Referrals Matter...

Referrals Matter…

Debbie Reynolds has asked us to talk about referrals in the Referrals Matter-March ActiveRain Contest. I have a bit of a different take since I’m not an agent.

However, I have referred friends and relatives to agents many times.

Just as an agent, I need to know that my referral will be taken care of in a professional manner.

The first place I search is ActiveRain.  Having been on this site for 10 years, I have in my referral file in my brain many names.

How do those names get there?

You see, just because a member has been blogging for years and is in the city and state for my referral, doesn’t mean that I will make an automatic referral.

Their Blog

I do read them and will even read their listing and market reports.

It’s hard to get a feel for someone if they write only these but that’s ok. If it’s working for them, there’s nothing in any rule book that I’m aware of that requires you to post more than that.

But I like to see their attitude and tone when they write their listing posts.

Aside from that, I look at their posts highlighting local places and activities.

You can see how involved someone is in their community and if they really are the local expert.

And then there are the other posts an agent writes. This is where you can get a better feel for who that person is. Whether they’re writing about an issue in the real estate industry or a totally different subject, you will learn more about who that person is.

Is their humor tongue-in-cheek, dry, or pretty straightforward?

You can read about their knowledge of the real estate industry and how they handle situations that arise.

You can also, by their tone, see what’s more important...the money, the deal, or the client.

Their Comments

As has been pointed out here many times, reading comments can be an education itself!

Years ago I didn’t want to give a referral to a member because they seemed so negative in all of their comments. Perhaps I should have called that person to get to know them before passing my judgment on them but I moved on to another member.

Unfair? Maybe but as they say, first impressions are important.

The Call

I’m working on calling members here, much like Margaret Rome, Baltimore Maryland. No email, no texting...an actual call. Outside of a face to face meeting, a call is a great way to meet someone.

There are many ways to make sure that the referral you have will be treated just as you would if you were the agent working with them.

But one of the benefits that this community has is the wealth of resources for agents, lenders, home inspectors, stagers and any other real estate related professional. All you have to do is read and pick up the phone.