When homeowners or property investors are having difficulty looking for service providers or contractors, they usually turn to real estate agents to help with referrals.
However, while accountability may not necessarily fall on the agent if a contractor or service provider bungled up a project, it tends to backfire on the agent who recommended them.
As a rule of thumb, agents need to know who they are referring to with their clients and ensure that they have done their part of due diligence before recommending a trustworthy contractor or service provider.
Finding a reputable contractor
Contractors have a network of tradespeople they can employ at any moment’s notice and with the right people handling and doing the job right, they can surely be recommended for future projects and with those who are also looking for similar services.
But finding a contractor is not the only issue, because the key is to find one who can be trustworthy and reliable.
There are several ways to do so, such as someone an agent knows based on a contactor’s experience and collaboration with an agent in previous projects.
Familiarity
In today’s online environment, it’s not hard to find contractors who have done exceptional work and those who do otherwise, so being familiar with those contractors by reputation or word of mouth from satisfied clients can be worth it.
Better yet, a contractor that is personally acquainted with an agent and is known for trustworthiness, make for an easy sell or referral of that contractor to a client.
Online reviews
Check community discussion groups where people openly share ideas, insights, or experiences with service providers, including contractors.
Advertising and social media sites
Since the internet has made it easier and more convenient for people to access information, finding a good contractor online through advertisements or social media can be greatly helpful.
You can use the platform to extend your professional network and use the same to vet contractors.
As a word of caution, just do not forget to verify information regarding contractors.
Building supply and local hardware stores
It is critical to search for people in the right places and when searching for tradespeople or contractors, the building supply and hardware stores are the best places to find those you are looking for.
Obviously, the ones with the most transactions have more projects which means they regularly get their supplies from these stores.
Do a background check
Of course, agents need to verify the information they get regarding contractors because the agents themselves will e putting their reputation and credibility on the line when they recommend contractors to their clients.
So, before referring a contractor to a client, it is best to do another layer of verification, such as researching their professional experience, specialties, track record, etc. Such information will help agents determine if they have a trustworthy contractor in their midst.
Find time to talk with contractors if you need to include them in your network and find out more about them, so they are aware that they are on the list when an opportunity to endorse them for a project comes.