Take 5 How to build your referral network within the MRP certification With Lynn Peters TRT 5:12 Transcription Lynn Peters directly addresses camera: When a military family from Little Rock, Arkansas had to move to Florida, they told their local Realtor they needed help. The local real estate agent had a Military Relocation Professional certification or MRP, through the National Association of Realtors®. She contacted me through the referral network while I, just happened to be manning the housing office at the Pensacola Naval Air Station. Rather than rent, I helped them find a house to buy. They purchased in my neighborhood and have been there for six years. I’m Lynn Peters, a sales associate with RE/MAX America’s Top Realty in Gulf Breeze. More than 80 percent of my business is working with military buyers and sellers. The MRP Certification was one of the first ones I earned when I got my license in 2004. I also gave out six referrals to MRP members last year. Let’s take five minutes to talk about how to build your military referral network. First, did you know that there are 25 million living Americans who have served in the United States Armed Forces? That means, even if you don't work in the area where there is a military base, you can still earn referrals for veterans and military servicemembers who turn to agents in the network when they are ready to buy or sell a home in a new area. So, the first thing I recommend is that you take the four-hour class and earn your military relocation professional certification. There are two different ones. Florida Realtors offers a certification and NAR offers another. I recommend both, but NAR offers a huge, worldwide referral network. Next, you must get your name out there. Make sure you advertise that you have the MRP certification on all social media sites. Plus, there are all sorts of social media sites for the military. You can go to those pages and offer valuable information for military relocates or retired military. Write articles that highlight Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) financing or offer tips on finding the perfect retirement home. You can also highlight and showcase information from Florida Realtors Daily News and even post your listings and your company’s listings on those pages, as long as you have your broker’s permission, of course. Since the State of Florida hosts 21 bases from all branches of the military, Florida is in the top 5 percent of retirement locations in the country. Locate your closest military base or your Chamber of Commerce. Let them know that you have your MRP Certification and can make the process of relocating to and from your area an easy one for our veterans, servicemembers and their families. Finally, National Parks & Recreation Services and other Visitors’ Centers typically have information walls where you can post fliers and information sheets. Did you know that the national MRP website offers all kinds of quarterly webinars? There is a NAR MRP Facebook page where you can meet up with other real estate professionals who specialize in this niche. Building relationships with MRP members from other areas of the state or nationwide means more referrals for business. Keep in touch with those contacts via a monthly phone call, email or through social media. They also offer a profile page. Make sure your profile page is up to date with current profile photo and is accurate, then share it with your prospective customers. If you are in an area that has a military base, visit their housing office every few months. At the Pensacola Naval Air Station, they allow Realtors to volunteer at the office for members of the Pensacola Association of Realtors Navy Housing Committee. That is rare, however, as this is the only program of its kind. Yet it’s always good to get to know the people at the housing office so they call you when they get a lead. I also recommend having a military relocation package ready for potential referrals. Include helpful material on the community, schools, maps and more. Also include sample sales contracts, information about military housing perks and special financing programs that active duty and retired military can take advantage of. I also include a list of local hotels, restaurants and shopping. Whether you actively work with military relocates or just want another source of referrals, earning your Military Relocation Professional certification through NAR and Florida Realtors actively working through their referral network can net you extra business.