REAL ESTATE REFERRAL BASICS

1. PUT IT IN WRITING.   Always,  ALWAYS  make  your  referral  in  writing.  Whether  your  referral  is  within  your  office,  across town or across the country,  having  a  written  (and signed) Agreement will assure that your information is properly  conveyed and that you get paid when the transaction has closed.  If  you  don't  have a  good  referral form  click here  and download ours for free (to Members).  

2. WORK. If you aren't spending 40 to 60 hours a week - every week - in PROactive work, you are not going to be financially or professionally successful. And don't kid yourself,  less than 40 hours a week means you ARE a Part-timer. Expect part time income. 

3. ASK FOR THE ORDER. Before you take the listing, or even before you go to the appointment, ask where the sellers are moving. If they are moving out of the area, let them know you can connect them with an expert Realtor in their new area - at no charge to them. Working with buyers?  Maybe they own property in another city they would like to sell - ASK, ask, ask! Don't be so distracted with trying to "sell" your immediate service that you forget to do the easiest  part - recommending someone else. If it turns out you don't get the business they contacted you about, you may still get the referral. 

4. IMMEDIATE CONTACT. When you receive a referral IMMEDIATELY send the customer/client an email, call them and snail mail them your card  and brochure with a cover letter. DO ALL THREE . If you're sending a referral make sure the customer/client knows they can expect contact within 24 hours and find out what their time and method preference is. DO  NOT expect them to make the first contact, it rarely happens. Remember - be PRO active! 
   
5. BE PROFESSIONAL.  Have your "stuff" together. State-of-the-art printed  materials, from business cards to brochures to presentations to websites, are no longer the exception in our business. They are the professional  standard. (Need  a  custom  brochure or  other promotional  material? - check out our SALES and DISCOUNTS link on the Member Page)  Our  customers and clients expect us to be at least as technologically skilled  as they are. The sad truth is, the average real estate agent isn't.  If your online skills are lacking, take a class or practice or both. The real estate industry is now considered to be 50% + technical  and 80%+ buyers and sellers start their buying or selling process online.  If you don't have online technical skills, you ARE NOT  a true professional and the public  "gets it".  You WILL lose business to those who can communicate with all media.

6. FOLLOW-UP.   You can't hit a home run if you don't follow through.  Keep in contact with your referral Realtor as well as your customer/client.  Back in the dark ages when some of us first started doing military relocation buyers frequent response to the question, "why did you choose me?” was: "Because  you  were  the only one who called us more than once".  Use  a  contact  management program or a simple paper and pencil form to make  sure you maintain regular contact before, during and after the transaction.  It's the key to good service and you'll end up with a pocket full of commissions and very happy customers.

7. RE-INVEST. As you earn income from your hard work and professional skills, re-invest a pre-determined amount (we recommend 10%) in your future business. Remember that you are self-employed and every business needs capital to continue to flourish. 

8. REST. Always schedule regular time off, weekly and annually. You will find that restricting your customers'/clients' access makes them more  eager to  do business with you and more appreciative all your hard work. If you don't take time to regenerate mentally and physically you will not be your best during "business hours", when it counts the most. And remember, this is what we do for a living- it is not our "life".  We need to be happy, fit and alert people to do our best work.