How ReferralExchange Boosts the Bottom Line for Nevada REALTOR®
Eric Gothan, a REALTOR® with Sierra Nevada Properties, knows firsthand that real estate is not a business you can walk right into and expect to be an overnight success. “It takes a bit of time,” he explains.
Serving all of Northern Nevada, Gothan is having a particularly good year. “So far, I’m tracking right along with my business plan, and am 15 percent over last year (at press time),” he reports. “By the end of the year, I expect to see a 20 percent increase over last year.”
Gothan attributes part of his success this year to his decision to sign on with ReferralExchange about six months ago. Connecting more than 20,000 top agents in a premier referral network that covers the entire U.S., ReferralExchange allows agents to build both inbound and outbound referral income.
What really piqued Gothan’s interest was how ReferralExchange took the concept of lead generation to a new level. “I was getting so many emails from companies telling me how they could increase my business by getting me these great leads, but it was going to cost me a lot every month,” he explains. “The more I read about ReferralExchange, the more curious I got. They really look for high-quality agents and it’s a lifetime membership. Even if you move to another company, you’re still part of ReferralExchange.”
So instead of paying exorbitant monthly fees for leads that may or may not convert to actual business, Gothan signed on to become part of the nationwide network that quickly resulted in two inbound and four outbound referrals. “The inbound referrals came from agents who had clients looking in areas they didn’t handle, and the outbound referrals were for two clients I had going to Idaho, and one moving to New Mexico and Arizona.”
For Gothan, this type of business that directly impacted his bottom line far outweighs lead generation programs. “These are actual, tangible people wanting to do one of two things: relocate here or relocate out of here. Portals give you leads and it’s your job to follow up. The lead may be serious or it may not be serious. There’s no way of telling until you talk to someone…if you get to talk to someone at all. With ReferralExchange, these are people who are further along in the process and are serious about what they need to do. They have a reason or a goal for moving.”
When Gothan has a client looking outside of the areas he serves, he puts them into the ReferralExchange system and an agent in the network will contact him for more information. “That way I can get a good feel for the agent and give them a good idea of what the client is looking for. It’s important that the agent has an understanding of who’s on the other end.”
According to Gothan, the success of the ReferralExchange network lies within the quality of its members. “People who are part of the network are very professional in their business,” says Gothan. “We have very seasoned agents in the network.”
He also points to the quality of the ReferralExchange team itself. “If I have a question or an issue, I can get a hold of them to resolve it. The system and the technology are great, and the website is easy to manage and navigate. It’s really a win-win situation.”
Bottom line, says Gothan, ReferralExchange helps give him a leg up on his competition. “If you utilize the system and market yourself properly—let all your clients know you can work the entire United States—then it will pay dividends. It’s pennies from heaven.”
For more information, please visit www.referralexchange.com.
Maria Patterson is RISMedia’s executive editor. Email her your real estate news ideas at maria@rismedia.com.
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