Why Monthly 1-to-1s Build Stronger Teams and Stronger Agencies
Consistent 1-to-1s create clarity, belonging and stronger performance. When you build them into your monthly rhythm, not just when issues arise, you develop a team that feels valued, aligned, and ready to grow.
Estate agency moves fast. Deals, fall-throughs, instructions, negotiations, marketing changes, client emotions, it never stops and in that pace, it’s easy to fall into a rhythm where you check the numbers, you check the pipeline, you check the reports… but you stop checking in on your people.
Most agencies treat 1-to-1s as an emergency tool.
Something to use when someone dips in performance.
When culture feels off.
When the atmosphere is heavy.
When someone is “underperforming.”
But that’s exactly where things go wrong.
When 1-to-1s only happen in moments of stress or correction, they stop feeling supportive and start feeling punitive. Your team learns that leadership only shows up when something breaks—not when something is working.
And that’s the fastest way to build distance instead of culture.
Consistent, scheduled 1-to-1s do the opposite. They build trust long before you ever need it. They create emotional safety, clarity, accountability, and belonging—things a high-performing estate agency cannot function without.
Studies across the board tell the same story. Gallup found that employees who feel seen and heard at work are three times more engaged. Harvard Business Review states that recognition is more motivating than remuneration. Deloitte’s human capital research shows that belonging drives performance more than perks.
People don’t stay for money. They stay for meaning.
They stay for recognition.
They stay for being valued—consistently.
1-to-1s, done monthly, not reactively, are the simplest, most powerful way to make that real.
A true 1-to-1 is not a KPI interrogation.
It is not a performance dressing-down.
It is not a rushed chat squeezed between valuations.
It is a structured, human conversation built around four anchors
1. Start with the person, not the role.
Ask about how they’re feeling, what’s energising them, what’s draining them, where they feel supported, and where they don’t.
2. Celebrate wins and strengths.
Call out specific behaviours that lived your values. Celebrate improvements, effort, courage, communication, initiative.
3. Explore growth, not fault.
Ask what they want to sharpen, what support they need, what challenge they want to overcome, or what skill they want to build.
4. Anchor them back to the mission and plan.
Revisit your values, your one-year objectives, and your three-year vision. Show them where they fit and why their role matters to the whole.
How to Start 1-to-1s When You’ve Never Done Them Before
If you’ve never held structured 1-to-1s, it can feel awkward to suddenly introduce them.
Team members may wonder.
“Am I in trouble?”
“What’s going on?”
“Why now?”
So the way you introduce them matters as much as the meetings themselves.
Step 1: Tell your team the truth upfront
Say something like:
“We’re introducing monthly 1-to-1s because I want this to be an environment where everyone feels seen, supported, and clear on where they’re heading. These aren’t performance meetings—they’re development conversations. They’re a space for you, not a space for pressure.”
This immediately lowers defensiveness.
Step 2: Explain what these meetings will NOT be
This is crucial.
“These aren’t KPI reviews. They’re not for catching people out. They’re not for telling you off. They’re for growth, clarity, honesty, and celebrating what’s working.”
You dissolve anxiety by removing assumptions.
Step 3: Give them a simple framework
Tell them...
“Each 1-to-1 will follow a simple structure: a check-in, a review of wins, some development and support, and a reminder of our bigger mission and goals.”
Predictability builds safety.
Step 4: Make the first meeting gentle and rapport-led
Your first 1-to-1 shouldn’t go deep on development unless the team member wants to.
Instead, use these questions:
How are you feeling about work at the moment?
What do you enjoy most about your role?
What would make your month feel like progress?
What kind of support would help you right now?
What’s one win you’re proud of recently?
The first session is about building trust, not building a plan.
Step 5: Set the rhythm immediately
Schedule all 1-to-1s for the next 12 months.
Let people know:
“These dates are protected. They matter to me, and they matter to this business.”
Cultural change happens through consistency, not intensity.
If you want stronger performance, deeper loyalty, clearer communication, and a healthier culture, it starts with one simple shift:
Stop meeting people only when things break.
Start meeting them so things can grow.
Monthly 1-to-1s aren’t a management task.
They’re a leadership behaviour.
They’re the bridge between your vision and your team’s experience.
They’re where belonging becomes real.
The agencies that master belonging, win.