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A Rain Referral from me- Five Tips

By Cindy Marchant

Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Indy NE 317-290-7775 www.marchantteam.com

November 20, 2010 12:17 AM

I know you don't know my clients, but I love them (most of them anyway). Many of them hire me to sell their homes and trust me to find them a REALTOR in the state they will be moving to.

Handing Off Active Rain is the place I go to find a referral for my clients. And while I have been here awhile; I don't have someone in every state yet. So sometimes I have to go to the States feature of Active Rain, I go through quite a few pages to see who's who.

Here are some tips to put you in my line of sight:

1) Have a Profile, put testimonials in there. I am handing off someone I care about and you are going to become a reflection of me.

2) Have a Blog worth reading, if you are putting listing after listing on there...I can't see who you are. I'm not saying that listings don't belong on Active Rain, but like anything in life moderation is the key.

3) Have a Website, I know everyone has a website. But have one that captures me. If I can't find a contact button or a search button in 10 seconds or less...I'm moving on. If you have things flashing all over the place and scrolling text, I get confused easily...I'm moving on.

4) Have time to call me back, if you can't answer initially. If I call you to refer you my client, please call me back as soon as you can.

5) Have the expertise, responsiveness and communication skills to make me look good! Once I hand off my client, everything you do will reflect on me.

This is an incredible forum to create a referral network and I have referred many times (seems everyone moves FROM Indiana to some place else). It has been great to work with some of the best agents in the country. My business is growing and that means my referrals will grow too; I want to work with you. Make it easy!

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Other Northside Blogs (Carmel, Noblesville, and Geist)

Cindy "in Indy" Marchant - Fishers Real Estate Agent
Keller Williams Realty Indy Metro NE
Fishers IN Real Estate Website
317-290-7775

cindymarchant@comcast.net

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Valerie Osterhoudt

Johnson Real Estate, Inc. - Cromwell, CT

ABR, Cromwell, CT Real Estate ~ 860.883.8889

Cindy.. This is one of the best *referral* blogs I have read in a long time. Great platform for networking. Hopefully you received my introductory phone call, and hopefully we will be able to speak in person.

Nov 23, 2010 08:01 AM

Alan May

Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL

Home is where the hearth is.

oooh... man!?

Nov 23, 2010 08:15 AM

Michael Dellerose - Mullica Hill, NJ REALTOR

CENTURY 21 Hughes-Riggs Realty - Mullica Hill, NJ

Great tips! Thanks for posting, seems obvious, but some need to be reminded. I am working on all of this as we speak!

If you even need assistance in the South Jersey/Philadelphia area, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Nov 23, 2010 08:20 AM

Cindy Marchant

Keller Williams Indy NE 317-290-7775 www.marchantteam.com - Carmel, IN

"Cindy in Indy" , Realtor, Fishers Real Estate

Valerie, thanks...was on my mind. Just did a referral for Boulder on the 12th and went through this process.

Alan...blog is great, know you well...but not sure I've seen your website, off to check.

Michael...they are obvious...kind of like the elephant in the room I guess. But you would be surprised how many people don't have the basics. The beauty of blogging is that your personality comes out...WYSIWYG and that helps me match the client with the best REALTOR.

Nov 23, 2010 08:35 AM

Christianne O'Malley

Dickson Realty - Reno, NV

Exceptional Service - Delivering Results in Reno!

Cindy - Well said! I use ActiveRain too and it surprises me how many referrals I get from agents who don't participate in ActiveRain but find me by searching in Google and my AR profile pops up :)

PS - If you don't have someone in Northern Nevada, I'd love to be your 'go to gal!'

Nov 23, 2010 08:44 AM

Ross Quintana

Real E Smarter - Spokane, WA

Real E Smarter Real Estate Coach - 509-362-1966

Cindy, I like to think I do all of these things so keep me in mind if you need someone in Eastern Washington. I do the same thing. I check the profile, blog, and website.

Nov 23, 2010 08:54 AM

Lizette Fitzpatrick

Lizette Realty - Richmond KY - Lexington, KY

Lizette Realty, Lexington KY MLS - Kentucky Homes

I agree with you. I find all my referral people in Activerain. I usually know someone in the area where I want to refer someone. Nice perks of being here.

Nov 23, 2010 09:46 AM

Melissa Stahl

Melbourne, FL

Realtor, Exit 1st Class Realty

Cindy, Thank you so much for all of the relevant/timely info you have put out there for me to read in my first couple of weeks with AR. I appreciate your openness to help others.

Nov 23, 2010 09:50 AM

Marie Story

Coldwell Banker - Pinecrest (Miami) - Pinecrest, FL

Broker Associate, Pinecrest (Miami) Specialist

Cindy, wonderful criteria for choosing whom to send your referrals to.

Nov 23, 2010 09:58 AM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Cindy, all solid points about qualifying a referral agent, and hey for me, Cindy in Indy is just EASY to remember!!

Nov 23, 2010 10:18 AM

Cindy Marchant

Keller Williams Indy NE 317-290-7775 www.marchantteam.com - Carmel, IN

"Cindy in Indy" , Realtor, Fishers Real Estate

Christine, I know when I search for someone on AR; their AR profile often shows up first...so I know what you mean.

Ross...and a KW agent to boot. lol

Lizette, I agree...one of many perks for sure.

Melissa...as long as you are not in my market...I will share all day long...lol

Marie...criteria that every agent should probably at least consider.

Gary...I am very lucky indeed that I happen to live and sell in Indy and my name is Cindy! And equally lucky to know you for the Dallas/Flower Mound area.

Nov 23, 2010 10:34 AM

Eric Kodner

Wayzata Lakes Realty: Eric Kodner Sells Twin Cities Homes - Minnetonka, MN

Wayzata Lakes Realty: Twin Cities, Madeline Island

When I send a referral, I like to check out ActiveRain members too, but I don't limit myself to this community. A few other things I look at:

-Is the possible referral partner a CRS? CRS has had an established referral network for a long time and they have their own referral form that is an industry standard.

-Do they know how to market property in the bracket my referral client is in? If their experience is all REO and short sale or all under $200,000 and my client who needs the referral wants to find something over half a million, I'd probably keep on looking.

-If my referral client needs a listing agent in another state, I'd want to see that agent's track record over the past six months.

Nov 23, 2010 10:43 AM

Geri Sonkin

Douglas Elliman Real Estate 516-457-7103 - Merrick, NY

Long Island Real Estate & Staging Expert

I have to agree with you. I want to feel as if I know something about the agent to whom I refer a buyer or seller. You certainly can get a good feeling about someone as you read their blog posts, but not setting up a profile makes little sense and, unless the person was new, I'd move on as well. I'm astounded, after all these years, how many people still only have a page on their broker's website. I was searching for someone today and no matter how many ways I Googled her, she came up nowhere.

Nov 23, 2010 11:38 AM

Cindy Marchant

Keller Williams Indy NE 317-290-7775 www.marchantteam.com - Carmel, IN

"Cindy in Indy" , Realtor, Fishers Real Estate

Hi Eric...I am a CRS...and really have not gotten any referrals from it...have my renewal in my mail this week. I would agree on REO being a bit of an animal all it's own. I sell from $50,000 to over $1,000,000 so wide range there. I wrote a post a few weeks ago on an agents stats...I too would want to know. Although most of what I refer out are buyers and so DOM or sale price/list price less pertinent.

Hi Geri! One of the exercises my BNI group has us do from time to time is Google ourselves to see what consumers see...because at the point they "want to know about you"...you better be out there.

Nov 23, 2010 12:00 PM

Dwight Carson

Re/Max United Realty - Lillington, NC

Hi Cindy. When you have buyers heading to North Carolina in the Fort Bragg or Raleigh area, I would really appreciate you keeping me in mind!! We work mighty hard for our clients on this team!!

Nov 23, 2010 12:07 PM

Cindy Marchant

Keller Williams Indy NE 317-290-7775 www.marchantteam.com - Carmel, IN

"Cindy in Indy" , Realtor, Fishers Real Estate

Dwight, I look forward to getting to know you better...once I do...I will most certainly put you as my associate! What a great area you are in Raleigh!

Nov 23, 2010 12:20 PM

Cynthia Larsen

Cotati, CA

Independent Broker In Sonoma County, CA

Cindy - I love AR because there are no more "blind referrals"! I referred a client to an agent in San Diego and it was a wonderful experience. If I know of anyone moving your way you will be getting a call from me. Great post!

Nov 23, 2010 12:31 PM

Patricia Aulson

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOME SERVICES Verani Realty NH Real Estate - Exeter, NH

Realtor - Portsmouth NH Homes-Hampton NH Homes

Bully for you! I really like your posts. Thanks for getting it out to us today.

Patricia/Seacoast Nh & ME

Nov 23, 2010 12:44 PM

Alan May

Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL

Home is where the hearth is.

Cindy - try this:

http://www.2439cowper.info/