Frequently Asked Questions

A referral-only real estate agent is a licensed agent who doesn’t handle showings, contracts, or closings. Instead, they refer clients—buyers, sellers, or investors—to active full-time agents and earn a referral fee when the transaction closes. It’s a flexible way to stay licensed, earn income, and stay connected to the industry without working full-time.

No. While your license is held with Direct Connect, you are not required to join the MLS, pay for E&O insurance, use Supra lockboxes, or join any local, state, or national Realtor® associations. We keep things simple and low-cost so you can focus on referrals, not fees.

Anyone with an active real estate license can become a referral agent. It’s a great fit for agents who are:

• Stepping away from full-time real estate
• Looking for part-time or flexible income
• Moving out of Florida but keeping their license active
• Retired or semi-retired
• Focused on another career or business
• Wanting to earn income without handling transactions

Referral agents stay licensed but focus only on connecting clients with active agents—and earn a referral fee when the deal closes.

No. You can live anywhere in the U.S. as long as you hold an active Florida real estate license. Since Direct Connect is a referral-only brokerage, you don’t need to be local to send or receive referrals.

You can refer buyers and sellers anywhere in the United States.

Who can you refer? Anyone—friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, past clients, or even yourself if you're buying or selling. If you know someone looking to make a move, you can earn a referral fee by connecting them with a trusted agent.

As a referral agent with Direct Connect, you can choose any licensed real estate agent to send your referrals to—locally or nationwide. If you don’t have an agent in mind, we can help by providing up to three qualified agents for you to choose from.

Yes. All of our agents can refer themselves and collect a referral fee on their own personal real estate transactions.

Referral fees typically range from 25% to 35% of the commission earned by the agent who closes the deal. The exact amount is negotiable.

Example:

Let’s say you refer a buyer who purchases a $400,000 home. If the agent earns a 2.5% commission, that’s $10,000.

At a 30% referral fee, you would earn $3,000.

From that amount, Direct Connect deducts a small transaction fee before your final payout.

Once the deal closes, the receiving agent’s brokerage sends the referral fee to Direct Connect.

As long as all referral paperwork has been properly submitted through your agent portal—and your W-9 form is on file—Direct Connect will issue your referral payment via ACH direct deposit.

Referral fees are typically paid shortly after the closing, depending on how quickly the receiving brokerage processes the commission.

It is each referral agent’s responsibility to stay compliant with their state’s continuing education requirements and ensure their real estate license remains active.

Direct Connect Brokerage has partnered with The CE Shop, a trusted online real estate school offering both licensing and continuing education courses nationwide.

You can explore available courses here: https://directconnectbrokerage.theceshop.com/

Here’s a simple breakdown of the costs for referral agents on the Starter Connect Plan:

No onboarding fee

• $14.99/month to maintain your license with Direct Connect (cancel anytime)
• $399.00 per closed residential referral transaction
• You keep 100% of your referral fee (minus the transaction fee)
• There are no splits, caps, and no minimum production requirements

You also won’t have:

• MLS fees
• Realtor® association dues
• E&O insurance costs

Commercial and lease referrals are supported. Specific commission structures are outlined in the onboarding agreement.

With the Starter Connect Plan, agents receive access to the core tools needed to manage and submit referrals:

• Personal agent platform
• Basic CRM
• E-signature tool
• Referral tracking
• Email support

Everything is designed to help you stay organized and earn income—without the complexity of traditional real estate sales.

Here’s a simple breakdown of the costs for referral agents on the Premium Connect Plan:

• No onboarding fee
• $19.99/month to maintain your license with Direct Connect (cancel anytime)
• 30-day risk-free guarantee
• $349.00 per closed residential referral transaction
• You keep 100% of your referral fee (minus the transaction fee)
• There are no splits, caps, and no minimum production requirements

You also won’t have:

• MLS fees
• Realtor® association dues
• E&O insurance costs

Commercial and lease referrals are supported. Specific commission structures are outlined in the onboarding agreement.

With the Premium Connect Plan, agents receive access to a complete set of tools designed to grow and manage your referral business:

• Personal agent platform
• Advanced CRM (client relationship management)
• Personal landing page website
• E-signature tool for documents
• Referral tracking system
• Access to national training resources
• Print marketing tools and business card templates
• Continuing education options
• Local and national vendor directory
• Task planning and calendar tools
• Zapier integration
• ACH payment processing
• Priority support

Everything is designed to help you stay organized, build your brand, and generate more referrals—without the complexity or overhead of traditional real estate sales.

The Referral Sweet Marketing Program is an optional upgrade powered by Referral Sweet (also known as Sweet Assist). It is designed to help agents grow their referral business through automated marketing and advanced training.

This program includes:

• Done-for-you social media content calendar
• Video email marketing tools
• Direct mail marketing templates
• Set-it-and-forget-it campaigns
• Monthly mastermind group coaching calls

The cost is $40/month, and you can cancel at any time.

This program is provided by a third-party company and is billed separately from Direct Connect. Direct Connect is not affiliated with or responsible for the services provided.

We currently can only hold referral agents who are licensed in Florida. However, we have plans to expand nationwide and will be opening up opportunities for agents in other states as we grow.

We offer limited advertising opportunities for full-time real estate agents and local vendors who want to connect with our network of referring agents.

Our advertising plans include:

• Preferred Agent Connect – for active agents looking to receive referrals
• Connect Pro Vendor – for trusted vendors offering home-related services

These spots are limited by area to ensure quality and exposure. Contact us today to learn more or check availability in your market.

Both plans offer valuable exposure and networking opportunities for real estate professionals and home service vendors. Here’s what’s included:

• $0 onboarding fee
• $199 annual fee
• Marketplace directory placement — your profile or business is featured for easy access by our referral agents
• Exclusive access to our private Facebook group for networking, promotion, and updates

These plans are a great way to connect directly with agents who are actively referring clients and looking for trusted professionals to work with.

At Direct Connect, we don’t actively represent buyers or sellers—but we offer an exclusive service designed to help you find the right agent.

At no cost to you, we match homeowners with a qualified, full-time real estate agent anywhere in the U.S. based on their specific needs.

To get started, click the link below:

Find a Trusted Agent

Month-to-month. Cancel anytime.

Any referral deals already in progress will remain with Direct Connect, and you will still receive your referral fee once the transaction closes.

If you’re returning to full-time real estate, feel free to contact us—we can help connect you with brokerages that offer opportunities for agents ready to get back to work.

When you join the Premium Connect Plan, you’re covered by a 30-day risk-free guarantee.

If you decide the plan isn’t the right fit within your first 30 days, you can request a full refund of your monthly fee—no questions asked.

If you have any referral deals in progress during that time, those deals will remain with Direct Connect, and you will still receive your referral fee once the transaction closes.

This gives you the opportunity to explore the platform, tools, and resources with confidence, knowing there’s no risk in getting started.

Yes. You can upgrade your plan at any time, or downgrade on your next billing cycle.

Any changes will take effect on your next billing cycle. If you have any active referral deals, they will continue under your current agreement.

Getting started is fast and simple. Just choose the plan that fits you best and click ‘Join Now.’ Follow the onboarding steps, and our team will guide you through the rest via email.

Most onboarding applications are processed within 24–48 hours during normal business hours. Once approved, you’ll receive your onboarding agreement, next steps, and access information by email.

Yes. Direct Connect agents may be eligible for account credits or referral incentives when referring new agents to join the brokerage. Full details, requirements, and eligibility are provided during onboarding and inside the private agent group.