Real estate is a small world.
A client asked me something last week that I get more often than people would guess.
"My uncle is retiring and looking at homes in Arizona. Is there any point in even mentioning it to you? You don’t do business there, right???"
I get some version of this question all the time. My cousin is moving to Charlotte. My daughter just got stationed near San Diego. My mom is finally ready to sell the house in Ohio. Every time, the person asking half expects me to say sorry, that’s outside my lane.
Here’s what I actually say: tell me more, I’m sure I can help!
Real estate is local. REALTORS are not.
I only sell homes in Forida, that part is true. But I didn’t get into this business alone, and I don’t work alone. I’m part of a professional network of REALTORS across the country, built through years of training, conferences, and relationships with agents I trust in markets I don’t work in.
When someone tells me about family or friends buying or selling outside Northeast Florida, I’m not guessing. I’m connecting them with an agent I actually know, whose work I can vouch for, in the city or state they’re heading to.
That matters more than it sounds like it should. Anyone can search “top agent in Scottsdale” and get a list of strangers with good reviews. What they can’t get from a search bar is someone who already knows the agent’s reputation, work ethic, and how they treat clients, because I’ve either worked alongside them or heard directly from other agents whose judgment I trust.
How this actually works
If your sister in Michigan is thinking about selling, or your uncle in California is house hunting, here’s what happens when you loop me in:
I ask a few questions. What’s the timeline, what matters most to them, are they buying, selling, or both. Then I match them with an agent in my network who fits, someone established in that specific market who I’d trust with my own family.
I stay in the loop as a resource for you, not a middleman slowing things down. There’s no added cost to your family member. Referral relationships between agents are standard in this industry and are handled between the brokerages, never out of the client’s pocket.
Your family gets someone who already comes recommended, instead of starting from zero.
Why this is worth mentioning
I think a lot of people assume their REALTOR’s usefulness stops at the county line. It doesn’t, at least not for me. Some of the best referrals I’ve made came from a casual comment, someone mentioning their brother’s transfer to Texas almost as an afterthought.
If someone in your life is buying or selling anywhere in the country, mention it to me. Worst case, I point you somewhere helpful. Best case, your family gets a REALTOR they can trust in a new city, and you didn’t have to do the research yourself.
That’s the kind of thing I’d want done for my own family. It’s why I keep doing it for yours.
Joy Hicks, MBA, Realtor®
SRES® – Seniors Real Estate Specialist
MRP® – Military Relocation Professional
RE/MAX Specialists
904.318.8619
hicks.joy@icloud.com
www.JoyHicksRealtor.com
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