This is a comment that I get frequently.
Truth is, it's not at all about "let's send each other business".
That's like a lender or title company meeting me for the first time and saying, "oh, send me some business and see how wonderful I am". Sorry, No.
Referrals are wonderful - whether other agents, vendors, service providers, etc. But it's not based on just meeting someone. We have a duty to our clients. When we refer someone to them, we need to know they're not only good at what they do, but a good match of what our client needs and wants, and how they'll work together.
That's why link farms and referral groups don't work for me. It's all about the client.
Once I know you, how you think, how you feel, how you work - how you'll mesh with a particular client - then I'll be glad to refer you. But - my clients aren't guinea pigs. I don't use them to "try you out".
Many times I'll have occasion to work with an agent/lender/title company/carpet cleaner/dock builder because someone else has chosen them, or because they've sent me business so that I can see how they work. That's how business starts. Not by giving me cookies, or sending me lots of loan programs, or offering me a higher referral fee.
I just want to see my clients get the best. So - show me that you're the best for them, that you care about them, and that you'll treat them as carefully and professionally as I do.
