The Right Way to Refer
Real Estate is local. There's a lot of truth to that, and because of that fact, the real estate industry has a lot of opportunities for professionals to refer clients, family, and friends to those outside of their local area of expertise. Clients relocate. They choose a new town for school. They move to retire. They buy second homes. The reasons are endless. Even though there are endless reasons for referrals to occur, there are some folks who refer folks (what I would consider) the wrong way, and the way I refer (which I consider the right way).
So what's the wrong way to refer? I'd have some people who disagree, but a referral should always be in a client's best interest. If there's a paycheck involved, great, but that should never be the reason to refer. The wrong way to refer is to send a referral for the sake of getting a referral check. In the mortgage industry, referral fees aren't even allowed, so there's never a financial incentive to send a client to another professional. Some people I've seen send a referral to the first name they can find on google, just to make the connection and get the referral fee. Their poor clients are unaware, and the dice are rolled to see whether the client will be served well, poorly, or at all.
And then, of course, there's the right way to refer. Refer to someone you know, like, and trust. One of the beautiful things about ActiveRain is it allows us to get to know people, find out who we like, and find out who we can trust. Through local market reports, industry"war" stories, and everyday interactions, we're fortunate enough to have an opportunity to get to know people all over the country in many different markets. When someone needs help in an area, I check to see if there's someone I know, like, and trust in that area. If there is, I get them in touch. Usually with an email cc'ing both parties. Other times with a phone call introduction, but I always like to give each party a heads up the referral will take place, then connect them and give them an opportunity to follow up with each other. Beyond that, I stay out of it.
I do check in to see how the experience went with the person I referred to in order to make sure the person felt I placed them in great hands. Most often, they are more than happy.
Within the past couple years I've had the chance to work on referrals to and from many people around the country that I met through ActiveRain. Margaret Rome, Baltimore Maryland wrote about a great experience we had with a referral in the rain. Elyse Berman, PA was also a great choice for a referral I had in Florida, and she also wrote about how great an experience ActiveRain can lead to. David Henke and his team were able to help a friend of mine in Southeast PA buy his first home in a wonderful buying experience.
I know these people. I like them. And I trust them. I know my clients, whether they're my clients for a specific transaction or not, are in great hands. At the end of the day, that's what I care about. My referrals are a reflection of myself, and in making sure they are taken care of as I would take care of them myself is the right way to refer.
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