How to Create an Office Policy Manual With an easy-to read manual, your staff and associates will know

what's expected of them. We explain how to write, produce, and distribute your companys roadmap to success.

If you manage or own a real estate company, or any company for that matter, a well thought-out office policy manual is a must. Why? It gi es sales associates a solid understanding of your companys mission and goals from their first day on the !ob, helps to a oid unnecessary confusion, and communicates company policies on e-mail, ad ertising, and other important topics. "# good policy manual establishes trust, pre ents misunderstandings and clarifies expectations for both the broker and the agent,$ says %a id &letcher, a broker and founder of #gents 'oot (amp in )rlando, which de elops training courses and products for new associates and independent brokerages. &letcher belie es that not ha ing a written policy manual is one of the biggest mistakes a broker-owner can make. When creating one, youre forced to think through all of thorny issues that may come up in the day-to-day course of business * from commission disputes to dress code problems * and create a solution. )ffice policy manuals also help reduce turno er. +ou should ask recruits to re iew the manual before choosing whether or not to come on board, &letcher says. "It answers most ,uestions the agent will e entually ha e in a professional way. In one sitting, -associates. can get a great idea what is expected of them and what they can expect of the broker.$ In this article, well take you through the steps of creating an effecti e office policy manual, including/ What topics to co er Whether you should hire an expert to pull it all together 0ips on making the manual easy to read 1ow you should distribute it &ree resources that will help you get started. What Topics Should the Manual Cover? +our manual should encompass all of the basics/ your mission statement, personnel policies, and general procedures such as office attire, sales meetings, office conduct, terminations, and acations. 1owe er, its also important to include policies and procedures specific to real estate. 1ere are some suggestions. 2emember, this list is

meant only as a guide * its not all-inclusi e. Advertising. 3xplain your rules about signage, ad ertising language, when to use the e,ual opportunity slogans and logos, and open house ads, as well as the allocation of ad ertising costs and space. 4how examples of ads whene er possible to illustrate whats allowed and whats not. (ross-reference the 5#2 (ode of 3thicsguidelines on ad ertising practices. Ac nowledge!ent "or!. #sk salespeople and staff to sign the form to confirm that they e recei ed the office policy manual and understand company policies. #ro erage $elationships%Agency &isclosure.0o respond to the needs of consumers today, real estate agents may represent buyers, sellers, or both. Informed consumers can choose from a ariety of business relationships with real estate agents. 5#2 encourages real estate companies to ha e a written policy that addresses and outlines agency6brokerage relationships with consumers. It helps reduce potential liability by educating licensees on the different types of brokerage relationships that your company offers. 2ead more on agency disclosure. #usiness Procedures. In this nuts-and-bolts section, be sure to include company policy for presenting offers, disclosure statements, deli ering paperwork, and holding open houses. It also should include information about lockboxes and keys * where theyre kept and how theyre managed. Co!!ission and "ee Structure. Include splits, bonus plans, referrals, entitlement to commissions, and how you will resol e interoffice and intraoffice disputes o er commissions. 2ead more on a oiding commission disputes. &o'(ot'Call $ules. (reate an office policy e en if you plan to hire an outside ser ice to assure your compliance with the rules7 it could protect your company from lawsuits resulting from a failure to comply. Include procedures on how you comply with the rules, how you will train personnel to comply, how you will maintain your do-not-call list, and your process for pre enting telephone solicitations to numbers on the list. 2ead more on creating an office policy for do-not-call rules. )'!ail Co!!unication.(o er computer, e-mail and telephone solicitation, and use of the Internet. 4pell out rules for salespersons use of company names and logos on Web sites and in e-mails7 cite rules for opt-in e-mail marketing and (#5-48#9 #ct compliance7 and address content copyright issues. Include a chapter on computer security, use of e-mail, and use of computers. 2ead more on de eloping Internet policies. )thical Standards. 8ro ide a copy of the 5#2 (ode of 3thics and explain how to file an ethics complaint. 2ead more about office policies on ethics . )*ual Opportunity. While not re,uired by law, its a good idea to include an e,ual opportunity statement in your office policy manual, setting forth your companys position. 1eres a sample e,ual opportunity statement/ "0he :::: company has been and is fully committed to e,ual employment opportunity, both in principle and as a matter of policy. )ur employment policies and practices re,uire that we pro ide e,ual opportunity to all applicants, independent contractors, and employees, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability.$

)+penses. (larify who bears responsibility for 'oard dues, 9;4 fees, and continuing education costs. #lso, include information about o erhead costs, such as whos responsible for local and long-distance calls, postage and photocopying. "air Housing.4ummari<e fair housing regulations and include an e,ual opportunity statement indicating that applicants are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age or disability. 2ead more on reducing your fair housing risk. ,ndependent Contractor Agree!ent.0his agreement should state that the salespersons compensation will be solely in the form of commissions, that the salesperson is not an employee, and that the salesperson will conduct business in accordance with the states laws and regulations. 2ead more on = items that e ery independent contractor agreement should include. -egal Assistance. )utline when youll make legal counsel a ailable for sales associates and how youll handle lawsuits, threats of action, arbitration, and code of ethics and license law iolations. -istings. Write a policy for departing associates, co ering the ,uestion of who "owns$ clients and pending sales. %escribe whether an associate may or may not take listings with him or her when they lea e the company. #lso, explain your 9;4 policies, including responsibility for entering listings and length of time listings can remain on your personal site after sale. Other $e*uire!ents. Include your policy and information about errors and omissions >3?)@ and liability insurance, continuing education and professional memberships. Perfor!ance $eviews.3xplain your policy for periodic re iew of employees, and how it offers the opportunity for e aluation and constructi e comments by both parties. Personal Assistants. 4pell out a personal-assistant policy, including guidelines for hiring and super ising assistants, both licensed and unlicensed. 2ead more on personal assistants. $)SPA Co!pliance. 2348# iolations can carry serious conse,uences. 2348#, or the 2eal 3state 4ettlement and 8rocedures #ct, prohibits kickbacks for the referral of business incident to or part of a settlement ser ice and also prohibits the splitting of a charge for a settlement ser ice, other than for ser ices actually performed. 4tate regulations can impose additional constraints. Its ital to include what is prohibited and what is allowed. 2ead more on how to comply with 2348#. Se+ual Harass!ent. +our policy should consist of an explanation of what constitutes sexual harassment, names of people to whom claims can be reported >other than the direct super isor@, a statement that no retaliation will occur from a claim, procedures that are followed when sexual harassment is alleged, disciplinary action to be taken against those who file a false claim, and your commitment to all employees on the issue. 0ake a ,ui< on sexual harassment awareness. Wor place Privacy.(heck with state laws on workplace pri acy as you formulate your policy. Include access to performance and medical records7 alcohol and drug testing7 and monitoring of phone and6or e-mail use. 'alance your need to maintain a safe,

producti e, and efficient workplace with your employees pri acy rights. 8ut your policy in writing and ask employees to gi e their written acknowledgement. 2ead more on workplace pri acy. How Should , Produce ,t? #s you determine what to put in your manual, you also ha e to figure out who will write it. +our best option depends on the si<e of your budget and whether or not you already ha e a core manual from which to draw. "0he best way to start writing a policy manual is to purchase one and re ise it to meet -your. needs,$ says &letcher. "0he broker needs to write it. 0he person responsible for procedures >such as contract processing@ should write -that section. for the brokers re iew. 0his is the person who best understands the paper trail and scope of the work,$ says &letcher. #nother option is to hire a human resources consultant to draw up a draft. +ou may want to borrow a copy of another company's manual to use as a guide. (ontact your local 23#;0)2A association to see if it has a sample. "If you cant afford to hire a consultant to create a manual, youll ha e to assemble it from existing policies and procedures >written and unwritten@, along with information from your state rules, regulations and laws,$ says %arla B. 4cott, (3) of 9anagement 9aster.com in 8hiladelphia. "+oull also want to de elop day-to-day policies and create forms >such as 'uyer 0ransmittal &orm, 4eller 0ransmittal &orm and ;isting (hecklists@ to help promote organi<ation and efficiency within the office.$ Its necessary to ha e an attorney re iew the document before its printed and distributed to staff. When it comes to issues such as regulatory compliance, terminations, and workplace pri acy, you will want to ha e a legal experts ad ice and expertise on complying with state laws. Ma e ,t )asy to $ead +our office policy manual should be attracti e and user-friendly. It shouldn't be a chore to read. 0hat means using clear, concise, and uncomplicated language. ;et someone else read the manual and ask for feedback7 whats clear to you may not be to a third party. #lso, clearly label each chapter and create a table of contents or an index so employees and salespeople can !ump to the topic they're looking for. 0o set an upbeat tone, use positi e statements, not negati e ones, whene er possible. %ont tell workers what they can do, instead what they will do. &or real estate salespeople who are always on the go, an online ersion of the guide makes good business sense. #nother benefit of an electronic ersion/ you can easily make changes to and update the document without ha ing to spend a bundle printing new manuals.

What.s (e+t? %istribute your finished office policy manual to e eryone on staff and let them know where to find it on the Web or company intranet. 9ake sure that e ery new employee has his or her own copy, and re,uire staff to sign a statement acknowledging they ha e read and understand the manual. 2emember/ an office policy manual is a li ing document. %e elop a maintenance plan to keep it accurate. Cpdate the policy manual as laws and the organi<ation's priorities change, and schedule regular re iews of the manual and update accordingly. 4ources/ Book Smart: How to Make a Valuable Office Policy Manual >&lorida 23#;0)2A 9aga<ine, DEEF@,Dont Risk It: A Brokers ui!e to Risk Mana"ement# $n!%!& >5#0I)5#; #44)(I#0I)5 )& 23#;0)24A, DEEE@, 23#;0)2.org. More $esources &ield Guide to 2eal 3state )ffice 8olicy 9anuals 0he articles and books in this &ield Guide pro ide tools and tips to create a policy manual, co ering sub!ects ranging from policies and procedures to cell phone usage and more. 9icrosoft)ffice.com/ (reating an )ffice 8olicy 9anual &ree tips, demos, and templates, including an outline to help you de elop your manual and a form letter that employees can sign to acknowledge they read it. e1ow.com/ 1ow to Write 8olicies and 8rocedures for +our 'usiness #n H-step guide to creating an office policy manual, with related how-to articles on employee e aluations, being politically correct, and counseling your staff. 0emplateIone.com/ 1ow to Write a 8olicy 9anual 0his free 8%& document, offered by a Web site that sells office policy manuals, explains the importance of an office policy manual and how to get started creating one. Its not real estate specific, but pro ides good tips nonetheless.