Discover what industry experts are calling “The BEST kept secret in real estate!” and learn why over 1,000 agents join Realty Connect every year.
“Most people don’t know this, but 70% of all real estate transactions in the U.S. are generated by referrals each year, so we have some ambitious plans for the future.” -Dana Jensen
There comes a time in every real estate agent’s career when they no longer want, or are unable, to continue in real estate sales. However, most agents invest a significant amount of time, money, and resources into becoming licensed, and the thought of just letting their license expire or go inactive is not appealing. Dana Jensen recognized this dilemma and wanted to create a way for agents to keep their licenses (Active) without all the fees, dues & expenses normally association with maintaining a real estate license.
He created Realty Connect, an innovative real estate brokerage for "referral” agents. Despite agents hold Active licenses, they do not engage in helping clients buy or sell a home personally. Rather, they simply refer their client to another agent that represents the client and handles the entire transaction. In exchange, their agents earn 25%-75% referral fees. Realty Connect offers an affordable way for agents to keep their license Active for only $100 a year, without all the fees, dues & expenses normally associated with maintaining a real estate license. We got in touch with Realty Connect CEO & Principal Broker, Dana Jensen to further detail us about the company
How did you get the idea for Realty Connect?
I came out of college with a degree in business management and started my career in the corporate world. But I was always attracted to real estate, so I got my license in 2003 and started with a local brokerage. I really enjoyed selling real estate and did well for a few years. But when the housing market crashed in 2007, I wasn't prepared and had to take a break. I wanted to keep my license, but couldn’t afford to pay all the MLS fees, Association dues & Realtor expenses. Without these, no broker would hire me. This is the same point where most agents just let their license expire or go Inactive.
That’s when I got the idea for Realty Connect. I wanted to create an affordable way for agents to keep their license without all the fees, dues & expenses. Plus, they could still use their license and make money. I did my research and found a few referral companies in my market, but they had antiquated business models and most only served an individual market or small region at best. There was nothing on a national basis. So I bootstrapped my idea for several years while I defined and refined the concept.
When I started this company in 2015, everyone laughed at my idea. They never thought it would work. But we were able to prove the concept, and now more than 1,000 agents join Realty Connect each year!
What makes Realty Connect unique?
Realty Connect is the first and only referral brokerage in the United States with a nationwide network of over 25,000 agents serving every zip code in all 50 states. Most brokerages operate on a local or regional level. There is nothing else like this for agents leaving the business or non-traditional agents.
In addition, what we offer is the opportunity to “stay in the game.” As a referral agent they have the ability to make money without having to pay all the dues, fees and expenses. It’s a true game changer in the industry. We are the only national referral brokerage that pays our agents 100% of their referral fees. Other brokerages can take up to 50% of their agent’s referral fee commissions.
Many agents drop out of real estate altogether because they don’t have the interest, ability, or support. In fact, more than 80% of all new agents quit within their first year! As a Realty Connect referral agent, they simply refer potential buyers and sellers into our system.
Who are your agents?
Our agents are strictly referral agents. They cannot represent clients or help people to buy or sell a home. Rather, when they have friends, family, or people they know who are interested in buying or selling real estate, they simply refer that person to a regular agent who represents the client and does all the work.
On the other end of the transaction are the Realtors we use in each state. Our network is full of top local agents from every company you have ever heard of and hundreds more. We want our transactions to be successful, so we only invite top-rated and highly experienced agents to become part of our referral network.
What are the perks associated with Realty Connect?
Of course, the main reason agents join is to keep their real estate license Active for only $100 a year and to avoid having to pay $2,000-$3,000 a year in fees, dues & expenses required to be a full agent. Our agents also get to keep 100% of the commission they earn. Traditional brokers can take up to half of an agent’s commission, on top of the fees required in the industry. We also want our agents to receive their commissions quickly, so we generally pay them on the same day we receive the funds.
When one of our agents refers a client into our system, they can feel confident that their referrals are being matched with top rated agents who have the professional skills and ability to help that person buy or sell real estate. We’ve even created an online community called ‘Encore’ that connects our agents around the country in a forum to share their best tips, techniques and strategies with other agents.
Our goal is to make each process as easy as possible. It’s easy to place a referral, track a client, get an agreement, and receive a payment. We offer a comprehensive, one-stop resource for anything a referral agent needs to do and ensure that they have the tools they need to succeed.
Who can join Realty Connect?
Anyone with a current real estate license can join as a Realty Connect referral agent. The fee to join is only $100 a year. We understand agents have invested a significant amount of time, money, and resources into getting their license, and we offer them an affordable, convenient way to keep their license and make money with it.
What final thing would you like people to know about Realty Connect?
We’re changing not only the face of real estate, but the industry itself. There is no other company offering the nationwide network, the commission structure, or agent resources. We also share the best referral strategies our most successful agents use to generate business with all our new agents, so that level of support is why most agents join. We're invested in the success of our agents, so we try to give them everything they will need.
A Value Driven Leader
Dana Jensen is the CEO & Principal Broker of Realty Connect and has always had an entrepreneurial passion for real estate. Driven by a mission to offer real estate agents an easy and affordable way to keep their license Active, his company is pioneering a new opportunity in the real estate industry.
Courtesy of The CIO Bulletin
https://www.ciobulletin.com/magazine/realty-connect-is-the-best-kept-secret-in-real-estate
