In early 2022, Jamie’s operations team at the Jamie McMartin Group recognized that if they were to reach their 2023 goal of 500+ listings, something needed to change. Their current systems couldn’t support that level of growth. To hit a number that ambitious, their agents needed user-friendly resources and a plug-and-play experience so they could do more work with less strain. So Jamie and her team got to work.

They tightened their Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) even further, refining and broadening them to cover even more processes, with an emphasis on marketing listings. There needed to be thorough documentation for every step.

SOPs don’t just make the experience better for agents but for clients as well. They prevent errors, answer questions before they’re asked, keep the support team aligned, and ensure that everything runs seamlessly. They make everyone feel confident, which also helps team members master their roles more quickly.

Jamie uses SOPs at both a micro and macro level for scaling her business. With everything running smoothly, these systems allow her leadership team to focus on the big picture instead of constantly putting out fires or working on things that could be delegated.

Manage one part of your operation at a time. Start with what will have the greatest impact on your business. For Jamie’s team (and likely yours) that means listing processes.

• Google Workspace – SOP storage and ease of access
• Slack – internal communication
• Asana – streamlined workflows, especially so agents can view status updates
• Zapier – automation and integration between different applications
• Follow Up Boss – CRM

• For teams, standard practices need to be understood across all departments and roles.
• Each agent cannot have their own way of doing things.
• SOPs always have a context. In establishing a listing transaction process, for example, a key question to ask would be, “What happens from both the agent and client perspective?” You want to ensure that a new agent on the team will provide excellent service based solely on the SOPs, without constant direction from the team.
• Begin by describing the process based on the experience of the personnel closest to the operation.
• Begin by describing the process based on the experience of the personnel closest to the operation.
• Obtain input from the next level of stakeholders. Interview them to collect insights. This not only improves the functionality of the process, but increases buy-in. Be specific as to how the process is divided between team members of various roles.
• Finally, ask, “If leadership is removed from the equation, will clients still receive exceptional service?” The SOPs serve as a reliable guide for team members to consistently deliver high-quality assistance to clients.

• A robust onboarding process is essential for ensuring new agents and staff do not burden the system. They use Trainual to store training modules and reference pieces.
• They also have a mentorship program that pairs newer agents with more experienced ones.
• Repetition serves to internalize processes. That means agents with low production are more likely to miss process steps. These agents are offered ongoing training to ensure that when they do transact, they will do so according to the book.

• Agent compliance needs to be monitored. If agents are frequently asking questions, then the SOPs either need to be reviewed, clarified, or improved. System breaks, on the other hand, are when a process is not followed. This can be addressed by training.
• During the listing process, the listing coordinator, being closest to the process, ensures they are executed by the book.