Referral Fees Under the Microscope - What Agents Must Know Now
Referral fees are under increased scrutiny as the real estate industry places greater emphasis on compensation transparency, consumer choice, and documented value. This webinar helps agents understand the questions they should raise with their broker, board, MLS, or legal resources before accepting, paying, or discussing a referral fee.
The session reviews current industry debate around disclosure and distinguishes broker-to-broker referrals from consumer rebates, affinity programs, and other compensation arrangements. It explains why requirements may differ by jurisdiction, brokerage, and program, making informal assumptions risky. Beyond compliance, the webinar focuses on how agents can communicate the service behind a referral: researching and vetting the receiving professional, offering choices where appropriate, documenting the agreement, staying involved, and monitoring the client experience through completion. The central message is that written processes, transparency, and follow-through build trust. This educational session is not legal advice, and participants are encouraged to verify all requirements that apply to their business.
What You'll Learn
• Why referral-fee disclosure and compensation transparency are receiving more attention.
• How broker referrals, affinity programs, and consumer rebates can differ.
• What should be documented and confirmed with your brokerage and local authorities.
• How vetting, client choice, communication, and follow-through demonstrate real referral value.
Pause, rewind, and resume anytime. No scheduled start.
Sabine is an award-winning writer, producer, coach, and moderator who has delivered over one million courses and helped hundreds of thousands of agents—alongside her clients and partners—accelerate their success. As the founder and CEO of Hiveologie and a four-time running RISMedia Newsmaker Trailblazer, she is one of the original innovators and architects of real estate learning. Always looking to improve and links between business performance and learning methodology in the most practical terms, Sabine and her team began the task of reinventing elearning, with the Agent experience in mind.
Teresa has worked in the relocation and real estate industry for over 30 years. Until 2019, she managed corporate relocation, referrals, affinity programs, concierge services, the internet leads call center, and the license-holding referral company for a multi-state region of Coldwell Banker Realty and then for Pacific Union International. She started her consulting firm in 2020 to address pain points and to focus on revenue generation for agents and broker-owners with a specific focus on referrals.