Does Referring to ActiveRain Members Really Work?

Does referring to ActiveRain members really work? Oh yeah, they sure can!

In February of this year, I googled real estate agents in the Stem, NC area. We were working with buyers getting ready to close on their new house in Franklin, NC. They were blissfully happy about the new house. The only thing that kept them from being (thank you Robin Williams) FULL TILT BOZO HAPPY was the unsold house they owned in Stem, NC.

I offered to find them a good listing agent. After googling “real estate agents in Stem, NC” I found 5 agents. First, I looked at their online presence. I weeded out the agents with hard to navigate sites and was left with three agents. All three agents had an association with ActiveRain and I found that to be helpful. Then I called the three agents. I‘m still waiting for a return call from one. Another seemed to resent being “interviewed” for a referral and then there was James Hutson with C21 Hancock Properties in Oxford, NC.

His voice mail has a most delightfully upbeat and professional message. I left a message and he returned the call within 5 minutes. He not only appreciated the referral…he was completely positive he could help our clients. This house had been listed for more than 2 years. Our clients only heard from their agents when it was time to renew or if the agents wanted the price lowered or costly updates made to the house. When I told James I knew communication would be a huge issue with these folks, his prompt response was “no problem”. Part of his business model is keeping in touch with his listing clients on a weekly basis.

Keep in mind, we didn‘t refer an unknown entity to James. We made sure that by the time he introduced himself to our clients he had a great working knowledge of what made them tick. What might have been a cold call became a warm and personal referral. We also gave our clients all the information we had on James as well as our personal impression of him.

James kept his word and our clients loved him. He kept them informed and kept us informed also. The house went under contract a few months ago and because there was a contingent sale there were a few bumps in the road to closing but close it did. Last week our buyers became FULL TILT BOZO happy that a new family was enjoying the house in Stem and they were at long last freed from the obligations of the other house.

Thank you James Hutson for taking care of our clients. You did a great job and I’m so happy to have gotten to know you.

Referring to ActiveRain members can be rewarding for all parties involved, but it’s important to remember you can’t expect good results without giving good information to your new partner. Referrals should never be “just a phone call and a name”.