A vendor network is a referral engine. Every trusted plumber, painter, lender and inspector makes a client's move easier and sends business back. Here's how I find, qualify and work mine: in 10 minute calls, logged in the CRM, nurtured in person.

The workflow

Six steps, run in batches, so the network grows every week without eating selling time.

  1. Source. Find vendors where they already market themselves: local Facebook groups, vendor posts, comments and DMs, plus referrals from vendors already in your network. Tag every one in your CRM by campaign so you know where they came from.
  2. Book a 10 minute call. Stack them into one sprint block, about 15 minutes apart. Lenders and other referral partners get a partner call, not a trade vendor call.
  3. Run the call. Learn, don't sell.
  4. Capture five fields. What, who, where, speed, next. Log them the same day.
  5. Classify. Refer, maybe or pass. Only "refer" vendors get sent to clients.
  6. Nurture. No answer gets a short reschedule note with two specific 10 minute options. Vendors you refer get an in-person coffee when you're working in their area, and a check-in whenever you send them business.

The 10 minute call

The goal is to learn fit, ideal referral, territory, response speed and the next step. Do not sell.

  • Open (1 minute): "I'll keep this to 10 minutes. I mainly want to understand what you do and how we can help each other."
  • Discovery (6 minutes): work through the five fields below.
  • Explain (2 minutes): who you serve, where, and the kinds of clients you'd send them.
  • Close (1 minute): "Anything important I should know before sending someone your way?"

The qualification card

  • What: exact scope of services, plus licenses and insurance for their trade.
  • Who: their ideal project and client, and their minimum job size.
  • Where: service territory and how far they'll travel.
  • Speed: quote and response turnaround, current capacity, emergency availability.
  • Next: how they want referrals handed off, and the agreed next step.

For a lender, swap in: ideal borrower, strongest programs, coverage area, preapproval turnaround, communication cadence and agent support.

The rules

  • Verified versus background. Log what the vendor confirmed on the call separately from what their ad claims. Never record a guess as a fact.
  • Real people, not automation. Vendors can tell a robot DM from a real conversation. Make the first call yourself.
  • Refer only what you'd use. A bad referral costs you the client relationship, not the vendor.
  • Give before you ask. Ask what they need (listings, buyers, other trades) before asking for referrals back.
  • Batch it. One sprint block a week beats scattered calls. Follow up on missed calls within 24 hours.
  • The CRM is the source of truth. Every vendor gets a record, a service tag, a territory and a next action.

What a full network covers

Think in stages of a move, and look for gaps:

  • Financing and planning: lenders and brokers, financial advisors, tax.
  • Contract to close: attorneys, home inspectors (with radon), smoke certificates.
  • Getting it market ready: painting, cleaners, junk removal, landscaping, staging, handyman.
  • Repairs and upgrades: general contractors, HVAC and plumbing, electrical, flooring, windows, fencing, pest control.
  • Bigger projects: architects, builders and developers.
  • Moving in: movers, interior design, property management.

Try it this week

Book three 10 minute vendor calls in one block. Use the card, log the five fields the same day, and classify each one.