Keller Williams, Inc., leverages training as a tool to attract and retain agents, increase sales, and boost the company’s bottom line. “Training fuels all of our success,” said Dianna Kokoszka, CEO of Keller Williams’ KW MAPS (Mega Achievement Productivity Systems). Read on to see just how.
In 2014, Keller Williams set a goal to increase its agent count by 14%. By the end of the year, it had exceeded that goal by 4 percentage points, resulting in an 18% increase and a total of more than 112,000 associates.
“Because of our focus on training, we attract more new agents than any other real estate franchise,” said John Davis, president of Keller Williams. “As a commission-based industry, our challenge is to guide thousands of new associates through our training programs so they can get into production quickly and build their businesses. This creates more opportunities for them and more opportunities for their families.”
The company now describes itself as “the largest real estate franchise by agent count in the world.” Keller Williams’s agents had $185 billion in sales last year, an increase of 17%, with an accompanying 16% increase in commissions earned.
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A wide range of training programs and course offerings enables associates at all stages in their careers to select training and coaching that will help them grow personally and professionally, according to the company.
“Our associates are the driving force behind the programming and training we produce,” said CEO Chris Heller. “We’re in business with agents who independently devote 2 to 3 weeks each year participating in extensive training to build more productive and profitable businesses.”
This year, Keller Williams’ training organization was ranked number one in Training magazine’s Training Top 125 Awards. The programs and initiatives for which Keller Williams earned accolades include Mega Agent Expansion and BOLD (Business Objective: Life by Design).
Launched in 2014, Mega Agent Expansion instructs associates on proven models and successful systems to retain a core team while launching businesses in new regions, the company explains. The course builds on lessons taught in Gary Keller’s book, The Millionaire Real Estate Agent, which shows agents how to become “mega agents” and how to earn a million-dollar annual salary. Keller is a cofounder of Keller Williams and is chairman of the board.
“We’re the first real estate franchise to offer a formal training program to train top agents on how and when to expand into additional markets,” said Kokoszka. “This is a revolutionary concept in real estate that provides associates with unprecedented opportunities to grow their businesses. It also challenges us to develop training on a whole new level.”
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Keller Williams describes BOLD as “a pivotal program and a significant driver of financial success for associates.” The 7-week course “accelerates productivity by priming agents with mindset exercises, language techniques, and ‘real-play’ lead-generation lessons.”
BOLD students call customers and produce actual business, under the guidance and support of an instructor. Students are organized into 10-person teams, and individual production results are posted publicly on a weekly basis. The course is facilitated by seasoned top agents who have completed a rigorous instructor certification process.
The company credits BOLD with helping agents increase their commissions by 16% and with 98% of Keller Williams offices making a profit for the year.
“At our core, we’re an education-based, technology-driven company,” said Heller. “And we’re committed to providing our associates with the best training programs to help them grow their individual businesses.”