The 3 Questions to Ask Before You Hire a Showing Specialist

By Tamara Lamore

Tamara Lamore has been an agent since 2002 and is the founder and leader of BKT Northwest, powered by PLACE real estate team, based in Everett, Washington.

When an agent is overwhelmed, the instinct is to bring in help. It feels like the obvious next step. You’re busy, you’re stretched thin, and a showing specialist sounds like exactly what you need to get your time back.

But here’s where a lot of agents get it wrong: wanting relief and being ready for leverage are not the same thing. Hiring a showing specialist isn’t just about getting some breathing room. It’s about your business being in a position where that hire actually supports growth, not just offloads stress.

My business partner, Toby Kienzle, recently broke this down, and it’s one of the most important conversations agents need to have with themselves before making this move. There are three questions you need to answer honestly before you bring someone on.

Question #1: Is leverage actually the next logical step? It’s easy to assume it is when you’re busy, but sometimes the real issue isn’t volume; it’s systems, habits, or gaps that need to be addressed first. If the foundation under your business isn’t clean, adding someone to it doesn’t fix anything. It just gives you someone else to manage on top of a structure that’s already shaky.

Question #2: Can you afford it? Not emotionally, not because you feel like you deserve help, but financially. Can your current production sustain this investment without putting pressure on the business? This needs to be a real numbers conversation, not a gut-feel decision.

Question #3: Are you ready to lead? Hiring a showing specialist isn’t just a financial decision. It’s a leadership decision. A lot of agents think leverage means they get to do less. What it actually means is they need to get more intentional. You have to know why this role matters to your business, what you want them focused on, how you’re going to use the time you get back, and what the right candidate actually looks like for your world. If you don’t know what you’re buying your time back for, you’ll fill it with more noise and end up just as stretched as before.

One of the most overlooked parts of this whole process is making sure the opportunity works for the other person, too. Can this role provide a real path, real support, and real growth for the person stepping into it? The best leverage models aren’t one-sided. They’re built so both people win. If you’re just offloading the work you don’t want to do without thinking about what the showing specialist gets out of it, the arrangement won’t last.

Leading a showing specialist takes more than just handing off appointments. A great showing specialist needs coaching, and not just on the mechanics of showing homes. They need coaching tied to their own goals and their own reasons for being in the business. They need role-playing, scripting, regular accountability meetings, mentorship, and a clear picture of how they fit into the bigger vision you’re building. That’s what actually makes leverage work. Without it, you just have someone doing tasks with no direction and no growth path, and that falls apart quickly.

A showing specialist can absolutely help you grow your business, but only when you’re not treating leverage as an escape hatch. It works when you’re clear on what you need, financially ready to support it, and willing to step into a higher level of leadership. If you’re thinking about making this move and want to talk through whether your business is ready, reach out at (206) 222-1250 or Tamara@tamaralamore.com, or visit tamaralamore.com to learn more.