Well, it seems as though we've had a 'Failure to Communicate' moment here in the Rain (Gee, fancy that!).
There appears to have been a difference of opinion as to what constitutes a 'referral' in real estate terms.
We've had a significant number of members contact us, voicing their frustration with our 'Referral Exchange' feature. Evidently, people who have been accessing this feature, and responding to their Referral Alerts, discover that the referrals really aren't referrals. Confusing, I know!
For the sake of clarity, to ensure the value/integrity of this feature, and so that everyone using this feature is on the same page, we have recently added the following language to the Referral Exchange Main Page:
"The Referral Exchange is the place for members to effectively pass/share client referrals with one another. A referral is a 'live' client contact, someone who is seriously considering either buying or selling a home in the near future. The Referral Network IS NOT a place to advertise your listings, promote your development, or solicit 'potential' referral partners for some unknown possibility down the road. It is ONLY for members to share/pass actual 'live' clients who need a real estate professional to assist them now."
We hope this serves to adequately dispel any doubts or questions as to the definition of a 'referral.' In the future, anything posted to the Referral Exchange that does not meet this definition will be removed.
As always, we greatly appreciate the valued input of our vested members. This is YOUR community, and it exists to provide meaningful benefit to your business.
Rich Jacobson, ActiveRain Community Builder
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