You’ll hear the word ‘referrals’ in any discussion of what makes a good broker – generally assumed to be a direct result of good service. But at the level of a brokerage, driving referrals takes a lot more then technical confidence, as Aussie Carnegie demonstrates.
Aussie Carnegie
You’ll hear the word ‘referrals’ in any discussion of what makes a good broker – generally assumed to be a direct result of good service. But at the level of a brokerage, driving referrals takes a lot more then technical confidence, as Aussie Carnegie demonstrates.
Franchise manager Belinda Edwards explains how it’s done. When principal broker Glenn English talks to clients, “it is not in his script to ask for a referral … the customers feel so comfortable they do just naturally talk about him to their friends.” Families are also an important conduit of referrals for the brokerage. “Because Glenn has been in the industry for a long time,” Edwards explains, “it is not unusual for [him] to help the brother and the sister and the mother in the family as well. Just through this, it takes our client base outside the Carnegie area.”
Prioritising referrals doesn’t mean the brokerage has abandoned marketing, however. “Aussie [does] the mainstream brand-awareness stuff,” Edwards says. “We do more niche marketing.” That includes their ‘refer a friend’ campaign, where clients who refer the brokerage to a friend will receive a $100 Coles/ Myer voucher. Furthermore, “Aussie [has] a number of initiatives we can jump on, and it’s extremely cost-effective to do that,” Edwards says. Other campaigns have brought extra customers and referrals, which means the brokerage has to spend very little on standard advertising.
Maintaining a creative yet consistent service is another part of the referral-driving strategy, according to Edwards. That starts at hiring and is enforced with a written procedure for taking a qualified lead to completion: “It’s like a recipe; once you’ve nailed that basic bit, that’s where your personality and experience really become a highlight.”
The team evidently has faith in referrals growing the business: The coming year will see more ‘refer a friend’ campaigns, more hiring and possibly even expansion. “A second store is not out of the question,” Edwards says.
You’ll hear the word ‘referrals’ in any discussion of what makes a good broker – generally assumed to be a direct result of good service. But at the level of a brokerage, driving referrals takes a lot more then technical confidence, as Aussie Carnegie demonstrates.Franchise manager Belinda Edwards explains how it’s done. When principal broker Glenn English talks to clients, “it is not in his script to ask for a referral … the customers feel so comfortable they do just naturally talk about him to their friends.” Families are also an important conduit of referrals for the brokerage. “Because Glenn has been in the industry for a long time,” Edwards explains, “it is not unusual for [him] to help the brother and the sister and the mother in the family as well. Just through this, it takes our client base outside the Carnegie area.”
Prioritising referrals doesn’t mean the brokerage has abandoned marketing, however. “Aussie [does] the mainstream brand-awareness stuff,” Edwards says. “We do more niche marketing.” That includes their ‘refer a friend’ campaign, where clients who refer the brokerage to a friend will receive a $100 Coles/ Myer voucher. Furthermore, “Aussie [has] a number of initiatives we can jump on, and it’s extremely cost-effective to do that,” Edwards says. Other campaigns have brought extra customers and referrals, which means the brokerage has to spend very little on standard advertising.
Maintaining a creative yet consistent service is another part of the referral-driving strategy, according to Edwards. That starts at hiring and is enforced with a written procedure for taking a qualified lead to completion: “It’s like a recipe; once you’ve nailed that basic bit, that’s where your personality and experience really become a highlight.”
The team evidently has faith in referrals growing the business: The coming year will see more ‘refer a friend’ campaigns, more hiring and possibly even expansion. “A second store is not out of the question,” Edwards says.
