What is ERS?

ERS -- Equity Referral Services -- is a company that allows agents to be part of a Limited Function Referral Organization (LFRO), where they can collect referral commissions without having to be part of their local MLS or association.

What is a LFRO?

A LFRO is a real estate company, like ERS, made up entirely of agents who only do referrals.

Do the Oregon Real Estate Agency and Washington Department of Licensing allow agents to be referral-only?

Yes, both the OREA and Washington DOL allow agents to join a LFRO, as does the National Association of Realtors.

How do ERS agents earn referral commissions?

As an ERS agent, you simply fill out the ERS Referral Form, referring your qualified Buyers and Sellers who would like your assistance locating a licensed, full-service REALTOR to represent them. If you don’t have a specific REALTOR® to refer, we can help you find one. Once the transaction closes, the referral fee is sent to ERS and then paid to you.

Why do I need to join ERS to be paid a referral fee?

It is against Oregon and Washington law to pay a commission to a person who does not have an active real estate license at the time they give a referral. All of our ERS agents are active licensees, and, as such, are able to receive referral fees.

Who works the referrals submitted by ERS agents?

You direct the referrals to a REALTOR® that you trust to take care of your buyer or seller. If you need help finding one, let us know. Our affiliate company, RE/MAX Equity Group is one of the strongest real estate companies in the Portland Metro area, with sales of over $2 billion annually. With the addition of RE/MAX Integrity and Northwest, as well as the entire Gold Nation footprint, you’ll be able to easily find an agent to refer your clients to. When you use these agents to refer to, you know your clients, friends, and family are getting the very best.

Do I need to keep my license active to be with ERS?

Yes, you need to keep your license active with the state(s) you are licensed. If your license is currently inactive you will need to re-activate the license prior to ERS adding you to the company. You can get more information on reactivating your license with these links -- Oregon or Washington. If you are in need of some credit hour classes to get or keep your license active, please reach out to ERS for more information about classes that are offered via our affiliate company or other sources.

What if I want to represent a buyer or take a listing?

Under the rules of a LFRO, you may not represent a buyer or seller when you are a member of ERS. If you don’t want to refer the transaction, we will assist you in transferring to an affiliated full-service company or another company of your choice.

I am buying (or selling) property for myself. Can I act as my own agent and collect a commission?

You cannot serve as your own agent and collect a commission (you cannot be named as the Buyers Agent or Listing Agent on any contracts. You can refer this to a full-service REALTOR®, or we can help you find a referral partner.

Am I restricted from marketing my referral services?

You are encouraged to market your referral services, but you cannot offer any other brokerage services. If you are in need of assistance in creating some marketing pieces please contact ERS to help you or visit our Markful shop to order templated business cards and more.

What is the cost to join ERS?

There is an annual fee of $150 due upon signing up, and annually on your anniversary date. For each referral commission received, there is a 70/30 split (70% to you, 30% to ERS). No monthly fees.

Do I need to belong to the local MLS or pay REALTOR   dues?

No. As an LFRO ERS is specifically exempt from national, state, and local REALTOR® dues, and so are its agents. You do not have to belong to your local association when with ERS. You are also exempt from paying any MLS fees or having to be a member.

Who is ERS for?

ERS is for agents who, for whatever reason, have decided that they are not able to or interested in being full-time agents. A great example is an agent that has made a decision to retire. They are able to leverage their database of past clients, friends, and family to still assist them with their real estate needs. Instead of being the principal agent on the transaction, they take a moment to connect a trusted referral partner to these buyers and sellers in their database and, at closing, receive referral income. There are all sorts of reasons one may join ERS. We are happy to discuss your specific needs.

What are the other benefits of joining ERS?

ERS allows you to be connected to our affiliate companies. You will be in constant contact with them and with ERS to be kept up-to-date on the real estate and lending markets. We offer our ERS agents many of the classes that are offered to our affiliate companies, including many classes that have credit hours that qualify for your license renewal. We will ensure that you are also invited to any industry events and training/motivational events (i.e. Brian Buffini, Jared James, Tom Ferry) as we are aware of them in our area. These classes are a great way to keep invested in the real estate industry and do some networking.

The best benefit is that you can still profit financially from all your hard work over the years, and you only need to connect a potential client to your referral partner. We help our agents leverage their referral possibilities, and want you to succeed at any level you want to attain.

How do I join ERS?

Contact Kyle Bach, Principal Broker and Director of Professional Development, at (503) 686-1165 or kyleb@equitygroupteam.com for more information and to start the process. Once you have decided to join, it takes less than 10 minutes to complete forms and get you started.