The Ugly Truth About Lead-Based Recruitment and What To Do Instead w/ Lisa Ritter

Most real estate team leaders make leads their main recruitment tool. After all, what else could possibly convince someone to join your team?

But there’s a catch.

Building your entire recruitment model around leads is a short-term play with long-term consequences.

Lisa Ritter has seen it all. With decades in the business, she’s led large teams, scaled brokerages, and tested every model under the sun.

Here’s what she learned: A lean, lead-independent team will always outperform a lead-reliant one.

Lead-focused teams often attract the wrong kind of agent, the kind who wants results without the reps. Instead of developing professionals who know how to generate business and serve clients deeply, you create a revolving door of entitlement.

Worse, this model fuels the "used car salesman" stereotype our industry has struggled to shake. It’s transactional, and it sets everyone up to fail.

But there’s a better way.

In this episode, Lisa unpacks the traps most team leaders fall into, and shares how to build a team that thrives on purpose, not handouts.

Things You’ll Learn In This Episode

-Look for a white-hot why

Every potential recruit will tell you they are a hard worker, so how do you know if they’ll back it up with action?

-Entitled vs. inspired agents

Can making leads your main value prop actually sabotage your team’s culture?

-How to motivate (not micromanage) your agents

If you’re a team leader still in production, how do you pour into your people without overwhelming yourself?