referral partners

Oct 28
0

Maintaining your Realtor Partnerships in 2017

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This natural partnership between a Realtor and Loan Officer does not always come easy, but to ignore this sector of your business entirely when developing your business plan could make your path toward a steady pipeline that much longer.

Here are some excellent thought-prompter questions that I use with my own coaching clients to aid them in developing their goals and specific action steps regarding their current Realtor book of business.

1. What do ALL of my Realtors receive from me on a regular basis? List what it is and the frequency.

For example: Auto-generated newsletter: Monthly, Invites to Company-sponsored events: Annually, Check-in phone calls: weekly

2. Is there anything else I would like to make sure that ALL my Realtors receive from me in 2017, other than the items listed above and what do I want the frequency to be?

3. What do I want to provide of value to my A and B Realtors in 2017 and at what frequency?

For example: CE courses: Quarterly and/or Realtor appreciation gatherings: 2xs per year, Mortgage educational flyers: Monthly, Content for their Blogs: Weekly, etc.

4. How many face to face appointments do I want to attempt to schedule with my B Realtors each month? What is my agenda for each meeting?

5. How many face to face appointments do I want to attempt to schedule with my A Realtors each month? What is my agenda for each meeting?

6. List out ALL of the Realtor-specific activities that I want to continue to be engaged in or offer to assist with in 2017?

For example: Sponsoring Broker Opens, Co-sitting Open Houses, Sponsoring RE office Training Events, Attending RE Office Sales Meetings, etc.

7. Is there anything that I’d like to do for my Realtors with respect to Social Media like LinkedIn and/or Facebook?

For example: Help to promote listings, Post pictures with borrowers & Realtor from closings, Comment on Realtor pages more, Provide recommendations on their LinkedIn pages, etc.

8. What systems do I use that could be of help to my Realtors?

For example: Co-branded email drip campaign systems, Mutual client birthday notifications, Market update alerts, Open house flyer generation, Mortgage-related smartphone applications, etc.

9. How frequently do I want to review my entire Realtor list to make sure that they are appropriately categorized as an A, B or C Realtor? (Obviously, as time and relationships and circumstances change, so should their category)

10. What else do I want to consider as it relates to the maintenance of my Realtor partnerships as part of my 2017 Business Plan that I feel was not touched-upon in the above questions?

Oct 19
0

Four Great Activities to Meet New Realtors

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You’ve likely heard it a million times…”You’ve got to build a relationship!” But, where do you start? How do you even get that first chance to start a relationship with a Realtor you’ve never met or done business with before?

Here are four great ways to get in front of Realtors, that are all easy, budget-friendly and offer the most direct path to success:

Play Leap-Frog-Ask each of your closest Realtor partners to introduce you to two of their peers, perhaps a new Realtor at their office or a Realtor who’s been grumbling about their current Lender or someone who they feel would be an excellent personality match to you.

And, don’t stress yourself out with all of the “what ifs”…What if my Realtors don’t respond? What if the other Realtor doesn’t want to meet with me? What if…?

Just do the first step, which is simply to ask the question.

Beginning the relationship building process is always easiest and fastest when initiated by a trusted peer who is already singing your praises-Social proof has a HUGE impact on gaining more, yes’s to your requests for networking meetings.

Tap into your Refi Database-Here’s an easy one that most folks don’t think about. Send out a mass email to your past refi clients, those for whom you did NOT process their original home loan, and ask them for an introduction to their favorite Realtor. Be transparent in your approach. Most people understand that Realtors are your natural partners, but they certainly do have to be reminded that your continued success depends on all types of referrals, not just to other direct consumers, but to possible Referral Partners, too.

Customers have a lot of power and pull. Think about it, if one of your own past customers emailed you and suggested that you really should reach out and connect with an Insurance Agent they adored, you certainly would not disappoint, would you? Neither will their Realtors!

Tag Along-Commit to tagging along with a Title Rep or other Industry Professional to Broker Opens, “Going on Tour,” and/or popping into Open Houses a few times a month. This approach works especially well for folks who don’t have a database to tap into or who are on the shyer side or simply feel rusty at getting out and in front of Realtors. Leaning on another Professional to break the ice can certainly help you to stretch out of your comfort zones. The trick to this approach is to tag-along regularly and even change-up who you tag-along with in order to mix up the chemistry.

Social Snooping-Research Realtors in your area via LinkedIn or Facebook. Reach out and suggest a networking/coffee date to brainstorm and share business growth strategies. Another great on-line snooping resource is www.ActiveRain.com, a Realtor-specific forum.  In fact, in some areas of the country, there are live Active Rain meet-up groups and generally you will be the ONLY Mortgage Professional in attendance! Truth is, very similar to how the general public has embraced online dating methods, Professionals of all types are getting much more comfortable with meeting potential referral partners initially encountered via social media avenues, like LinkedIn and Facebook.

When reaching out to Realtors via these avenues, it’s always a good idea to snoop into their profile to uncover a particular niche, passion or general interest that the two of you share and use that common thread within your message.