Commercial Real Estate Broker: Best Referral Sources
Who should be sending you clients, and the rooms they are already sitting in.
Get the networking events worth showing up to
Tell us where you are. We will send you the best rooms for commercial real estate brokers and the next meeting dates. Add a ZIP and this page will also show your local chapters and which seats are open.
Most business owners network where their competitors are, not where their referral partners are.
Your own trade group is for learning. Your partners' groups are where the work comes from. Everything below starts with one question. When something happens that makes people need commercial real estate brokers, who else gets a call that same week?
Commercial real estate brokers sell to other businesses, and most of the work starts when a business signs a lease or opens a location. It is planned well ahead, so the introduction has to happen early. Clients return now and then, so the introduction has to keep paying off.
- New lease or locationwhen a business signs a lease or opens a location
- Commercial property acquisitionwhen an investor or operator buys a commercial building
- Sale of a businesswhen an owner sells the company
- Financing or refinancewhen somebody needs a loan closed
- Business formationwhen somebody starts a company
Who should be sending you clients
Who you should be sending clients to
Ranked by what starts the job, not by who sounds close to your trade.
The same list, turned around. Give first and the rest follows.
- 01
Business Banker
Two-way74Trigger: an investor or operator buys a commercial building
You and business bankers both get the call when an investor or operator buys a commercial building, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.
- 02
CPA / Accountant
They send you work72Trigger: an owner sells the company
CPAs hear about it when an owner sells the company, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.
- 03
Commercial Lender
You send them work70Trigger: an investor or operator buys a commercial building
You hear about it when an investor or operator buys a commercial building, before commercial lenders do. Expect to give more than you get back here.
- 04
Attorney Business & Corporate
Two-way70Trigger: a business signs a lease or opens a location
You and business attorneys both get the call when a business signs a lease or opens a location, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.
- 05
Restaurant / Food Service
Two-way67Trigger: a business signs a lease or opens a location
You and restaurants both get the call when a business signs a lease or opens a location, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.
- 06
Commercial Property Manager
You send them work67Trigger: a business signs a lease or opens a location
You hear about it when a business signs a lease or opens a location, before commercial property managers do. Expect to give more than you get back here.
- 07
IT Services / Managed IT
You send them work62Trigger: a business signs a lease or opens a location
You hear about it when a business signs a lease or opens a location, before IT and managed service providers do. Expect to give more than you get back here.
- 08
Business Broker
They send you work62Trigger: an owner sells the company
Business brokers hear about it when an owner sells the company, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.
- 09
Real Estate Investor
You send them work59Trigger: an investor or operator buys a commercial building
You hear about it when an investor or operator buys a commercial building, before real estate investors do. Expect to give more than you get back here.
- 10
Hard Money / Private Lender
You send them work59Trigger: an investor or operator buys a commercial building
You hear about it when an investor or operator buys a commercial building, before private lenders do. Expect to give more than you get back here.
- 01
Commercial Lender
You send them work70Trigger: an investor or operator buys a commercial building
You hear about it when an investor or operator buys a commercial building, before commercial lenders do. Expect to give more than you get back here.
- 02
IT Services / Managed IT
You send them work67Trigger: a business signs a lease or opens a location
You hear about it when a business signs a lease or opens a location, before IT and managed service providers do. Expect to give more than you get back here.
- 03
Hard Money / Private Lender
You send them work67Trigger: an investor or operator buys a commercial building
You hear about it when an investor or operator buys a commercial building, before private lenders do. Expect to give more than you get back here.
- 04
Business Banker
Two-way66Trigger: an investor or operator buys a commercial building
You and business bankers both get the call when an investor or operator buys a commercial building, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.
- 05
Attorney Business & Corporate
Two-way64Trigger: a business signs a lease or opens a location
You and business attorneys both get the call when a business signs a lease or opens a location, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.
- 06
Architect
You send them work64Trigger: a business signs a lease or opens a location
You hear about it when a business signs a lease or opens a location, before architects do. Expect to give more than you get back here.
Where those people actually are
Ranked by how many of your best partners are in the room, and how much work each one can send you.
Vistage
Your partners are in this room: business bankers, CPAs, and business attorneys.
Run CEO peer groups. You are buying advice, not leads, but the group turns into a warm list over time.
Find your local chapter →Give someone nine choices and they pick none. If you do one thing from this page, do this.
- 01
Vistage
Paid peer groupYour partners are in this room: business bankers, CPAs, and business attorneys.
Run CEO peer groups. You are buying advice, not leads, but the group turns into a warm list over time.
Chapter finder → - 02
Your city or county chamber of commerce
Chamber of commerceYour partners are in this room: business bankers, CPAs, and commercial lenders.
Too big and too broad on its own. The value is in one committee. Pick one and go every time. The same fifteen people show up, and they get to know you.
Chapter finder → - 03
LinkedIn groups & local B2B communities
Online communityYour partners are in this room: business bankers, CPAs, and business attorneys.
Works when your buyer has a job title. Useful comments on your partners' posts beat posting your own.
Chapter finder → - 04
BNI
Structured referral groupOne seat per category, so your competitors are excluded by rule and the seats around you are the partners above.
The biggest referral group in the world. You meet every week. Only one person per job. They expect you to show up.
Chapter finder → - 05
LeTip International
Structured referral groupOne seat per category, so your competitors are excluded by rule and the seats around you are the partners above.
Weekly referral chapters. One person per job. Strong with trades and home services.
Chapter finder → - 06
Network In Action
Structured referral groupOne seat per category, so your competitors are excluded by rule and the seats around you are the partners above.
Referral groups that meet once a month. Good if you cannot give up a morning every week.
Chapter finder → - 07
Master Networks
Structured referral groupOne seat per category, so your competitors are excluded by rule and the seats around you are the partners above.
Weekly chapters with one person per job. They spend more time teaching than most.
Chapter finder → - 08
An independent local leads group
Structured referral groupOne seat per category, so your competitors are excluded by rule and the seats around you are the partners above.
Most cities have small leads groups you will never find online. A realtor or insurance agent usually starts them. Ask three people in your trade who they meet with.
Vistage
Your partners are in this room: business bankers, CPAs, and business attorneys.
Run CEO peer groups. You are buying advice, not leads, but the group turns into a warm list over time.
Find your local chapter →Give someone nine choices and they pick none. If you do one thing from this page, do this.
- 01
Vistage
Paid peer groupYour partners are in this room: business bankers, CPAs, and business attorneys.
Run CEO peer groups. You are buying advice, not leads, but the group turns into a warm list over time.
Chapter finder → - 02
Your city or county chamber of commerce
Chamber of commerceYour partners are in this room: business bankers, CPAs, and commercial lenders.
Too big and too broad on its own. The value is in one committee. Pick one and go every time. The same fifteen people show up, and they get to know you.
Chapter finder → - 03
LinkedIn groups & local B2B communities
Online communityYour partners are in this room: business bankers, CPAs, and business attorneys.
Works when your buyer has a job title. Useful comments on your partners' posts beat posting your own.
Chapter finder → - 04
Prime Time Business Network
Structured referral groupOne seat per category, so your competitors are excluded by rule and the seats around you are the partners above.
A South Florida referral group. Only one person per job in each chapter. So your competitors are kept out, and your referral partners have the other seats.
See chapters → - 05
An independent local leads group
Structured referral groupOne seat per category, so your competitors are excluded by rule and the seats around you are the partners above.
Most cities have small leads groups you will never find online. A realtor or insurance agent usually starts them. Ask three people in your trade who they meet with.
- 06
EO (Entrepreneurs' Organization)
Paid peer groupYour partners are in this room: business attorneys and business brokers.
Owners above a revenue bar, meeting in private. Few referrals, but the ones that happen are big and close fast.
Chapter finder → - 07
State CPA society
Your partners' associationYour partner is in this room: CPAs.
A CPA is the person most business owners trust most. Sponsors can go to chapter meetings and classes.
Chapter finder → - 08
Restaurant & lodging association
Your partners' associationYour partner is in this room: restaurants.
Restaurant and hotel owners. They replace equipment all the time, fail inspections often, and talk to each other more than almost anyone.
Chapter finder →
NAIOP (Commercial Real Estate Development Association)
Most commercial real estate brokers join this room first. It is also the one most likely to be the wrong pick. Developers, owners, and the money behind big projects. This is where a building exists before anyone digs. Everyone in it does what you do. Join it for the training, the licences, and the ties to manufacturers. Do not join it for referrals, and do not join it instead of the rooms above.
NAIOP (Commercial Real Estate Development Association) →Let us be straight with you. For commercial real estate brokers, a weekly referral group is not the best pick. Your partners gather in professional groups instead, so spend your time there. We would rather say that than sell you a seat you do not need.
Is your seat open?
Prime Time takes one commercial real estate broker per chapter. Put in a South Florida ZIP above and we will show you which seats are open.
Add a ZIP code at the top of the page to see which seats are open.
Prime Time doesn't operate where you are yet.
We have fifteen chapters in South Florida and none near you. Telling you to join would be bad advice. The rooms above are the real answer where you are. We can email you the one page version and let you know if we open near you.
Send me those roomsHave the next meetings sent to you
The rooms above are the answer. This is when they meet. Tell us where to send it and we will email you the next dates for commercial real estate brokers, with the one page plan.
We already know your trade and your area from this page, so there is nothing else to fill in. We do not ask for a phone number. Every email we send has an unsubscribe link.
Your one-page action plan
Five partners, five things to say, three rooms. Print it and keep it in the car.
Networking plan: Commercial Real Estate Broker
The five people who should be sending you clients
- Business Banker (Two-way)
Shared trigger: an investor or operator buys a commercial building - CPA / Accountant (They send you work)
Shared trigger: an owner sells the company - Commercial Lender (You send them work)
Shared trigger: an investor or operator buys a commercial building - Attorney Business & Corporate (Two-way)
Shared trigger: a business signs a lease or opens a location - Restaurant / Food Service (Two-way)
Shared trigger: a business signs a lease or opens a location
The three rooms to be in
- Vistage: Your partners are in this room: business bankers, CPAs, and business attorneys.
- Your city or county chamber of commerce: Your partners are in this room: business bankers, CPAs, and commercial lenders.
- LinkedIn groups & local B2B communities: Your partners are in this room: business bankers, CPAs, and business attorneys.
- Vistage: Your partners are in this room: business bankers, CPAs, and business attorneys.
- Your city or county chamber of commerce: Your partners are in this room: business bankers, CPAs, and commercial lenders.
- LinkedIn groups & local B2B communities: Your partners are in this room: business bankers, CPAs, and business attorneys.
Don't confuse this with networking: NAIOP (Commercial Real Estate Development Association). Learning and supplier access, not referrals.