How to refer a property client: a qualification checklist

Pass on a structured brief rather than just a lead: the goal, budget, available funds, timing, locations, criteria, buying experience, contact method and consent to an introduction. This saves time and makes the next conversation more useful.

The referring partner, who already knows the client, should qualify the enquiry. The local team should not have to start the conversation by asking all the basic questions again.

Context to consider

Protecting the client need not conflict with conversion. Clear records, responsibilities and a history of decisions reduce repeated questions and improve the consultation. If the process cannot be reconstructed from CRM records and documents, it depends on one manager's memory and remains vulnerable whenever responsibility changes hands.

How to approach the task

Start with the client's or business's task. Separate known facts from assumptions, involve the relevant specialist and record the decision. This approach does not artificially speed up a sale, but it removes repeated questions, contradictions and promises that cannot be substantiated.

Worked example

Imagine a dispute several months later: one manager is certain that the client came directly, another remembers an oral agreement, and the CRM contains only a name and phone number. The recommended sequence here is to define the purchase goal in one sentence, then distinguish funds available now from the total budget. Next, clarify timing, travel plans and who makes the decisions. Before a final decision, obtain consent and agree on a clear next step.

This example does not promise the same result for every client. It shows which parts of a decision can be checked and which still rely on assumptions. If a contact is being shared without context, pause the process and ask for confirmation.

Step-by-step checklist

Warning signs

• Contact details without context. Ask for confirmation or pause the next step until the point is clarified.
• Overstating how ready the client is to buy. Ask for confirmation or pause the next step until the point is clarified.
• Concealing concerns and constraints. Ask for confirmation or pause the next step until the point is clarified.

Questions and answers

What is the minimum information needed?

Prepare the client's name, agreed contact method, purchase goal, budget and funds currently available, timing, preferred locations and essential criteria. Note the client's concerns and unanswered questions separately. Before sharing the contact details, obtain consent to an introduction to the specific partner.

How do you obtain consent?

Before sharing contact details, explain whom you want to introduce the client to, why and what information you intend to share. Ask whether the client agrees to that introduction, and keep their reply together with the agreed contact method. Do not send the data before receiving a reply. This is a practical recommendation for arranging an introduction, not a universally valid legal consent form: data-processing requirements need to be checked for the particular situation.

What should you tell the client after the referral?

Tell the client who received the agreed brief, who will contact them and how. Confirm the next step, such as an introduction or a discussion of the brief, and the time if it has already been agreed. Do not promise a response time on behalf of the local team until the team has confirmed it.

Sources and methodology

This article is for information only. Legal, tax and project terms need to be checked for the specific property, buyer and transaction date. A projected return is not a guarantee.

• IBG Property partner programme
• IBG Property editorial methodologyRU