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Finding The Best Agents to Refer to Past Clients, Family & Friends

By
Real Estate Agent with Homebuyer Representation, Inc. DRE# 5467433

Find the best real estate agents nationwideHave you ever been asked to help friends and family or past clients find good real estate agents when they relocate to other areas? Or maybe you have a consumer who needs professional representation in your area, but for a transaction that is outside of your area of expertise.

Because the ultimate goal of a referral should be to help the consumer find the best possible agent, there are at least 5 things you should be looking at before making a recommendation:
 

DESIGNATIONS:

  1. ABR (We look for the ABR for both buyer and seller agent referrals because it shows that the agent understands Agency and Representation),
  2. CRS (Proven production and experience, values education and referrals),
  3. GRI (Again, values education and shows they are willing to invest $$$ and time in becoming a better AGENT, not just a better salesperson),
  4. CNE (Because negotiation skills are critical to putting and keeping transactions together and achieving the best outcomes for your clients).
  5. Any other certification or designation that you know is important to the buyer or seller's goals. There are many. Just a couple examples: CEBA (Certified Exclusive Buyer's Agent - Always works for the buyer's best interest only), e-Pro (tech-savvy, responsive), ALC (land consultant, a different ballgame than houses), SRES (Senior Real Estate Specialist), SFR (Short Sale and Foreclosure Resource). Designations help you see where agents have invested time and money to become better professionals and the areas they have chosen to pursue advanced education and specialization. Why would you refer a consumer to someone who is not a specialist when a specialist is available? In our experience, part time and jack-of-all-trades agents usually acquire and maintain fewer designations.

 

WEBSITE & BLOG:  

Look at the agent's website and preferably their blog. You should be less interested in the modern-ness of the presentation and more in the content. Even if the material on the site or blog is older, the content gives you insight into what type of agent they are. Consumers will probably not pick up on this, but fellow agents, especially those of you with more than 5 years of full-time experience, will be able to tell a lot about the agent and the type of experience a consumer might have with them by looking over the content on their blog and website.

 

SKILLS & SPECIALIZATIONS:  

Beyond designations, The CRS Referral Network, REALTOR.com profiles, and linkedin also show you what an agent and/or their peers and past clients consider to be their areas of expertise. You might also find areas of expertise listed on other agent profile sites and the agent's website or blog. Does the agent practice Exclusive Buyer Agency? Do they specialize in military relocation? Investment properties? Commercial property? Property management?

Local example: An agent who specializes in horse property in lower Draper (Utah) may need a different set of skills and experience than an agent who specializes in luxury homes in the foothills near the Draper Golf Course, or an agent who specializes in homes up in the mountain top community of Suncrest, also in Draper.  

 

STATISTICS:  

Statistics aren't always available when referring outside of your local area, but when they are available, use them. Locally, I look at a potential agent's stats. Average days on market, original list to final sold price, concessions, production volume in the area of the listing or purchase, etc. Strong patterns in their statistics can give you an idea about the type of agent they are. (For example, do they "buy" listings? Do they under-price everything they touch for super fast closings?) You can see through the standard, "I will sell or help you buy the best home at the best price and terms in the shortest amount of time" line that every consumer will hear from nearly every agent by cross-checking their story with their statistics when they are available. (I've had agents tell me they are specialists in an area who showed no transactions in the area for over 2 years, or tell me they are full-time and they only have 1 or 2 closed transactions per year.)

 

INSIDE INFORMATION - Agent to Agent Contact:

Since agency-level representation is important to us and to most people who ask us for agent referrals, we recommend contacting potential agents and informally interviewing them to find out a bit more about the type of agent they are. Agent to agent conversations reveal more about the level of actual representation a consumer will likely receive than a consumer to agent inquiry where the agent is often heavily in sales mode. While that may still happen in an agent to agent conversation, fellow agents know how much of what is being promised is stuff everybody is doing and how much is really value added. Because consumers don't deal in real estate every day, a lot of the white noise information they get can be overwhelming or confusing.

 

Conclusion: 

This all takes a lot longer than just sending off some names and letting the consumer do the research. However, the extra research by someone on the "inside" is critical to making a good referral for the best interest of the buyer or seller.

More than half of all consumers work with the first agent they talk to! It is much better for a consumer to get a referral from a professional than to simply rely on the spiel they hear from the first agent they talk to. Buying and selling a home is a major financial transaction and it's worth the extra time up front to be best represented.

If you are an agent and you are asked to refer a buyer or seller to another agent, please do some professional level due diligence before recommending someone. We recommend cross-checking anyone a consumer may already have in mind with the things mentioned above. Sure, not every agent will check all of the boxes, but doing the research helps you make a more educated recommendation.

Also, if you are an agent, take some time to consider where you might be able to invest a little time or money to become a better agent worthy of referrals.

 

Buying consumers:

Homebuyer Representation, Inc. - Exclusive Buyer Agents

  • Do you have excellent credit?
  • Do you plan to purchase a $400,000+ home within 60 days?
  • Do you have a good down payment, or are you a cash buyer?
  • Do you want a professional agent on YOUR side?

Don't work with any agent. Get YOUR OWN agent!

Click here to find a Buyer's Agent nationwide.

Or call us at (801) 969-8989 today for a recommendation.

 

Selling consumers:

  • Does the home you are selling have a great floorplan?
  • Do you need professional advice on pricing your home?
  • Do you wonder whether to make improvements to your home or sell it as is?
  • Do you want a professional agent on YOUR side?

Don't work with any agent. Get YOUR OWN agent!

Click here to find a Listing Agent nationwide.

Or call us at (801) 969-8989 today for a recommendation.

 

©2016 Homebuyer Representation, Inc. - "The Real Estate Agents on the Buyer's Side" TM All Rights Reserved

Salt Lake City, UT - Exclusive Buyer's Agents (EBAs)

For more information, or for information on finding the best agents nationwide, visit our relocation website: GetYourOwnAgent.com

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