For Real Estate Professionals
What Should I Ask a Client Before Referring Them to an Agent in Another State?
Before referring a client to a real estate agent in another state, clarify why they are moving, whether the destination is settled, their timing, destination housing budget, employment and income assumptions, whether their current home must sell, and any major move dependencies that could affect the property search. You do not need to solve every issue for the client; the objective is to make the referral with a clearer understanding of what has been decided and what may still require attention.
Reviewed: September 2026
Seven Questions to Ask Before Making the Referral
1. Is the destination definitely decided?
Determine whether the client has committed to the destination or is still comparing locations. Referring someone into a market before the destination decision is settled can put the property search ahead of the move decision.
2. What is driving the move — and how firm is the timing?
Clarify:
- Employment
- Retirement
- Family considerations
- Lifestyle change
- Other stated move objective
- Desired move date
- Any fixed deadlines
Do not probe into sensitive personal matters that are not necessary.
3. Is destination employment and household income sufficiently understood?
Clarify whether:
- Employment is confirmed
- Destination compensation is known
- Remote work is expected to continue
- Another household income depends on finding employment
- Employer relocation assistance is involved
Do not provide employment, tax or financial advice.
4. Has the client established a realistic destination housing budget?
Clarify:
- Approximate purchase or rental budget
- Whether financing has been addressed where applicable
- Whether destination housing costs have been investigated
- Whether buying immediately is assumed
- Whether renting first has been considered
Do not provide lending advice. Whether to rent before buying after relocating covers the rent-first question in more depth.
5. Does the current home have to sell before the move can proceed?
Clarify:
- Sale dependency
- Timing
- Anticipated transaction sequencing
- Whether destination purchasing depends upon proceeds from the current property
- Whether temporary housing could be required
6. What move-related assumptions remain unresolved?
Examples may include:
- Commute expectations
- Destination familiarity
- Partner employment
- Timing
- Housing availability
- Transportation
- Support-service needs
- Household logistics
The referring agent does not need to resolve each issue. The useful question is whether an important unresolved dependency could materially affect the destination property search.
7. What does the receiving agent need to know?
A useful handoff may include appropriate, client-authorized information concerning:
- Destination
- Timing
- Property objectives
- Budget
- Current-home dependency
- Rent-versus-buy intentions
- Major move questions already under consideration
Share only information that is relevant and appropriate and that the client has authorized or reasonably expects to be shared as part of the referral.
The Referral Can Be Ready Before the Move Is Ready
An agent may have a trusted receiving agent ready to accept the referral even though the client still has important questions about employment, affordability, timing, the destination or whether to buy immediately. Those are different forms of readiness. Recognizing the distinction can help keep the property search from getting ahead of the broader move decision.
You Don't Have to Become the Destination Expert
A good referral does not require the referring agent to become the client's financial planner, tax adviser, employment counselor or expert on another market. The objective is to recognize the questions that could materially affect the move and make an informed handoff to the appropriate professionals.
The receiving agent remains responsible for their own discovery process and local-market expertise.
Need the Complete Handoff Checklist?
Use the Agent Referral Checklist: What to Confirm Before Handing Off a Client for the complete outbound-referral framework.
For the other side of the handoff, see the Agent Referral Checklist for receiving an out-of-market client.
For a broader conversation with the relocating client, the Relocation Client Questionnaire provides additional questions covering the move beyond the property itself.
Where No Regrets Move™ Fits
No Regrets Move™ helps individuals and households identify financial, housing, employment, location, household and logistical issues worth investigating before a major move becomes difficult or costly to change. In an outbound referral, it can give the client a structured way to examine the move while allowing the referring and receiving agents to remain focused on their professional roles.
NRM complements the referral relationship; it does not replace either agent.
Not Every Client Needs This Level of Review
A straightforward local move involving a familiar client may not require additional structured decision support. The value increases when the client is moving between markets, the destination is unfamiliar, or financial, employment, housing or logistical assumptions remain unresolved.
Fair Housing and Professional Use
These questions concern move planning and unresolved dependencies. They are not intended to identify protected characteristics, and they must not be used to recommend, rank, exclude or steer clients toward or away from housing, neighborhoods, communities or services, or to decide whether someone deserves representation. Do not request unnecessary sensitive personal information.
Real estate professionals should apply objective criteria consistently, preserve the client's ability to choose and comply with the Fair Housing Act and all applicable state, local, brokerage and professional requirements. This is general information, not legal advice. See the HUD Fair Housing Act overview and National Association of REALTORS® Fair Housing resources.
Common questions
Should I wait until every move issue is resolved before making a referral?
No. The purpose is not to delay the referral until every question has an answer. It is to understand which major assumptions remain unresolved so the client and receiving agent enter the next stage with appropriate context.
What information should I send the receiving agent?
Timing, contemplated destination, housing objectives, budget assumptions, whether the current home must sell first, and the major move-related context the client has authorized you to share.
Should I tell the receiving agent everything the client told me?
No. Share only information that is appropriate, relevant and authorized or reasonably expected to be shared as part of the referral.
Should I ask about family circumstances?
Only to the extent the client voluntarily identifies household needs relevant to the move. Do not solicit protected or sensitive personal information, and never use such information for screening or steering.
Is No Regrets Move a real estate referral service?
No. It is a move decision-support framework for individuals and households. It does not refer clients to agents, select agents, or replace the referring or receiving agent.
Does No Regrets Move replace the receiving agent's buyer consultation?
No. It provides move-decision context and does not replace the receiving agent's professional discovery, local expertise or representation.
Want to pressure-test the move before the handoff?
No Regrets Move™ provides structured decision support for individuals and households considering significant moves.
About the author
Jim Kuhnert, PhD, CPA, Realtor® — Founder, No Regrets Move™. More than 35 years advising organizations on complex decisions, including work as a Fortune 100 C-suite adviser. CPA and licensed Realtor®.
Reviewed: September 2026