Our Referral Process Isn't What It Used To Be

Your process is the same as mine.  It works. I cannot imagine life without my AR connections.  I am spoiled ... and so are my clients.  I want to keep it that way.

I always check with Active Rain first...

We love receiving and giving referrals.  And so right - if the referred to agent can't call you back within a reasonable period of time, it is time to move on to someone else; they have another agent "giving" them a client they can make money with.  This always amazes me, the lack of follow through and returning calls in a business that lives via customer service.

Hi Bill

Picking the right referral SHOULD be an intentional process, not just something we do willy nilly like picking a name from a hat. AR provides a tremendous opportunity, and for me my CRS network is a huge plus. Even better when I find a CRS who is on AR, too!

Not returning a call or email in a timely manner is a huge red flag. I went ahead with someone several years ago since I knew her but she was slow to respond, but turns out she also delayed her response to my client (who are also friends) and they moved on. I was totally embarrassed.

Jeff

"selection" process is part of it, but just as any real estate purchase/sale, it usually works better with updates along the way.

I find it awkward when someone has reached out and when I ask "how do you prefer to be kept advised of progress?", they respond something akin to "oh, I trust you, good luck...".

I prefer when the referring agent believes they may be able to add insights & value, either to myself or to the client along the way.  That doesn't always happen, but it works much smoother.

I do agree. The 'Rain is my first go-to, it's a proven concept.

I have never cared what broker or company the agent I chose worked for. Just that they were the best in the area where the listing was to take place. For houses owned by my buyers. After 22 years I pretty much know who is good at getting a house sold.

As you can imagine, I field questions from prospects all over the country. Often, I refer them to AR members. Failing that, there is always Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, but then the match is up to a corporate employee who might not match up the top producers, just those who are on her list.

I find the busiest people give the best representation.

Finally, in one case, I contacted Barbara Todaro. She gave me the name of a top producer in Massachusetts outside of her area and my buyers were delighted! I'm still hearing about how happy they were working with the top producer I referred them to. They said they wanted an agent just like me, and they got one. Thanks, Barbara!

I use a similar process, and always start with ActiveRain as well!

AR has certainly made it easier to find a good agent to refer business to. The insight into their personality means a lot.

So appreciate your process.  Having formerly been with RE/MAX for 14 years, that was my go to database. Now i'm so thankfully to have met great agents here that I'd refer in a heartbeat!  Great post! 

I recieved a referral from a fellow rainer last year and I gave it my all to make sure they were well taken care of and happy homeowners in the end.  

Your process sounds perfect to me. The Rain is my first choice too....what a wonderful resource we have here!

Even when AR totally failed me because the ONE agent from the area had retired and no one knew any agent in that little area... AR had shaped my thinking on HOW to find an agent over 10 years ago when I would look for one.  I found someone with a great on line presence, good photos, a website focused on properties and searches not focused on their production. This place has made me wiser.

Sounds about right! I, too, begin my search on the rain. However, even on the Rain, I've been a bit surprised at responses I have received when presenting a referral opportunity. I wrote about it, https://activerain.com/droplet/5frp but if that fails there are always other avenues to make sure your referral customer gets good service.

I do the same thing when I have a referral - I start my search here in the rain instead of going to the Re/Max site.  I have met some wonderful people here in the rain and agree you get to know their personality type from posts and comments

Go back hundreds of years (or more) and word of mouth said it all. Everyone knew where there was whatever one was looking for and referred accordingly

Referrals are an opportunity.  Chances are if you do a good job for the referee then more will come your way.   Not answering yur phone or calling back within a reasonable time will not be acceptable.

The old saying goes  THE EARLY BIRD GETS WTH WORM.

Hi Liz and Bill Spear Thanks for the great blog.  I agree with your blog and utilize many of the points you make for referrals.  I, too, used to use the Re/Max Directory back in my Re/Max days.  I have used AR and other formats as well since. 

Being able to match personalities and knowledge is much easier when I see what they write or how they respond to other blogs.

A great example is a particular person on AR from the west coast has missed out on 2 referrals from me because this particular person tends to snip at some of other peoples comments. 

Another area where I may be different than some agents is:  Sharing that they have a ton of awards and a large team or close 200 transactions a year actually hurts the chance of getting a referral from me.

I can usually figure all of that out just from their blogs or comments or pages.  

I sell primarily ag and commercial properties...BUT almost all of my outbound referrals are for residential. So I do pay close  attention to that segment of our profession.

Thanks again for sharing!!

Hello Liz and Bill Spear, my process is similar to yours. I sent out a listing referral a month ago, unfortunately, couldn't find anyone who is actively working in Charleston WV. However, I was able to find someone from Lab Coat Agents referral group, another great resource.

Liz and Bill Spear  Read ALL the comments so far and have to say -- most of us truly appreciate our AR connections! Fun ... Bye for now - Lynn