Don’t Say There’s No One Left: The Market Isn’t Too Small. Your Strategy Is
Release Date: 09/23/2025
Make It Real: How to Turn Your Vision Into a Tangible Recruiting Roadmap for 2026
Recruiting Conversations
We’re just days away from a brand new year, and there’s one leadership skill that will define your momentum in 2026: turning vision into structure. In this episode of Recruiting Conversations, I walk you through how to go beyond inspiring language and build a vision your team and your recruits can actually believe in. If you’ve ever felt like your vision gets lost or fades after January, this will show you how to make it stick; with structure, ownership, and real action steps. Episode Breakdown [00:00] Welcome & Setup – It’s almost New Year’s Eve, which means you’re probably...
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Cast the Vision, Keep the Trust: Leading Boldly Without Overpromising
Recruiting Conversations
It’s Christmas week, and the perfect time to reflect on your future as a leader. In this episode of Recruiting Conversations, I’m answering one of the biggest questions I’ve been hearing to close out the year: How do I cast a bold, inspiring vision for 2026 without overcommitting or losing trust when I can’t deliver it all at once? If you’ve ever wrestled with that tension, this episode will help you lead with both clarity and confidence. I walk you through how to cast a magnetic vision and pair it with grounded execution, so people believe in both your future and your...
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Let Your Vision Speak: How to Build a Personal Brand That Attracts Without Chasing
Recruiting Conversations
Your personal brand is already speaking. The question is, does it say the right thing? In this episode of Recruiting Conversations, I talk about the one brand shift every leader needs to make in 2026: letting your vision do the talking. Because today’s recruits don’t just want a better comp plan or a bigger opportunity. They want to follow someone with clarity, belief, and a future they can see themselves in. Episode Breakdown [00:00] Introduction – Your brand is already talking. The question is: what story is it telling? [01:00] Why Vision Is Your Brand’s Most Valuable Asset...
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Recruit the Dream, Not the Resume: How to Lead Deeper Conversations That Build Trust
Recruiting Conversations
Most recruiting conversations stay surface-level. We talk roles, titles, numbers. But the best leaders know how to go deeper. In this episode of Recruiting Conversations, I share the single most powerful question I ask in nearly every recruiting conversation: “What’s your long-term professional dream? And what’s your personal dream outside of work for the next 10 years?” That one question changes everything. It moves the conversation from transactional to transformational. It shows people you don’t just want to hire them, you want to help them become who they’re meant to be....
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Magnetize Your Growth: Build a Recruiting Playbook That Attracts, Connects, and Retains
Recruiting Conversations
Most recruiting playbooks are either too vague to matter or too corporate to inspire. In this episode of Recruiting Conversations, I break down how to create a magnetic recruiting playbook; one that does more than document steps. It attracts the right talent, builds deep community, and creates retention that scales. We’ll cover three powerful pillars: marketing that feels human, community that creates belonging, and retention that builds belief. This isn’t theory. It’s a rhythm that reinforces your leadership at every level. Episode Breakdown [00:00] Introduction – Why most playbooks...
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It’s Not About the Rate: How to Handle Objections Around Pricing and Compensation
Recruiting Conversations
When a candidate pushes back on pricing or comp, they’re rarely asking about math. They’re asking if your model is worth believing in. In this episode of Recruiting Conversations, I walk through the mindset, scripting, and strategic timing for leading high-trust conversations around pricing and compensation. This isn’t about defending numbers. It’s about reframing the value of your system and building belief that shifts the conversation from fear to vision. Episode Breakdown [00:00] The Real Question – Pricing and comp objections aren’t about spreadsheets. They’re about...
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The Market Isn’t Too Small. Your Strategy Might Be
Recruiting Conversations
What if you’ve already talked to every LO in your market? What if the pool feels saturated, picked over, or just plain stuck? In this episode of Recruiting Conversations, I’ll show you how to shift your mindset, redefine your opportunity, and build a rhythm that creates traction—even when your list is short. Whether you're in a small town or a crowded metro, this strategy will help you go deeper, not just wider. Episode Breakdown [00:00] Introduction – When your market feels small, what do you do? The answer isn’t volume. It’s clarity [01:00] You’re Not Stuck. You’re Just...
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Small Market, Big Wins: When It Makes Sense to Hire a Recruiter in a Limited Territory
Recruiting Conversations
What if your entire market has fewer than 100 LOs? Is hiring a recruiter still worth it? In this episode of Recruiting Conversations, I walk through the exact framework for determining whether a recruiter is the right move in a small market. I cover the systems, mindset, math, and sequencing that make it work, and share a real-world story of one leader who turned 85 LOs into 9 hires in 12 months. This isn’t about headcount. It’s about mastery, clarity, and building a system that multiplies your time. Episode Breakdown [00:00] The Question – Is it worth hiring a recruiter if I only...
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Recruiting the Inner Circle: How to Win When Outside Voices Influence the Decision
Recruiting Conversations
You’ve been there. The recruit is engaged, the vision is aligned, and then silence. Or worse, hesitation that comes from a spouse, a current manager, or a friend. In this episode of Recruiting Conversations, I unpack one of the most common and misunderstood challenges in recruiting: how to lead when someone else is influencing your recruit behind the scenes. This is the framework I teach leaders to help them stay calm, coach through fear, and win trust without becoming defensive or pushy. Episode Breakdown [00:00] Introduction – The silent deal-breaker: recruits influenced by voices...
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How to Build Certainty When Recruits Feel Stuck
Recruiting Conversations
Ever had a recruiting conversation stall, not because of your offer, but because the recruit says, “I don’t know”? In this episode of Recruiting Conversations, I break down the exact framework I use to move people from fog to clarity. You’ll learn how to coach through indecision, lead with belief, and help recruits see a future they can say yes to. Because the best recruiters aren’t just closers. They’re clarity coaches. Episode Breakdown [00:00] Introduction – The most common stall in recruiting isn’t about money. It’s about uncertainty [01:00] Why Recruits Say...
info_outlineFeel like you've already talked to everyone in your market? Think again. In this episode of Recruiting Conversations, I walk you through how to build a solid recruiting list even when your territory feels tapped out. You’ll learn how to segment by pain, not just production, and uncover five overlooked talent pools hiding in plain sight.
Most leaders are working from the same spreadsheet. But the best recruiters think differently. They segment. They personalize. They win.
Episode Breakdown
[00:00] Introduction – Why small-market recruiting isn’t a numbers problem, it’s a perspective problem
[01:00] The Mindset Shift – When you say “there’s no one left,” your brain stops looking
[01:30] What Most Leaders Do Wrong – They go after the same top 20% that everyone else does
[02:00] Segment the Market Into 5 Buckets
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Top Producers – Most visible, most prospected, slowest to move
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Under-Leveraged Mid-Tier – 3 to 5 loans a month with no support, high potential
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Plateaued Veterans – 10+ years in the business, stuck, but open if shown a new path
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Rising Stars – 1 to 2 loans per month, overlooked by most, loyal if developed
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Career-Adjacent Talent – Processors, assistants, real estate pros, or ex-LOs with untapped potential
[05:30] Rethink Your List – Start defining your recruiting list by potential, not just production
[06:00] Where to Pull Names
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Public data (MLS, Scotsman Guide, MBS Highway)
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Your LOS
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Open houses and builder relationships
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Your own CRM and referral network
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Social media tagging and organic engagement
[06:30] Ask Better Questions -
Who do I already know?
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Who does my team know?
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Who is active on social but not being recruited?
[07:00] Segment and Match Messaging – Every list needs its own approach. Veterans don’t respond to the same script as newcomers
[07:30] Nurture Your List – Monthly touches, value-first content, and staying top-of-mind builds relationship over time
[08:00] Show Up Publicly – If you aren’t visible, even the best segmented list won’t work
[08:30] Final Challenge – Pick one segment, build a list of 25, and reach out to 5 this week. Do this every week for 90 days and watch what happens
Key Takeaways
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Your Market Isn’t Too Small – You’re just looking through the same lens as everyone else
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Segment by Pain, Not Production – The best opportunities are in overlooked categories
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Five Lists. Five Strategies – Each persona requires different messaging and follow-up
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Stop Treating Your List Like a One-Time Task – It’s a living system that needs rhythm and nurture
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Visibility Multiplies Trust – Public presence makes your recruiting touches land with more weight
You don’t need hundreds of people in your market. You just need the right 30 to 50 people to believe in your leadership. Build the list. Show up. Stay consistent.
Want help building a segmented recruiting system that scales your influence? Subscribe to my weekly email at 4crecruiting.com, or book a strategy session at bookrichardnow.com. Let’s unlock the list that’s already in your market.