Originally posted by
@Brian Serina:
Hi Bria, I was a member for about two years and left several years ago since our local chapter had weekly meetings and I found them time consuming and not really liking the mix of people’s backgrounds and I didn’t get any referrals. I came in as a commercial broker and although I did meet a few really good people that I still do keep in touch with there really wasn’t anything there for me there. Each group is about 20~30 people. It seemed that half the members were stay-at-home moms trying to launch some home business to make some extra change (like selling petrulli oil and one was selling Avon similar products). The residential realtor seemed to do ok and one or two of the insurance people, but for me after two years it was time to go.
What was it like? I would get a listing for a commercial retail strip center and when it was my turn to present, I would pitch it to the group but as I would look around I could see people in the group texting and some were dozing off - it was so obvious no one was interested in what I had to offer. I would be up there pitching a $1.5m strip center to a bunch of people wondering if they were going to make their mortgage payment next month.
I kept in contact with the business lawyer and the bookkeeper and it wasn’t until after I left we started to refer business to each other. The business lawyer was really good and to this day I refer people to him and every now and then he gives me leads (he just gave me one last week in fact for a large restaurant franchise that the owners also own the r/e).
You have to look at the mix of backgrounds in the group. I was looking for more of a professional background mix and was hoping to be the door into the investment world for them to venture into but after a year I realized no one had any interest in me or what I did. Nice people. But a waste of time. I think if the group had been more doctors, lawyers, dentists, etc it would have been different. So...my suggestion is to go to a couple of their meetups. Talk to several members. Find out what they do and ask yourself if you could see yourself in this group, seeing these people every week, and what are the chances they would refer business to you. I had no interest in exotic oils or high-end beauty products. Hope that helps.
Also, just one more thing. In r/e referrals are very important. I’ve been in this game awhile now. I work relationships and go out of my way to give referrals out to people I know and trust. And it comes back full circle. I am up to my eyebrows in referral business right now. It just keeps coming in. So when you find someone that is good and especially in the line of work you do, an HVAC tradesman, the painter, decorator, roofer, the Hazard Disclosure agent, a really good handyman/woman, etc, go out of your way to give those people referrals - they will be so appreciative it will come back as business to you. Cheers!
