Rich Brzezinski and Pete Stefani

Working Together to Best Serve Clients

By Megan Oster

When developing relationships with affiliates, the basics go a long way in achieving success for clients.

Baird & Warner Broker Rich Brzezinski and King’s Court Builders President Pete Stefani recently celebrated King’s Court’s 1,000th home closing – which is not surprising, given that the two men have worked together on a relatively consistent basis since 1993.

According to Stefani, remaining straightforward and honest with each other has been crucial in maintaining a long-term business relationship. For example, if Brzezinski thinks the floor plan Stefani is working on has flaws, he is frank about it, and Stefani is honest with Brzezinski in return. If one of the two men thinks the other is doing something wrong during a transaction, they take a direct approach, which makes sense, given their long-term relationship – any longstanding relationship must be a win-win for both parties.

“We feel we have helped King’s Court by broadening their opportunities,” Brzezinski says. “In turn, we have been able to introduce our clients to King’s Court. Stefani and his team have always done a great job of building clients’ homes, as well as providing customer service and follow-up. We feel very confident introducing our clients to them.”

Reliability and Communication for Strong Relationships

Brzezinski feels it is important to keep in touch with affiliates, even when you do not have clients for them. He recommends letting them know that their services are still at the forefront of your mind.  Being available for affiliates any time necessary goes a long way.

Distinct behaviors and practices to avoid when trying to cultivate relationships with affiliates are obvious, but Stefani says he has experienced it with other agents in the past. Dishonesty is an instant way of damaging the relationship, ultimately severing it; and if there is no follow-up or delayed follow-up on an agent’s part, at some point it is going to turn the affiliate off, as well.

“When you are looking to the agent for a successful transaction with your client, the agent tries to woo me through offers of referrals. I usually shy away from this,” Stefani says. “I simply want him or her to do a good job for my client. All I am looking for from the agent is superb customer service and commitment. I want the relationship to stand on its own merits.”

Brzezinski and Stefani are one example of a duo that has been working together for a long time, but long-term relationships, like any relationship, are at risk if work isn’t put in to maintain them. Brzezinski himself begins the process of figuring out whether or not a relationship is salvageable by making the agent in question  aware of his concerns and listening to their perspective, as well. By having an honest conversation with the agent, you can address why you are unhappy and whether or not the relationship is working overall.

“When you have this conversation, some people turn mean and throw in the towel. This is not the right way to handle it, because you never know if this relationship will circle back around,” Stefani says.

In addition, Stefani cautions against ruling out working with someone again in the future, and cites his relationship with Brzezinski as an example. The two men took a break from working together, only to discover that there were opportunities down the future to maximize their combination of knowledge and experience.  According to Stefani, this scenario happens more often than agents may think.

“There have been several instances where I stopped using certain people and tried new people, only to realize that the new affiliates were not working out either. I have actually gone back to previous affiliates because the pairing was far better,” he says.

Your Network – Growth is Good

However, it is important to maintain a broad circle of affiliates and always network and work to expand your database; you never know when a change of plan may be necessary, whether in the preparation stages of a transaction or during the process.

For example, Brzezinski recognizes how fortunate the team at Baird & Warner is to have Key Mortgage, the company’s in-house mortgage broker. Not everybody has access to this kind of resource for lending needs; newer agents may have to look to a more seasoned agent for referrals for good, reputable lenders, builders and others, but besides networking events, stopping by offices or open houses and meeting people in person, rather than cold-calling, is a great way to meet a plethora of new affiliates.

Brzezinski subscribes to this theory as well, and in fact, he initially established his relationship with King’s Court by attending the company’s closings. Prior to working more closely with Stefani, he forged a relationship with their attorney.

“I am a big believer in establishing a mentor relationship for our newer agents in the form of a sponsoring broker,” Brzezinski says. “One thing the industry could improve upon is providing mentoring support to newer agents. These relationships could simply be for purposes of information or more, depending on each agent’s individual needs.”

Stefani remembers a closing where the mortgage originator representing the buyer was very pleasant, but when he gave her a referral, nothing with that situation worked out. Even though the first deal went well, the opportunity fell way short of his and Brzezinski’s expectations. This reiterates the importance of maintaining a large database; you never know who will come through and who won’t, especially after a few transactions together.