Referral continuity brief
A Referral Packet Should Be an Index, Not an Inbox Dump
Enough context for continuity, no unsupported conclusions, and a named next owner.
A relocating client may be juggling housing, work, identification, vehicle, mail, tax, financing, and family records. The referring agent’s job is not to forward that entire file. The useful handoff is a consent-based index: enough context for continuity, no unsupported conclusions, and a named next owner.
The six-line handoff card
- Client decision: buying, selling, leasing, investing, or still defining the real-estate need.
- Geography and neutral criteria: the client’s own commute, property-type, accessibility, maintenance, timing, and budget parameters—without protected-class proxies or steering language.
- Timing: the client-stated target date and the event behind it, clearly labeled flexible or fixed.
- Consent and contact: what the client approved for sharing, the approved contact method, and best contact window.
- Scope gaps: lender, CPA, attorney, qualified intermediary, insurer, property manager, or other specialist still needed.
- Next owner: the receiving agent’s exact next action and date, plus the referring agent’s follow-up date.
Share the inventory, not the documents
The handoff can say “buyer has lender preapproval dated August 27” or “client has California property and wants Section 1031 guidance.” It usually should not attach a preapproval letter, tax return, bank statement, government ID, wire instruction, full exchange agreement, medical record, or other sensitive file unless the client authorized it and the recipient supplied an approved secure channel for a legitimate purpose.
Verify license status and role
Confirm the receiving professional’s current license status and brokerage role through the appropriate regulator or broker process before presenting the match as complete. State what the agent will do and what remains outside scope. Referral compensation, agency, advertising, privacy, and interstate-license questions may require broker or counsel review.
Example: California-to-Nevada buyer
Weak: “California client moving fast. Sent all their documents.”
Useful: “With client consent: Nevada purchase decision; detached home preferred; two work routes need testing; target occupancy October 15; lender chosen but insurance review not started; no tax or ID records attached; receiving agent to call by 11:00 AM Tuesday; referring agent to confirm contact Wednesday.”
FAQ
Should the referring agent collect the client’s DMV or tax documents?
Not for a routine real-estate referral. Record the unresolved need and route the client to the correct agency or professional. Avoid unnecessary sensitive data.
How much client detail should be shared?
Only what the client authorized and the receiving professional reasonably needs for the agreed real-estate handoff. Use an approved secure channel when sensitive information is genuinely required.
When is the handoff complete?
Not when the introduction is sent. Close the loop after the receiving agent confirms contact, scope, and the next real-estate action; then record the next owner and date.
Sources and limits
- Nevada DMV New Resident Guide
- California FTB Part-Year Resident and Nonresident Guidance
- IRS Instructions for Form 8824
General brokerage education only. Referral duties, agency, privacy, compensation, advertising, license status, and professional scope are fact-specific and may require broker or counsel review.
Build the right handoff
Start with consent, role clarity, and a named next owner.
Do not send confidential documents through ordinary email