Franklin Street, one of the fastest-growing real estate firms in the Southeast, is hiring. Lone wolves need not apply.
CEO and founder Andrew Wright is building a team. It is a process comparable to the recruiting, hiring and training of top talent inherent in successful sports franchises and dynasties. He takes this comparison literally, having staffed some of Franklin Street’s top leadership and broker positions with former professional and collegiate athletes.
While the NFL draft has just concluded, Franklin Street’s draft board is always active, identifying key players in markets where the company is expanding its full suite of commercial real estate services. To deliver precise and accurate information that helps clients make the most successful decisions in real estate, insurance, capital, management and valuation, Wright focuses on driving top individual talent to greater achievement through a team-first mentality. Franklin Street’s culture is centered on that team philosophy, and it begins at the recruitment phase.
A relatively young commercial real estate company that recently celebrated a decade in business, Franklin Street has long-term growth plans, and is patient in identifying the right personnel fit.
“You don’t just hire the first person that shows up,” Wright said. “You want to make sure that you are being thoughtful not just to the overall company, but the specific team that they are going to work with, and how they will contribute to the company’s mission of serving its clients.”
The firm has prospects meet with as many people across every level of the business as possible. This allows candidates to get to know Franklin Street just as well as the current team members get to know them. When top prospects are scheduled to visit, leaders across the firm will drop everything and fly in to spend the day with a potential new hire.
“We are not in the business of making iPhones or TVs. We sell services, and so our people are our greatest strength,” Wright said.
But building a team is more than just assembling a great roster – it is about leading individual commitment toward a group effort – and that is where Franklin Street’s commitment to culture matters.
“For a lot of our competitors, culture only goes as far as next quarter’s earnings, and to really live our culture, to be genuinely real, people recognize how we take that very seriously at Franklin Street,” Wright said. “We do a lot of things to make our people feel like they are more than just a number.”
To develop people at all levels, Franklin Street is building best-in-class training programs for newer agents, driving peak performance through productive competition and providing the support experienced agents rely on to meet client demands.
“Corporate culture is not just about attracting young talent and following modern office trends like shared spaces and coffee hours. It is about building a stronger, better-connected team,” Wright said. It is about sticking to what is important. “We do that by focusing on our core values of collaboration, integrity, accountability and hard work,” he said.
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