Week 1: Laying the Groundwork
Step 1: Set Yourself Up for Success
Before you do anything else, make sure Courted is calibrated for you. That means going to your Settings and making sure you are:
Indicating which offices are yours; if any are not yours, remove them from your profile, and if you are missing any, add them via the search bar on your settings.
Clarifying what sets your brokerage apart for potential recruits by defining a set of Key Benefits. Your Key Benefits are your value proposition–why an agent should join your brokerage. Be specific about what sets you apart to craft a more persuasive message.
💡 Recruiting Tip: Audit your own value proposition. Is it aligned with what agents in your market are actually looking for? Are your "why join us" points clear, compelling, and tailored by agent type?
Step 2: Build & Save Your Agent Search
Build an Agent Search
Building an Agent Search is the most important first step. It helps you go beyond casting a wide net across your MLS. Instead, you’ll be thoughtful about who you’re targeting, why they’d be interested in your brokerage, and where you have the best shot at recruiting success.
Recommended Filters to Try:
Sales Volume: Focus on agents closing between $1M–$10M annually—this is where we see the most movement.
Time in Industry / Closed Transactions: Helpful whether you're targeting earlier-career agents who may benefit from support and coaching, or more experienced agents with a proven track record.
No Closings in the Last 90 Days: Signals agents who may be frustrated or considering a change.
No Active or Pending Listings: Indicates agents who may be out of momentum–but are still solid producers.
Courted's Potential to Move / Potential to Grow: Predictive filters that help identify agents likely to be receptive to outreach
Get creative, but make sure your list is strong and intentional enough to support long-term recruiting.
Save Your Search
Once you’ve selected the filters that make sense for your goals, save the search so you can revisit it later. Your Saved Search will automatically update as agents move in and out of your defined criteria, keeping your recruiting top-of-funnel fresh without having to rebuild it from scratch.
When there are new agents, you'll see a red dot next to the saved search name in your navigation, and new agents will appear on top with a "New!" tag.
💡 Recruiting Tip: Be strategic. Use filters to build a calculated version of the type of agent you want to reach out to. If your criteria is vague, your pipeline will be too.
Step 3: Create a Watchlist
Once you’ve identified your target agent types and clarified your brokerage’s value props, it’s time to get organized. Below are some recommendations, and you do not need to use every single approach – all are different and supplemental ways to stay organized:
Creating a Watchlist based on your saved search: We recommend using Watchlists to keep track of the agents you want to recruit. You can organize them in whatever way works best for you—by month (like a “June Targets” list), by location, production level, or how likely they are to join. Choose the method that helps you stay most focused and organized.
Assigning agents to yourself so you stay accountable for your own pipeline – this is more important if you’re working with other team members in Courted. You can also filter your pipeline by the agents who are assigned to you – we recommend setting this filter up as the default to stay organized.
💡 Recruiting Tip: Take 2 minutes per agent to reflect on why you added them to the list. What stood out? Why now? Did they hit a career milestone recently? This will help with personalization later.
Week 2: Begin Outreach + Get Organized
Step 4: Start Reaching Out
Start Reaching Out:
Head to your Watchlist and select 5–10 agents to contact each day (depending on your bandwidth). We recommend blocking your calendar and setting aside the first 45 minutes of your day for outreach. If you don’t have that much time, don’t worry–you can still make the most out of Courted with just 15 minutes a day!
When deciding how to reach out, we typically recommend a call/email/call sequence—but go with whatever approach feels most natural to you.
💡 Recruiting Tip: If you feel stuck or aren't sure where to start with making cold calls, check out this webinar on how to make that first call count!
Before reaching out:
Take a moment to review each agent’s profile and recent accomplishments. Look for a detail you can highlight to make your message feel personal and relevant.
Find a way to connect that detail to your brokerage’s Key Benefits to show why your opportunity is a strong fit for them.
Utilize ComposeAI to personalize your message based on each agent’s career journey and what your brokerage offers.
We also recommend including a clear call-to-action in your message—whether that’s suggesting a Zoom meeting, an in-person coffee chat, or a follow-up call. Give the agent a reason to stay engaged and continue the conversation, so you can keep building the relationship over time. Even if they’re not ready to make a move right away, staying top of mind ensures you’ll be the first person they think of when the time is right.
💡 Recruiting Tip: Don't be overly salesy. Focus on shared market insights, recent accomplishments, and relevant career context to build a real connection.
Step 5: Log Everything + Set Follow-Ups:
After each touchpoint:
Log the activity and note outcomes. Staying organized is key—logging your outreach ensures no one slips through the cracks. It also helps you keep track of where you are in the process with each agent and what was discussed, so you can always put your best foot forward in future conversations.
Update the agent’s status in your pipeline based on the call outcome:
Contacted if you called and left a voicemail, or emailed but have not yet heard back
Connected if you spoke with them and have followups
Meeting Scheduled if you got an introductory meeting
Meeting Held once you find time to chat
etc.
Set a follow-up task (Optional but recommended) for 3 days later (or whenever makes sense based on your conversation). Follow-up tasks help you stay proactive. Recruiting cycles can take time, and staying top of mind – especially with timely, relevant touchpoints – can be what makes the difference in earning trust and eventually getting a “yes.”
💡 Recruiting Tip: Track what worked and what didn’t. Did you reach out at the right moment? Was your message aligned with their current goals? If not, adjust for next time.
By the end of your first two weeks...
By now, you should have a strong foundation in place and early momentum building. Here’s what success looks like at this stage, and why it matters:
You've contacted 25–50 agents who match your ideal profile
This helps you build your top-of-funnel and start meaningful conversations with agents who are more likely to engage. Early outreach gives you data to learn from and iterate on quickly.
You have a clear, organized system for follow-up and reflection
Staying organized ensures no opportunity slips through the cracks. You’ll know where each agent stands in the process, and you’ll be able to follow up thoughtfully and consistently.
You've started to develop your recruiting playbook based on what worked
Start taking note of what’s resonating—what types of messages, timing, and agent profiles are leading to responses or meetings. These insights will shape a repeatable, high-impact recruiting process.
After Week 2...
Ask yourself these three questions to make sure you understand how to use Courted effectively and are on track to hit your recruiting goals:
Do I know how to find the right agents to reach out to?
If not, take a look at our tutorial on how to build an agent search.
Do I know how to reach out and log interactions?
If not, learn about how to use ComposeAI and how to log your work.
Do I know how to manage my pipeline and when to follow up?
If not, take a look at best practices for managing your pipeline.
If you can confidently answer “yes” to each question, you’ve built a strong foundation.
From here, you can begin to think more strategically—refining your messaging, experimenting with different outreach tactics, and making data-informed decisions to grow your pipeline over time.