Recruiting and training are the biggest human resources challenges for real estate office managers. Yet, for Mickie Shea, director of recruiting and branch manager of Prudential Texas Properties' Plano office, her experience in this field gets results.

Ms. Shea, a 27-year management and human resources veteran, is a Texas Real Estate Commission certified instructor and carries the CREI designation as a real estate educator. She teaches at real estate licensing schools providing the courses needed for licensure, continuing education classes for experienced agents, and designation classes for those who are ready to add to their initial qualifications as professionals in the real estate business. This is an opportunity to assist in the development of future real estate licensees.

As students finish their classes and prepare to take the real estate exam, she says that is the ideal time to make an appointment with the training office.

"New licensees are energetic and willing to learn," says Ms. Shea. "It is exciting to begin a new career."

Ms. Shea took over management of the Prudential Texas Properties Plano location in May, 2003, and her agent selection processes and training programs continue on site.

"Our office is known as the one for training and education," says Ms. Shea. "Our facility provides for an actual schoolroom. Development and support through the school continues to be provided at no cost to the agent."

The agents call it "Mickie School," and experienced licensees as well as new licensees eagerly take seats in her classroom.

Classes cover topics as wide as communications skills, risk management, and cultural diversity and sensitivity training. Some classes focus on forming effective dialogue designed to educate, inform, and disclose while nurturing and supporting the client/agent relationship.

"When people learn that you are in real estate," says Ms. Shea. "They ask what the market is like. Some agents respond with 'Great!' but that doesn't serve to educate the consumer, further a relationship, or provide any information whatsoever. Agents learn to respond while recognizing the question as an opportunity to serve the buying and selling consumer in an educational way and from an advocacy position."

Ms. Shea involves the agents in field trips to learn what to look for in a property.

"To look at a room size," she says, "don't look at the floor because all you'll remember is the furniture. By observing the ceiling many things become visible; it's an abundant source of information about the house."

Training pays off in productivity and agent retention, believes Ms. Shea.

"We've already increased the number of productive agents by 35 percent," she says, "and 50 percent of our new recruits brought on in the last 60 days already have several listings apiece."

Published: September 29, 2003

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Blanche Evans is the award-winning senior editor of Realty Times, the Internet's leading independent real estate news service. She is featured daily on the Realty Times Video Network in the "Realty Viewpoint" segment. Blanche has been named one of the "25 Most Influential People In Real Estate" by REALTOR Magazine, and has been twice recognized as a "notable." In 2005, she was named "Top Reporter Covering the NAR" by Delahaye-Bacon's. Blanche is a renowned author of five real estate books. Her newest, Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill, was rave-reviewed by The New York Times. She was also selected from hundreds of real estate experts to contribute to Donald Trump's book, Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies, Rutledge Hill Press, and is featured on page 68. Order Now Review - Honors In 2006, Blanche was selected among scores of candidates to author two consumer real estate guidebooks for the National Association of Realtors: The NAR Guide to Home Buying, and The NAR Guide to Home Selling, Wiley & Sons. She is currently planning two new books for the NAR and its members.       Known for her keen insight into real estate industry issues and for her ability to make complex subjects easy to understand, Blanche is a sought-after keynote and continuing education speaker. Real estate organizations from MLSs, to brokerages, to franchisors, to associations hire her to provide up-to-the-minute analysis of real estate industry news and advice on how to improve revenues. Her passionate delivery, peppered with stinging wit, is a huge hit with audiences and fans. Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Blanche Evans, Richard Courtney, president 2007, GRAR "The GNAR membership meeting last week featured Blanche Evans as the keynote speaker. Her comments and insights resonated extremely well with those in attendance and we have had many requests for copies of her PowerPoint Presentation. She was a terrific part of the membership meeting and convention program!" - Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors Coverage from WSMV, Nashville - 8-14-2007 That Interview Guy - Get Inside The Head Of Today's Generation 2007 AE Institute Session - To purchase 2006 AE Institute Session - Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 HouseValues Mastermind call - Parts 1 2 Blanche's fireside chat with Jeremy Conaway, HAR - Click here. To contact Blanche, email her at . For more articles by Blanche, click here.