If you’re a licensed agent who’s tired of endless showings, open houses, and high-pressure deals, but still want to earn from the business you’ve built, there’s a smarter path: becoming a referral-only agent.
We’ve worked with hundreds of agents across Florida, Georgia, and Alabama who made the switch. Some were burned out. Others had families to care for, side businesses to grow, or simply preferred to generate leads rather than manage full transactions.
Regardless of the reason, they wanted a way to keep their license active, maintain their industry connections, and still get paid.
A referral-only agent is exactly what it sounds like.
You refer clients, buyers or sellers, to another licensed real estate professional. That agent handles the transaction. You collect a referral fee, typically 20–35% of their earned commission. No paperwork. No inspections. No buyer remorse calls at 10 p.m. Just connection, agreement, and payout.
Before we go any further, I want to clear one thing up.
The term “referral-only” is often misunderstood, and misused. Some traditional brokerages (and even the REALTOR® association) push this idea that referral-only agents are somehow “less than” or must relinquish their ability to practice real estate altogether. That’s flat-out false.
As long as your license is active and in good standing with your state, you can legally earn commissions through referrals.
- You are not required to join the MLS.
- You are not required to pay REALTOR® association dues.
- And most importantly: you are not required to give up control of your career.
You must still hold an active real estate license in your state to participate as a referral agent. That’s non-negotiable. But you won’t need to join an MLS or pay board dues unless you plan to actively list or show homes.
What you don’t do as a referral-only agent:
- No property tours
- No writing offers or contracts
- No negotiating or transaction oversight
- No compliance headaches
Instead, you focus on one thing: creating connection. You tap into your network, social media, past clients, or even niche audiences to generate real estate leads, then hand them off to full-service agents you trust.
In return, you earn passive income. And over time, with consistency, that income can rival what many full-time agents bring home, without the 60-hour workweeks or burnout.
How the Referral Process Works (Step-by-Step)
Making money as a referral-only agent isn’t complicated, but it does require professionalism, trust, and a bit of strategy. At Realty Hub, we’ve built our entire platform around simplifying this process for agents who want to stay licensed and profitable without the grind. Here’s how it works:
Step 1: Generate the Lead
It all starts with your network. Friends, family, neighbors, former clients, anyone in your sphere who’s looking to buy, sell, or invest in real estate is a potential referral opportunity. Leads can come from:
- Social media posts (“Know someone moving this year? I can help.”)
- Community involvement or local events
- Personal conversations
- Past clients relocating or upgrading
- Your professional connections (CPAs, attorneys, insurance reps)
Some referral agents generate all their leads through relationships and reputation. Local social media influencers make great referral agents.
✅ Step 2: Identify and Vet a Receiving Agent
Once you have a lead, your next job is to find a full-service agent who can take care of them.
Make sure to:
- Ask about their experience with similar clients (first-time buyers, relocations, investors, etc.)
- Read their reviews or speak with them directly
- Set expectations clearly: you’ll be handing off the lead, and they’ll be compensating you if the deal closes
Pro tip: Only work with agents you’d trust with your own friends or family. Your reputation is still on the line.
✅ Step 3: Sign a Referral Agreement
Before any showings or conversations begin, lock in your agreement in writing. Every referral must be documented with a formal agreement that outlines:
- Your name and license number
- The receiving agent’s name and license number
- The client’s name
- Agreed-upon referral fee (usually 20–35%)
- How and when you’ll be paid
At Realty Hub, we provide customizable referral agreement templates you can use anytime. No guesswork, no loopholes.
✅ Step 4: The Other Agent Closes the Deal
Now, you step back. The receiving agent handles everything from showings to contract negotiation to closing. You’re not responsible for compliance, transaction coordination, or client handholding.
This is the magic of the model, you’ve done your part, and now it’s time to let the system work.
✅ Step 5: You Get Paid
Once the deal closes, the receiving agent gets paid, and you get your share. If the commission was $12,000 and you agreed on a 25% referral fee, you’ll earn $3,000. After Realty Hub’s flat $100 referral fee, you keep $2,900. No percentages taken, no surprise deductions.
This payout model makes referral income one of the highest ROI activities you can do with your license.
Typical Referral Fees: 20–35% of the closed agent’s commission
(Example: A $400K sale at 3% = $12,000 → Your 25% = $3,000 referral income)
Who Should Consider Becoming a Referral-Only Agent?
This model isn’t just a fallback, it’s a freedom model. At Realty Hub, we’ve seen agents from every stage of life and career transition into referral-only roles for one core reason: they want to keep earning, but on their terms.
Here are five types of professionals who thrive in this model:
Agents with Other Jobs or Side Hustles
Maybe you’re a teacher, nurse, investor, or small business owner. Maybe real estate was always your “Plan B” or side hustle. With a referral-only setup, you can monetize your network without sacrificing your primary income or overextending your schedule.
You don’t need to drop everything for a showing. You just need to stay connected and hand off leads to full-time agents who can close the deal. The commission split still gets routed back to you, without ever leaving your day job.
Parents or Caregivers Needing Flexibility
Real estate can be all-consuming. Nights, weekends, last-minute texts, it’s not always ideal for those caring for kids or aging parents.
Referral-only agents retain their license, their identity, and their income potential, but without compromising family priorities. We’ve supported dozens of parents who chose this path so they could stay present and still stay paid.
You’re still a real estate professional. You just operate with boundaries.
Retiring Agents with Big Contact Lists
If you’re nearing retirement but still getting calls from past clients, don’t let that value go to waste. You’ve built a book of business, why not let it pay you?
A referral-only setup is the perfect “semi-retirement” plan. You can keep your license active, stay out of the trenches, and earn from decades of trust you’ve built. Many agents at Realty Hub do just that: pass leads to active agents they trust and earn thousands per year in passive income, without touching a lockbox.
Marketers Who Generate Leads but Don’t Want to Sell
Some agents are digital pros. They know how to run Facebook ads, build funnels, or capture SEO traffic, but they don’t want to be in the field or deal with contracts.
If this is you, the referral model is a goldmine.
Use your marketing skills to generate leads. Send those leads to closers in your network. Negotiate referral splits. Rinse, repeat, profit. Realty Hub gives you the backend tools, compliance support, and agreement templates so you can focus on what you do best: attract business.
😓 Burned-Out Agents Who Still Want to Earn
Let’s be honest, real estate burnout is real. Maybe you had a rough year. Maybe the industry politics wore you down. Maybe you’re just tired of weekend showings that kill your peace of mind.
You don’t have to walk away completely. Going referral-only allows you to take a step back without giving up your license, or your earning potential.
This path is especially empowering for agents who feel stuck between quitting and going all-in. With Realty Hub, you can stay in the game, reduce your liability, and start rebuilding your business in a lean, sustainable way.
Why More Agents Are Choosing the Referral-Only Path
Real estate is evolving. The old model, where agents hustle 24/7, pay steep fees, and fight for every closing, isn’t for everyone. That’s why more agents than ever are embracing the referral-only model. And from where we stand, it’s not just a workaround, it’s a smarter way to stay profitable without being overwhelmed.
Here’s why this model is catching fire in 2025:
🚫 No Showings, No Open Houses, No Inspections
Let’s be real, those time-consuming tasks are the least scalable parts of real estate. As a referral-only agent, you eliminate the chaos. No more rearranging your life to fit a buyer’s schedule. No more hours lost to open house prep or inspections that go nowhere.
You do what you do best: build relationships, stay visible, and pass leads along. That’s it.
🧾 Zero MLS or Realtor Association Fees (If You Choose the Right Brokerage)
The MLS and NAR aren’t free. Agents can easily pay $1,000+ annually just to access tools they’ll never use as referral agents. But here’s the truth: you don’t need MLS access to make referrals. You don’t need to be a REALTOR® to keep your license active either.
We don’t require MLS membership or NAR dues for referral agents. That alone saves our agents hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars per year.
Keep Your License Active and Earn Passively
Many agents wrongly assume that if they’re not actively listing or selling, their license is useless. Not true.
By keeping your license active with a referral-friendly brokerage like Realty Hub, you can continue earning commission on every qualified lead you pass along, without lifting a lockbox. And because we only charge $100/year to hold your license and $100 per referral transaction, your overhead stays low and predictable.
Flexibility to Refer Nationwide
Got a cousin moving to Texas? A friend buying a vacation home in Arizona? You can earn a referral commission from anywhere in the U.S. as long as your license remains active and you have a valid agreement.
With Realty Hub, our agents refer across the country, not just locally. We give you the legal and operational freedom to build a referral-based business with no geographic limits.
💼 Tax Benefits for Staying Active (Consult Your CPA)
One underrated perk of staying licensed: tax deductions. Even as a referral-only agent, you may be able to deduct business expenses like a home office, marketing tools, or professional development (consult your tax advisor for guidance).
In short: keeping your license active isn’t just a profit play, it can also be a strategic tax move.
How to Become a Referral-Only Agent
Making the move to referral-only isn’t complicated, but the way you set yourself up can make or break your success.
✅ Step 1: Maintain Your Active Real Estate License
Let’s start with the non-negotiable: you must have an active license to legally earn a real estate referral fee.
This doesn’t mean you have to join the MLS or become a REALTOR®. It simply means your license needs to be in good standing with your state’s real estate commission, with all continuing education (CE) requirements met and no disciplinary actions pending.
We help our agents stay compliant and up to date with reminders and onboarding support, so you don’t have to stress about paperwork or surprise lapses.
✅ Step 2: Join a Referral-Friendly Brokerage (What to Look For)
Not all brokerages are created equal, and not all are built for referral agents. If you’re going referral-only, here’s what you should demand from your broker:
💵 Low or Flat Fees
Avoid the ones charging monthly tech fees, transaction minimums, or desk fees. We keep it simple: $100/year, $100 per referral, that’s it. No commission splits. You keep 100% of what you earn after the referral fee.
🚫 No Mandatory MLS or Board Dues
You shouldn’t be forced to pay for tools you won’t use. Our referral agents do not need to join the MLS or any REALTOR® association unless they choose to.
📋 Support for Referral Tracking
You need clear systems to log and track your referral agreements. Realty Hub provides templates, compliance checklists, and broker support to make sure your referral documentation is bulletproof.
⚖️ Legal Compliance Tools
State regulations can vary, so your brokerage should guide you on what’s required, whether it’s CE deadlines, advertising disclosures, or E&O coverage (which we provide for every Realty Hub agent).
✅ Step 3: Market Yourself (You Still Need Leads!)
Referral-only doesn’t mean invisible. You’re not handing out business cards and hoping for the best, you’re strategically building visibility as someone who connects great clients with great agents.
Use your:
- Social media to remind people you’re still licensed
- Email list or CRM to stay top-of-mind
- Community ties to uncover who’s moving next
Lead generation is still your responsibility, but with the right positioning, you can turn warm conversations into real income
✅ Step 4: Set Expectations With Referred Clients
Once someone is ready to be referred, be clear and transparent about your role. You’re not ghosting them, you’re connecting them.
Here’s how to do it:
- Let them know you’ll be matching them with a full-service agent
- Clarify that you’re not involved in the transaction, but you’ll stay in touch to ensure they’re taken care of
- Reassure them that the agent you’re referring is hand-picked for their needs
Transparency builds trust, and trust leads to more referrals down the road.
Why Realty Hub Is Built for Referral Agents
If you’ve decided the referral-only model is right for you, your next step is choosing the right brokerage to back you. That’s where Realty Hub stands out, and here’s why our model is purpose-built for agents who want freedom, flexibility, and full control over their earnings.
💵 Flat Fee: $100/Year, $100 per Referral, No Splits
With Realty Hub, you’ll never see a percentage shaved off your paycheck. We charge a flat $100 annual fee to hold your license and $100 per referral transaction, that’s it. No commission splits, no monthly subscriptions, and no nickel-and-diming hidden in your back office.
When you make a referral and it closes, you keep 100% of your earned commission after the one-time fee. That’s how it should be.
🚫 No Franchise, Desk, or MLS Fees
You won’t find any bloated overhead here. No franchise cut. No desk rent. And as a referral-only agent, you are not required to join the MLS or a Realtor association, saving you hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars per year.
Our model was intentionally designed for agents who want to reduce expenses without sacrificing credibility or compliance.
🌍 Network Across Florida, Georgia, and Alabama
We’ve built a strong agent base in key Southeastern markets, and as a Realty Hub referral agent, you can send leads to any licensed agent in any state. Whether your client is moving across town or across the country, your earning potential isn’t limited by borders.
We also support agents who want to refer within their investor network, relocation circles, or niche client bases, and we give you the tools to do it cleanly and compliantly.
🤝 Support When You Need It. Independence When You Don’t.
We’re not here to micromanage you. We’re here to support you when it counts, with referral agreement templates, licensing guidance, compliance support, and a real broker who actually picks up the phone.
Want to operate independently and run your business your way? You’ve got it. Need help navigating your first out-of-state referral? We’re here.
Realty Hub was built on the belief that agents are professionals, and we treat you like one.
Is the Referral Model Right for You?
If you’re great at generating leads, building trust, and maintaining relationships, but you’re done with contract deadlines, 5-hour inspections, and commission splits that drain your earnings, the referral model offers a smarter path forward.
It’s lean. It’s flexible. And at Realty Hub, it’s built to empower you with maximum autonomy and minimum expense.
The idea that referral-only agents are somehow “less than” is a myth, one created to keep agents tied to bloated brokerage models. In reality, this model is about evolving with the industry and leveraging your license to work for you, not the other way around.
You’re still an agent. You’re still valuable. You’re just operating on your terms now.
If you’re ready to reclaim your freedom, your income, and your career path, let’s talk. We built Realty Hub for agents just like you.