There is a natural synergy between real estate agents and moving services. After all, real estate agents are directly connected to nearly the entire base of upcoming moves. From a referral or affiliate marketing basis, it sounds perfect. Moving companies get easy access to upcoming moves and real estate agents get an extra income from simply connecting their client base to the next step of the moving process by referring moving companies. Simple, right? Wrong.
How Do Moving Companies Harm Real Estate Agents?
For decades, real estate agents have felt the pain of referring moving companies that end up providing a bad moving experience. From “small issues” like late arrivals and less-than-professional movers to major problems like theft and broken belongings, the acts of a moving company can forever scar the relationship a real estate agent has with a client. Is 10% of the cost of a move really worth the price of losing a potential real estate referral? (We know, you’re shaking your head furiously “NO IT IS NOT! ABORT! ABORT!”)
Is this Pain Avoidable?
Even the best moving companies slip up and have a bad move. That is just a fact of the business. For those with limited issues, it may seem feasible to risk your reputation on the likelihood that most moves will turn out great. But consider the math here: 10% of the cost of a big move is still only in the hundreds of dollars. Would you willingly give up a real estate commision for a few hundred dollars? Probably not.
But yet you also realize that the ability to make referrals to your clients is not just about making money on additional services. It is about the opportunity to provide a lasting full-service client experience. And that means having resources at your disposal to help address their needs.
What Kind of Moving Resources are Safer?
Creating a buffer between your referral and the moving company is the first step in reducing risk to your reputation and increasing the likelihood of a good experience by your client. There are a few options out there but they are not all equal in their risks and rewards. You could go to a one-stop shopping experience where a single service provides all kinds of “options”, from filing change of address forms to ordering cable services to connecting with movers. These are an easy (albeit generic) way to make an entire suite of secondary services accessible to your client. However, keep in mind that these services are unlikely to vet moving companies. They can’t help your clients if something goes wrong and the platform itself may “lose its identity” during the shopping process, keeping your name on the experience–good or bad.
And then there are dedicated, focused resources. These take a little more effort to deploy because you have to sign up for them individually. You will need to keep them handy and make referrals and connections more actively. For example, Unpakt has a comprehensive real estate agent referral program whereby dedicated, unique URLs allow agents to connect their clients to the Unpakt platform. But Unpakt vets the moving companies, manages the moves and stays on the forefront of the experience the entire time. Should something go wrong, their customer support team is the first line of defense–and they have the chops to get issues sorted out. This is a big difference from the simpler “moving company lead generation” options offered by other services. After all, you don’t just need another directory of moving companies. You need a partner to serve your clients on your behalf.
Want to be able to offer your clients access to Unpakt while making referral fees or offering them a discounts (or both?). Check out our Real Estate Agent Referral Program!
