Inside Our 5-Step Interview Process: How We Hire for JCG+T

Hiring the right person shouldn’t feel like gambling with your business.

When you’re growing a real estate team, every hire matters. A great assistant or operations lead can help you take more listings, close more deals, and finally take that long-overdue vacation. A bad hire? That’ll cost you time, money, and a whole lot of momentum.

So how do you hire smarter — and avoid the endless cycle of “good on paper, bad in real life”?

At Pro REA Staffing, we use a 5-step interview process designed to screen for JCG+T — Job Fit, Culture Fit, Goal Fit, and Talent. (Read more about the JCG+T method.) We’ve refined it over thousands of placements to save you time and help you hire with confidence.

And in 2025, we’ve made it even more efficient.

Step 1: Written Assessment – Smarter, Faster Interview Process for Real Estate Hires

We’ve replaced phone interviews with a written assessment that tells us more in less time.

Here’s why: phone interviews are time-consuming and inefficient. Even if you’re fast, you can only talk to 3 candidates an hour. And let’s be honest — most of those calls don’t tell you anything you couldn’t have guessed from the résumé.

So now, we invite promising candidates to complete a short questionnaire and skill assessment.

• We confirm Job Fit: schedule, commute, license, education, and anything else required for the role.

• Then we ask 3–5 essay-style questions that reflect real job scenarios.

What we’ve learned? These questions help us measure:

• Conscientiousness (Who takes the time to answer thoughtfully?)

• Writing ability (Crucial for client communication and admin roles)

• Problem-solving skills and relevant experience

Candidates who shine here almost always succeed in live interviews — and those who don’t? Well, we just saved everyone an hour.

Step 2: Chronological Interview – Look for Patterns

This interview is where we uncover someone's story — from their first job to their most recent.

We use a structured format inspired by Who by Geoff Smart and Randy Street:

• Why did you take the role?

• What were you hired to do?

• What did you accomplish?

• What challenges did you face?

• Why did you leave?

This framework helps us uncover:

• Behavioral patterns

• Motivation and self-awareness

• Red flags

• Language of talent

It’s one of the best ways to evaluate Goal Fit and Talent early in the process.

Step 3: Behavioral Interview Using DISC

We use the DISC Assessment as a jumping-off point — not to box candidates in, but to better understand how they operate.

Based on their DISC profile, we tailor behavioral-style questions that reveal:

• How they make decisions

• How they respond to stress

• How they handle conflict

• Whether their natural style matches the demands of the role

DISC helps us go beyond “what would you do?” and uncover how they think and act.

Step 4: Day-in-the-Life Interview

This is a test run for both you and the candidate.

For your top 1–2 finalists, we simulate what it’s like to actually do the job:

• Assign mock tasks based on real work

• Introduce them to your team (even virtually!)

• Invite them to observe a meeting or client call

• Have them interview with other team members

This step helps us evaluate Culture Fit and real-world skills in context. It's also a great way to sell your company to a top-tier candidate — because let’s be honest, they're interviewing you, too.

Step 5: The Alignment Conversation

Most employers send the offer letter after references. We don’t — not yet.

Before we finalize the hire, we schedule a deep Alignment Conversation to cover:

• Job expectations and logistics

• Your goals for the role and their first 90 days

• Their personal, professional, and financial goals

• Salary expectations, bonus structure, and deal breakers

• Mutual standards for communication, accountability, and success

This final conversation ensures there's no guesswork — and no surprises — when that offer hits their inbox.

Final Thought

Hiring isn’t just about finding someone who can do the job — it’s about finding someone who will thrive in the job.

Our 5-step process helps you screen for JCG+T with intention, so you can confidently hire the right person the first time.

Because the only thing more expensive than investing time in the right process…is having to start over because you skipped it.

Ready to Hire Right?

At Pro REA Staffing, we help agents and team leaders like you build real estate teams that thrive.

Schedule a call to learn how we can help you hire smarter — and faster — in 2025.