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This is the fifth installment of Inman’s Talking Talent series. Be sure to check out Part 1 on Compass, Part 2 on The Agency, Part 3 on eXp Realty, and Part 4 on Redfin.
Kevlin Guzman knows that everyone in the real estate industry claims their company is unique. But she recently claimed that’s actually true when it comes to Coldwell Banker Warburg.
Kevin Guzman
“I’d like to say there’s something really special here,” Guzman told Inman earlier this month. “And one of the things I did this year was try to show off what we have. And we hired quite a few agents, so it worked. has been proven.”
After years as Chief Operating Officer of Coldwell Banker Warburg, Ms. Guzman was promoted to Regional Vice President in January 2024, a role in which she assumed leadership of the brand.
Her promotion marked a significant turning point for Coldwell Banker Warburg, the family-run firm long overseen by Frederick Warburg Peters. Mr. Guzman’s rise also comes about two years after Coldwell Banker acquired the New York City company formerly known simply as Warburg Realty. And last month, the company announced it would open its first brick-and-mortar store in Brooklyn.
That means the company has been through a period of significant change over the past few years, and it was up to Guzman to keep things on track.
Mr. Guzman argued to Mr. Inman on his “Talking Talent” series about agent hiring that change is a good thing, at least in the eyes of agents. She described a supportive community that attracts industry professionals and values community. In other words, the key to attracting top talent is to stand out, offer support, and just be nice.
“We’re looking for good people,” Guzman said of the agents he’s looking for.
Below is a version of Inman’s conversation, edited for length and clarity.
Inman: Talk about your recruiting philosophy for 2024. How did you go about finding talent?
Kevlin Guzman: We hired about 25 agents this year. When I took on this role in January, one of the things I immediately worked on was connecting us to the global network, which is Coldwell Banker’s global network, as well as hosting a lot of events. did. We also made the event public to the securities community. This gave us a little more exposure and allowed us to meet different agents who were probably already thinking about leaving the company. This gave them the opportunity to explore something different. And we are very different.
I think you can probably hear something like this from any company. Everyone does something that makes them special, and I don’t agree with what they’re saying. But what I’m really trying to say is that there’s really something special here. And one of the things I did this year was try to show off what we have. We’ve proven it works as we’ve hired a significant number of agents
The philosophy is to be an environment where collaboration comes first. Therefore, from the first day of coming here, people feel that there is an environment in which they can grow their business, and that they have colleagues who are willing to participate and help.
So what kind of event are we talking about here?
I held a lot of table tennis events in one of my offices. It was a hit. In fact, two or three agents came the same night. It was very good.
Just hold meetings in various places. We had a Halloween party. We also host an event called What Moves Her. That was also key. We held the event at Etro, a luxury boutique here on Madison Avenue. There are also many affiliated events. I have always invited the brokerage community.
Where did the idea for these events come from?
We all get text messages. So the recruiter will search for you, find the company you work for, and cold call you. Or a text message will be sent to you. And that’s the approach most companies are taking. I didn’t want to do that. I wanted it to feel more personal. We want people to understand that we are truly invested in them. I want them to know that I have done the research and know who they are. I know some things that are important to them.
So what’s another way to draw people to you? Events. Find out what people like and what they are interested in.
What kind of agent are you looking for?
It’s a combination of things. I think the first person is a highly motivated person who really wants to work in this industry. We are looking for ethical people. We are looking for good people.
And how do you know that person is a good person? You know the first day. We know from day one that someone truly cares about the community and is committed to growing the business. They are what we are looking for.
After you hire someone, what does that person tell you about why they joined?
It’s not just one thing. But the first thing you might be thinking is, “Is that really true?” — The people here are really kind. If you would like to join us, we welcome you with open arms. You don’t say, “Oh my god, here’s a new agent.” You have to hide your files or lock your belongings. “Everyone is warm and welcoming.
We have an open door policy. You have a right to leadership, including me. My door is always open. There are always people in my office.
And we have the most amazing PR team. Our PR here is for everyone, not just the top 1%. In other companies, only top producers do PR. Anyone can do some self-promotion, even those who have just joined the company and have no experience.
And our marketing budget is also important. Because most companies, and this is one thing that no one really knows about us, most companies charge a listing support fee into their marketing budget. Sure, you’ll be given a $15,000 marketing budget, but you’ll need to spend that money on listing support: photos, brochures, and floor plans. It comes out of your marketing budget.
We design marketing budgets that align with your agency’s brand. If you want to build a website, do lifestyle shoots, or really grow your business, that’s what your marketing budget is for. It is not intended for listing support. We cover 100% of that support.
I’d like to share another thing that’s really cool about us that most companies don’t have. I don’t know if you know this, but 75 percent of the buildings in New York City are co-ops. This means you need to create a board package to attract buyers. We have a board package girl in our company who has been working for 30 years. She makes the most amazing board packages.
I think our percentage in terms of number of board packages approved is about 99%. This is incredible. There is no cost to the agent. So from the day you join, you work with us and we have people who help you package your boards.
How does being part of Coldwell Banker fit into this equation? You were at the company long before Warburg was part of Coldwell Banker, so you’ve seen both sides. How does being part of Caldwell impact your ability to find talent and find the right people?
I’ve worked in small boutiques for many years and now having this huge powerhouse behind me has made a huge difference.
Let’s take an example. Our global network is incredible. We are in over 40 countries. So what does it mean? This means that we are affiliated with an office in Spain. They can market our properties there. And vice versa. There are such wonderful global connections.
Just this morning, a Portuguese person was here at Portugal No. 1’s office. They were here this morning talking about their market and communicating with our agents. And a month ago I spent time here in the Caribbean. So every month I bring someone in to communicate with agents. In return, we promote each other’s listings. It’s something we didn’t have access to before.
If you had to give a message to agents right now, what would you say to those working on the front lines of the industry at the moment?
Okay, maybe I shouldn’t say this because it sounds mean, but I have something better to say. Find a company that truly supports you in a meaningful way. That, of course, is Coldwell Banker Warburg.
What’s new: What Moves Her is a campaign launched by Coldwell Banker in 2020. Guzman and Coldwell Banker Warburg launched a New York City office in 2023. This note was added to this article after publication.
Email Jim Dalrymple II
