How Vague Job Descriptions Sabotage Your Hiring Success

Over the last 10 years, I’ve hired across just about every corner of real estate:

50+ agents for a new brokerage, the founding team of a startup, salespeople, marketers, engineers, operators — you name it.

I’ve also had to fire and lay people off.

I’ve seen people who crushed the interview… and flamed out in 3 months.

I’ve written job descriptions that were basically wishful thinking.

And I’ve missed out on A+ talent because I failed to sell the vision of the opportunity.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned?

If your job description is vague, your hiring problems start before the first interview.

In real estate especially, most teams write job posts just to “get something out there.”

The result? You attract a wide net of wrong-fit applicants — and quietly set the stage for misalignment, poor performance, or early turnover.

Most Real Estate Job Posts Say the Same Thing

If you’ve spent time on job boards or in recruiting groups, you’ve probably seen the same phrases recycled over and over:

“Looking for motivated self-starters!”

“Fast-paced environment with unlimited earning potential”

“Join our growing team of high performers”

They sound exciting. But they say almost nothing.

There’s no clarity about:

• What kind of agent actually thrives in this role
• What the day-to-day work really looks like
• What outcomes matter most
• What makes this team different from the next one down the street

These kinds of job posts don’t filter for fit — they invite anyone who’s licensed and ambitious to apply… even if they’re totally wrong for how your team actually operates.

And that’s where the cost starts stacking up.

Vague Language Attracts Vague Fit

The less specific you are in your job description, the more people will project what they hope the job will be — not what it actually is.

They show up to interviews with a totally different picture in their head.

They say all the right things because they want the opportunity.

And because you’re eager to grow your team, you hire based on potential… not alignment.

Three months later, you’re having the hard conversation about performance, expectations, or “maybe this isn’t the right fit after all.”

You didn’t make a bad choice —

You just didn’t give yourself the right filters from the start.

The Right Description Filters Before You Ever Interview

A good job description doesn’t just attract the right person — it repels the wrong one.

That’s not a failure. That’s the point.

Your job post should act as a pre-screening tool. It should be:

• Clear about the structure and expectations of the role
• Honest about how the team operates (pace, accountability, systems)
• Upfront about metrics and outcomes
• Specific about the kind of work style that succeeds (and fails) in this seat

The goal isn’t to get 50 applications.

It’s to get 5 that are worth your time.

If You’re Hiring for Everyone, You’re Hiring for No One

Every real estate team is different.

Some teams need gritty, outbound-focused prospectors.

Others need high-service advisors.

Some run like startups. Others are highly structured and process-driven.

So why are most job descriptions trying to appeal to every agent?

When your post reads like a hype ad instead of a hiring tool, you dilute the signal.

And when you make the role sound like it could work for “anyone,” you end up hiring someone who fits no one.

You’re not just offering a job.

You’re asking someone to step into a system that already exists — with expectations, lead sources, CRM workflows, and team culture.

Your description should reflect that.

Start with Clarity. Build with Fit.

If you’re growing your team — or if you’ve made a few hires that didn’t stick — it might be time to rethink how you’re approaching the hiring process.

I built the Strategic Hiring System to help real estate team leaders stop guessing, and start hiring with clarity and confidence.

📦 Inside the system:

• A proven framework for defining roles before you recruit
• Tools to write better job descriptions and filter for alignment
• Interview questions designed around actual performance indicators
• Scoring rubrics and fit assessments you can use with every candidate

👉 Check out the Strategic Hiring System here

You can preview the product before you buy and see exactly how it works.

Hiring shouldn’t feel like a gamble.

The right system can make it a repeatable win.