25 Local Businesses Every Real Estate Agent Should Have in Their Referral Network

Ever wonder why word-of-mouth is such a powerful thing?

Studies show people trust recommendations from friends and family more than anything.

From restaurants to hair salons to the best service professionals for home repairs, you want to be the agent who can help your clients get the best value for their money.

To help you grow your own referral network—and become your client’s number one resource for trusted local businesses and service providers—I’m sharing my top 25 referral partners for real estate agents.

 

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Getting more free real estate leads isn’t the only reason to create a network of referral partners. By collaborating with a referral partner, you can:

• Enhance your brand‘s visibility.
• Gain access to their network of contacts.
• Save on marketing and event expenses by sharing certain costs.
• Potentially establish an exclusive agreement to refer only each other’s products and services.
• Provide clients with added value through trusted referrals to essential services.

You can also partner with these professionals for your marketing. In fact, many of my clients work with a partner to offset costs for their own personally branded marketing magazine.

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A referral network like the one I’m describing here is one of the pillars of a successful real estate business. With NAR settlement changes shaking up the industry, it’s more important than ever for agents to provide proof of their ongoing value to the client.

One of the ways to do this is to be your client’s best resource when it comes to sifting through all the options to quickly find personally vetted, trustworthy, and high-value local businesses and service professionals—starting with the ones they’ll need, aside from you, to help them buy or sell a home in your area.

Referred clients close deals faster, stick with you longer, and even refer more people your way.

So, here are my top 25 referral partners for real estate professionals, broken into categories:

Real Estate/Moving:

1. Lenders
2. Mortgage Brokers
3. Insurance Brokers
4. Lawyers
5. Movers
6. House Inspectors

Home Care: 

1. House Cleaners
2. Interior Designers
3. Furniture Companies
4. Building Supply Store
5. Maintenance Professionals

Trades/Services:

1. House Painters
2. Roofers
3. Lawn Care Specialists
4. Electricians
5. Plumbers
6. Heating & Air Conditioning (HVAC) Technicians

Neighborhood Businesses:

1. Doctors
2. Dentists
3. Restaurants
4. Hair Stylists/Barbers
5. Daycare Facilities
6. Coffee Shops
7. Bakeries
8. Auto Repair Shops

Start by listing out businesses and service providers in your area for each referral category. Make a note of the reasons you might refer clients to each one. Then start contacting the options you trust the most to discuss the possibility of a referral partnership.