Our prime renting season started a week ago - the UVa Medical Center residents were matched and they are now looking for area rental housing. Military JAG families have been renting for over a month for homes available this summer and many rent directly sight unseen from my website.
I post a selection of my available properties on a rotation basis early in the AM on Craigslist. I actually have a spreadsheet that charts out what posts when during the month and I post them early since many prospects are in the Near or Far East on military assignment.
Somehow these prospects are in contact with local Realtors who are calling me on these rental homes. Since I only feature vacant properties on lockbox on our Realtor MLS, either the Realtor or would-be client is viewing these other properties on CL.
Having had 3 phone calls in the last week from Realtors wanting to preview occupied homes (no prospects in tow), I have finally advised them that I am not offering my $250 referral fee for these properties and they should be previewed online. Two Realtors did not understand that my referral fee offer is made in my MLS listing and that just because we are both Realtors, it does not mean that all of my rental listings will pay the referral fee.
I'm curious how other property managers handle referral fee and working with Realtors who do nothing but pick up the phone and expect a referral.
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