This CRS works as a headhunter, connecting clients with other real estate agents she vets
When a homebuyer or seller looks for a real estate agent, their choice is often based on referrals from friends or family, online ads, yard signs or direct mail. But this is the largest financial transaction many ever undertake—and that process could be much more thorough.
Enter Alina Davidov, a CRS who has a novel business model. Calling herself The Real Estate Agent Headhunter, she facilitates the hiring process of agents for consumers. She researches agents, conducts in-depth interviews and handles some “onboarding.”
Davidov, who spent 15 years as a real estate agent in Illinois, no longer represents buyers or sellers herself, and instead generates all her revenue through her referral fee with the hired agent. It’s a unique way of marketing a service that many CRSs and agents do as part of their business anyway. That’s essentially how her new business began. After working as an agent, she was hired on a large team to take care of business operations.
“I was receiving calls from my clients who I could no longer service, so I referred them to other agents. But after working with me for so many years, clients had high expectations as to the services they would receive, and the other agents often came up short. I wanted to solve the problem with proper matching. I moved to Florida and have been developing this idea from scratch into a usable service, which launched in July 2017.”
Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match
Through a systematic, in-depth interview process, Davidov collects all relevant details about the client, including the type of property they want to buy or sell, pricing, their overall goals, where they are in the buying or selling process and their timeframe. She then talks with agents to find the best match, taking into account the type of properties the agent typically handles, the usual price range of their transactions, the regions they are most familiar with and any specific challenges the agent is especially equipped to handle.
“An agent who works with many investors may not be a good match for a first-time homebuyer who wants to be educated about the entire process and work with an agent who is also a mentor,” Davidov says. “But an agent who communicates every step in the process and provides an abundance of guidance is not the best match for a seasoned investor who is just looking for bottom-line results.”
The best fit
“We not only review all statistics and pinpoint the top area specialists, we also screen or interview them to assess their suitability to work with a specific client,” Davidov says. “This is a very different process than someone who goes on Facebook or a chat group to ask whether anyone knows a good agent.”
There is no additional charge to any party for the services that Davidov provides. “Our services are free to the consumer—both homebuyers and sellers,” Davidov says. The standard referral arrangement between agents is all that’s required. Although the fees are the same as for any agent-to-agent referral, both parties receive more, Davidov says. “The buyer or seller gets an agent who has been vetted to help ensure an excellent match for their situation, and agents receive a hot lead who is highly motivated along with a full pre-screened profile.”
To facilitate the process, agents sign an agreement. The agent signs a minimum standards agreement promising that the agent will be directly involved at least 90 percent of time for any interactions with the client, from introduction to closing. Agents also agree to a minimum set of standards, such as being on time to all appointments and promptly returning clients’ phone calls.
Davidov stopped selling property because she feels it would be a conflict to do so. However, she wants to continue her education so she still takes RRC classes to stay on top of the latest best practices.
Alina Davidov, CRS, can be reached at services@theagentheadhunter.com. For more information, visit locatemyagent.com.
