Strategies to engage and motivate your sales team

If you want a team that consistently lists and sells, even in a challenging market, the strategies below will help you build the type of environment people don’t want to leave.

A Practical Framework for Real Estate Leaders

Many real estate managers believe that salespeople should be naturally motivated because they’re paid on commission. But in practice, that’s not how most people work.

Commission is an extrinsic motivator - a reward you get for doing something.

For many team members, the real drivers are intrinsic: feeling valued, belonging to something bigger, personal pride, improving themselves, and contributing to a team with shared values.

When you activate those drivers, performance increases. Culture strengthens. Recruitment improves. And your team feels supported instead of pressured.

The 13 strategies outlined below represent a practical roadmap for office owners and sales managers to increase motivation and performance.

1. Lead From the Front: Become the Rainmaker

The most effective managers model the behaviour they want from their team.

Instead of simply telling your team to generate more listings:

• Build your own profile in the community
• Grow a personal database
• Send your own regular email newsletter
• Use your own network to create appraisal opportunities
• Hand those leads to your team

This not only increases listing flow but also strengthens recruitment and makes your business less vulnerable to the departure of a single top agent.

2. Run Weekly One-on-One Meetings

Regular one-on-ones are one of the most powerful tools you have. High-performing offices don’t “hope” their agents are on track - they meet weekly and course-correct in real time.

It’s about getting to know your salespeople, understanding where they’re at and removing barriers to progress.

Each meeting should explore:

• Their current mindset and well-being
• Sleep, fitness, rest, stress
• How their prospecting feels
• What’s blocking progress
• Personal challenges that may affect consistency

You also use this time to:

• Understand their income goal
• Convert that goal into required sales
• Convert those sales into required appraisals
• Build a weekly plan with them
• Adjust the plan every week based on results

This is not a once-a-year business planning session - it’s an ongoing, collaborative process.

3. Create a Culture of Open Feedback

Every office has unspoken frustrations. Great leaders bring them into the open.

Host a team session where you ask:

• What’s working?
• What’s frustrating?
• What could we improve?

You don’t need to promise solutions. The act of listening:

• Reduces tension
• Builds trust
• Removes the “power” of unspoken grievances
• Helps you understand what team members are really feeling

This type of environment increases loyalty and decreases behind-the-scenes negativity.