.
• Get clients involved too! Organize a drive-by tour of homes or neighborhoods.
• Partner with a local organization that needs monetary donations and invite your agents to donate online.