Sometimes, people make what they do every day, no matter how challenging, look so easy. Imagine helping to handle one agent’s short sale difficulties alongside another agent’s high-maintenance clients, all while making sure to allocate leads to the correct agents, motivating a team to do their best work every day, acting as a guide and advisor and answering questions, in addition to everyday responsibilities, which could be anything from reading up on what’s changing, if anything, in the market to helping agents understand the latest financing that’s available for buyers.

More than anything, to be a managing broker is to be a leader; all agents look to their managing broker for guidance and help. How do managing brokers balance everything required of them to do their job efficiently? Lynn Kosner, managing broker of Baird & Warner, says in our cover story, on page 14, that balancing everything is just part of the job. “My job is to create an environment where it is safe and easy for them to come in, bounce ideas off each other and find help with what is going on,” she says.

Careers that require a person to have strong leadership qualities, a solid work ethic and the responsibility to oversee and manage others are tough jobs. Often, people don’t realize how much discipline and work goes into every workday. But when people – managing brokers, especially – excel at their jobs, often, it looks easy…but it’s not all that easy at all. That’s the beauty of succeeding at being a leader: it only looks like anyone can do it, but there are necessary qualities one must possess to successfully manage a team of top-producing agents. What should managing brokers be doing to attract a great team and make Realtors want to work for their brokerage? Read our article on page 17 to find out.

In addition, recruitment is often at the forefront of managing brokers’ minds – without recruitment, the broker- age can’t grow, expand and improve. Managing brokers need to be mindful of who they are hiring. They need to look for agents who are goal-oriented, hard-working, passionate and organized, among several other things. Oh, and an agent with a book of business helps greatly. Read more about what else managing brokers are looking for on page 16.

I hope this issue gives managing brokers ideas for how to improve their business, as well as agents. Making ourselves more marketable is always a good thing!