Diane DuBos, a REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller Realty has always gone to extreme lengths for good referrals. And thanks to Realtors Property Resource® (RPR®)—an information hub and technology platform that connects over 634 MLSs, with no consumer or public access—by her side, DuBos has taken her referral game to the next level.
As DuBos tells it, by 2007, she had worked in markets across the Northwest—from Modesto to Monterey and Vancouver to Portland and then on to Eureka—before retiring from the business altogether, settling in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
After a stint with the Idaho Transportation Department, DuBos became active in the local Chamber of Commerce and was prodded to reacquire her real estate license.
“I was hesitant to get back into real estate,” says DuBos, “but I just love the business, so I went for it, even though my network in Coeur d’Alene was pretty limited because so many life-long agents and brokers were working here.”
Since she worked with so many relocation clients in Eureka, DuBos decided to cast her referral lines down into northern California. She even drove to Eureka and began cold calling some of those old acquaintances.
Many of those long-time clients remembered her fondly, and rewarded her with referrals she was able to place in homes across Idaho and Washington State, where she is also licensed.
“That was in 2012, when the market was just beginning to flicker back,” says DuBos. “By 2014, I had one of my best years ever, and received a national award from Coldwell Banker for sales.”
Today, DuBos is sustaining herself quite successfully by focusing almost exclusively on repeat and referral clients, using the tools in her RPR toolbox virtually every day.
“I discovered RPR when I was doing listing appointments and found that it was great for research,” says DuBos, “so I started using the platform as a one-stop click for everything a client needs to know, from MLS information to county records and even local details.”
DuBos also turns to RPR if she happens to be out with clients and they stumble upon a FSBO or a property that isn’t listed in the MLS.
“If we’re right in front of a home and the client is asking questions, I get out my phone, call it up on RPR and get a ton of details,” says DuBos, who notes that the phone app makes her look like a rock star to new referrals.
“RPR makes life so much simpler because there’s so much information all in one place,” concludes DuBos. “And since my partner is using it, and I’m introducing it to all our new hires, more clients are telling us they hired us because of the professional presentations and knowledge we provide, in addition to how helpful we were in helping them make the right decision.”
For more information, visit www.narrpr.com.
