I have been playing here in the Rain for just over a year now, and I have been fortunate enough to have received a good number of referrals from my friends here. For the past 12 years or so, I have been selling homes here in Austin, Texas. Since our primary company website gets decent traffic, I usually get a few referrals just from random agents looking on Google or Yahoo. ActiveRain has enhanced these numbers considerably.
As a result, I have a new outlook on referrals, and I hope other members here share this mentality with me, as it will help all of us. When I am speaking with someone who is looking to relocate to Austin, I now know that I have an extensive network of solid agents around the country that I can depend on to help any potential clients who have a home to sell. Granted, this is not a quick process in some parts of the world, but I feel confident that I can find a professional with a moderate amount of research here on AR. Of course, there are certain cities where I don't have to think twice, as someone has already captured that area in my mind.
This is a big paradigm shift for me, since I never used to seek much referral income. If someone asked if I knew anyone in (Fort Worth, Scottsdale, New Orleans, Topanga, CA, Long Island, wherever), I would look at them blankly for a second and say something like, "I'm sure I can find someone good there," which meant Googling the area. In other words, any referrals that I sent kinda fell into my lap.
This is no longer necessary.
Now, my face lights up: "As a matter of fact, I have a good friend there who has been in real estate for eight years. You HAVE to call him if you are moving."
What a difference a year makes!
The same goes for my listing clients, if they are moving to a new area. "Have you found a good agent in ________ yet? If not, I would love to help. I know a LOT of agents across the country, thanks to my involvement in ActiveRain, which is a blogging and networking site." Yes, I have said this, pretty much verbatim.
If you are not on the lookout for these types of opportunities, you may be letting some income slip through your fingers. If you are looking for someone in Austin or central Texas, look no further. I would love the opportunity to help! If I am not able to help, I can guarantee that I can find someone suitable.
In fact, writing this post has given me a new idea. I need to promote this concept more heavily on my website!
Yesterday morning, I closed a referral from an agent in Boise, Idaho. It took me very little time, and the agent called me today to thank me for a job well done.
Thanks for your time!
Copyright 2008 Jason Crouch All rights reserved Austin Real Estate
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