What Happens After You Refer a Client to Austin: A Timeline for Referring Agents

Your referring agent gets a signed referral agreement, a personal phone call within 24 hours, and a 25% referral fee paid through the title company at closing. That is the short version. But I know you probably want the longer version, because sending a client to someone you have never worked with is nerve-wracking. So lets walk through exactly what happens at every stage.

I have been on the receiving end of referrals in the Austin market for 19 years now. Over 2,000 transactions, about $250 million in production. And the thing I hear most from referring agents (after we close, when they finally relax) is “I wish I had known upfront how the whole thing would go.” So here it is. The full timeline, no surprises.

Step 1: You Register Your Client

This part takes about 90 seconds. You submit a referral through our referral registration page with the basics. Your client’s name, contact info, what they are looking for, and any context that helps me understand the situation. Moving from Denver for a tech job. Downsizing from a 4-bedroom in Plano. Investor looking at short-term rentals in Bee Cave. Whatever you have.

The more context you give me, the better that first conversation goes with your client. And honestly, the stuff that seems small to you is usually the most useful. “She mentioned wanting to be near good hiking trails” tells me more about where to start than “looking in Austin.”

Step 2: I Call You (Within 24 Hours)

Before I ever contact your client, I call you. Not an email. A phone call. This matters because I want to understand two things. First, what does your client actually need (beyond the form submission). Second, how do you want to be kept in the loop.

Some referring agents want weekly email updates. Some want a text after every showing. Some just want to know when we go under contract and when we close. All of that is fine. I would rather ask upfront than guess wrong and either overwhelm you or leave you wondering what is happening.

This is also where we talk about the referral agreement.

Step 3: The Referral Agreement Gets Signed

Before I make any contact with your client, we get the referral agreement signed. Not after. Not “when we get around to it.” Before.

This is non-negotiable for me, and honestly it should be non-negotiable for you too. The agreement spells out the referral fee (25% of my gross commission), identifies your client by name, and creates a paper trail that protects both of us. It is a brokerage-to-brokerage agreement, meaning your broker and my broker both sign off.

I have heard horror stories from agents who sent referrals on a handshake. Ryan Holiday wrote something in The Obstacle Is the Way about how the discipline to do the boring administrative work is what separates professionals from amateurs. He was talking about stoicism, not real estate, but the principle is the same. Get it in writing. Every time.

Step 4: First Contact With Your Client

Now I reach out to your client. And here is something I do that a lot of receiving agents skip. I mention you by name in that first conversation. “Sarah referred you to me and she mentioned you are looking near Lake Travis.” Your client knows this is a warm handoff, not a cold call. And you get the credit you deserve for making the connection.

That first conversation is usually 20 to 30 minutes. I am asking questions, not pitching. What is the timeline. What is the budget. What matters most to them (schools, commute, lot size, whatever). I am also giving them the honest version of the Austin market right now, because people relocating to Texas often have expectations that need some calibration (property taxes alone tend to surprise people from states with income tax).

Step 5: The Search Phase

This is where the timeline gets variable. Some buyers find something in two weeks. Some take six months. The Austin market in 2026 has good inventory by recent standards, so buyers have more options than they did during the 2021 madness. But still, everybody moves at their own pace.

During this phase, you are getting updates from me based on whatever cadence we agreed to in Step 2. If your client goes quiet on me (it happens), I will tell you that too. No surprises. I am not going to let three weeks of radio silence go by without flagging it.

Here is something else worth mentioning. If your client’s needs change during the search, maybe they decide they want to sell first, or maybe they pivot from buying a primary residence to looking at investment property, I keep you in the loop on that too. The referral agreement covers the transaction regardless of how it evolves.

Step 6: Under Contract

When your client goes under contract, you get a call from me that day. Not a form letter. A call. I will tell you the property, the price, the terms, and the expected closing date.

In Texas, the standard contract includes an option period (usually 7 to 10 days) where the buyer can walk for any reason. So “under contract” does not mean “done.” But it means we are close. I have seen referring agents get anxious during the option period, especially if it is their first referral to Austin. That is totally normal. I will keep you posted if anything comes up during inspections or appraisal.

Step 7: Closing Day (and How You Get Paid)

Ok so this is the part everyone actually wants to know about right. How does the money work.

At closing, the title company handles all commission disbursements. Here is the exact flow:

1. The transaction closes and the title company disburses the selling agent’s commission to Neuhaus Realty Group
2. The referral fee (25% of my gross commission) is written into the closing documents as a line item
3. The title company cuts a check (or wires funds) to your brokerage for the referral fee
4. Your brokerage pays you according to your split

You do not have to chase anyone. You do not have to send invoices. The title company handles it as part of the standard closing process. Most referring agents see their check within 5 to 10 business days after closing, depending on how fast your brokerage processes incoming referral fees.

And yeah, the referral fee is based on my gross commission, not my net after splits. So if the commission on a $500,000 home is $15,000 and the referral fee is 25%, your brokerage receives $3,750. Not complicated math, but I have had agents ask, so I want to be clear.

The Question Nobody Asks Out Loud

Lets address the elephant in the room. The real reason agents hesitate to send referrals is not the paperwork or the fee structure. It is the fear of getting ghosted.

You hand over a client you have spent months or years building a relationship with. You send them to some agent in another market. And then… nothing. No updates. No communication. And when the client finally buys a house, you find out about it on social media.

I get it. I would be nervous too. And I am not going to sit here and tell you “trust me” because that is exactly what every agent says right. Instead I will tell you what I actually do.

I give you my cell number. (512) 827-8830. You can call me directly. Not an assistant, not a team member, not a voicemail tree. Me. If you want to check on your client’s status at 7pm on a Tuesday, you can text me and I will respond.

That is probably the most important thing I can tell you about how referrals work with Neuhaus Realty Group. The communication does not stop after the handoff. It actually increases.

What About Longer Timelines?

Not every referred client is ready to buy tomorrow. Some are 6 months out. Some are a year out. I have had referrals where the client did not pull the trigger for 18 months after the initial introduction.

The referral agreement stays in place. I stay in touch with your client (without being annoying about it). And when they are ready to move, we pick up where we left off. Your referral fee is the same whether they buy in month 2 or month 18.

If you are thinking about becoming a referral agent in Texas full time, or if you are approaching retirement and want to keep earning referral income, this is worth understanding. The timeline does not affect your fee. Patience just means a bigger house and a bigger check in most cases.

Why Austin Specifically

I am biased obviously, but Austin is one of the strongest referral markets in the country right now. The metro is still growing. Tech relocations from California, finance people from New York, retirees from the Midwest. People are still moving here in big numbers, and when your client tells you they are looking at Austin, there is a good chance they are serious.

If you want the full breakdown on why agents refer clients to Austin, I wrote a whole piece on that. But the short version is that the market is active, the inventory is healthy, and people who move to Austin tend to buy (not just kick tires for a year).

Lets Make This Easy

Look, I know there are a thousand agents in Austin you could send a referral to. And I am not going to pretend the referral fee or the process is wildly different from what anyone else offers. What is different is that I actually pick up the phone. I have been doing this for 19 years. I am not going anywhere. And I treat your client like they are mine, because for the next few months, they are.

If you have a client looking at Austin, register your referral here or call me directly at (512) 827-8830. I will be in touch within 24 hours, and you will never have to wonder what is happening with your client.