At RESNYS (The Real Estate School of New York State), we’re committed to bringing you insights from the most successful agents in the field. Recently, we sat down with Barbara Melany, broker and team leader of the Barbara Melany Team at Coldwell Banker American Homes, to discuss her impressive career, which has been built entirely on referrals. As one of the top-producing teams in the entire Long Island board, Barbara’s story offers valuable lessons for new and aspiring agents looking to build their careers after obtaining their real estate license.
Finding Your Path in Real Estate
Barbara’s real estate journey wasn’t always smooth sailing. She entered the industry in 2002 as a single mother supporting two daughters.
“I was a single mom with these two girls, and I was waitressing and bartending, but I felt like I really needed to do a little more for myself,” Barbara shared with us. “I felt that real estate was perfect for me because I could be home with the kids, it gave me a flexible schedule, all that good stuff.”
Overcoming Early Career Challenges
Like many new agents, Barbara initially struggled to gain traction. In fact, she almost quit the business entirely during her first year.
“I went to my manager, I was going to quit real estate,” she recalled. “I said, ‘It’s brutal out there. I’m not that kind of person, and I can’t do this.’ And she said, ‘Barbara, I promise you, you can be a good, honest professional and succeed in this business.’ And she was right.”
Balancing Multiple Jobs While Building Your Business
The early years required Barbara to juggle multiple jobs to make ends meet. “I was a single mom supporting my family, but I was lucky because I was bartending and waitressing, which allowed me to do real estate during the day and then make my money at night.”
That persistence eventually paid off. “It was just such a great feeling, probably three or four years in. I was able to drop a shift here, drop a shift there. And I remember my first paycheck, my first real end of the year… I made, I think, $45,000. I was like, ‘Woo!'”
Building a Real Estate Business Through Referrals in New York
What makes Barbara’s story particularly fascinating for new agents is how she built her business. Unlike the conventional wisdom that focuses on cold calling and door knocking, Barbara took a different approach.
Choosing an Authentic Business Approach
“I’m not your traditional realtor. You’re supposed to knock on doors, you’re supposed to cold call. That’s just not who I am,” Barbara explained. “I have obviously become successful in my career, but it took me a lot longer than it would have taken somebody else because, literally, I built my entire business on referrals.”
When we asked about her biggest source of business, Barbara didn’t hesitate: “Oh my gosh, absolutely!” She confirmed that referrals drive her business.
Building Your Referral Pipeline
Her referral pipeline began with modest roots. “The first couple of years, all you do is rentals, but then those renters turn into buyers, and then those buyers turn into sellers, and then it just continues on.”
Barbara is honest about the tradeoffs of this approach. “When I talk to newer agents, I feel badly saying, ‘Well, I built it on referrals,’ because I would tell them, ‘Listen, you should cold call, you should knock on doors. You’ll catapult your business a little faster.'”
The Service Industry Connection to Real Estate Success
One interesting insight from our interview was how Barbara’s background in the service industry translated perfectly to real estate success. This connection might explain why her referral-based approach worked so well.
Service Industry Skills That Transfer to Real Estate
“People think we’re salespeople. We’re not. We’re service people,” Barbara emphasized. “When you’re working in the restaurant business, you build relationships with your customers, some of your regular customers. You build friendships, you build relationships, and it’s the same thing—you can be transactional, or you could have relationships, and that’s how we all deal with our business. You’re not just a transaction to us. You’re a person, you’re a relationship.”
The Referral Mindset
This service-focused mindset creates the foundation for generating referrals. As Barbara put it, “referrals happen by design, not by accident. You just have to earn it.”
From Solo Agent to Successful Real Estate Team
Barbara’s journey eventually led her to create one of the most successful teams in the area. The transition happened in 2016 when she realized she needed help managing her growing business.
Recognizing When It’s Time to Expand
“I started doing really well, which was so exciting, but I’m the kind of person—especially when you start to get listings, you get tons of leads, and you become very busy—and it was getting to a point where I physically couldn’t get back to everybody, and it drives me crazy,” Barbara explained.
Starting Small and Growing Organically
The team started small, with Barbara hiring a friend as her assistant. “So one night I was having some wine with Mary O’Donnell, a very dear friend of mine forever. She’s always been uplifting and coaching me to do well in real estate, and I asked her if she wanted to be my assistant, and she said, ‘Yes.'”
From there, the team grew organically, eventually bringing on Barbara’s daughters, Katie and Peggy. Today, the Barbara Melany Team consists of eight women who work closely together while maintaining individual approaches to business.
Creating a Supportive Team Environment
Katie, who now manages the team, explained: “Everyone has their own different approach to their own business, and we try to help each other get new business. Everyone’s going to have a different approach, but we just try to really support everyone and set them up for success.”
Community Knowledge as a Referral Driver
One of the keys to Barbara’s referral success is her deep knowledge of the Long Beach market. As a longtime resident, Barbara can speak with authority about every aspect of the community.
Becoming the Local Expert
“Long Beach really is a special place because you have the beach, you have the bay, you are only 50 minutes to Manhattan, you have the Long Island Railroad. But mostly, Long Beach is a feeling,” Barbara shared with genuine enthusiasm.
Mastering Neighborhood-Level Details
This knowledge extends to specific neighborhoods, housing types, and market trends. Barbara can explain the differences between the West End, East End, and central areas of Long Beach, discuss flood insurance considerations, and provide insights about summer rentals—all valuable information that builds trust with clients.
Turning Knowledge Into Referrals
When a real estate agent demonstrates this level of expertise, clients naturally refer them to friends and family who need the same guidance.
Communication Strategies for Generating Real Estate Referrals
Throughout our interview, Barbara emphasized the importance of communication in building a referral-based business. While she didn’t explicitly outline her follow-up process, she did highlight qualities that have helped her succeed.
Mastering the Fundamentals
“The fundamentals are important,” she noted. “I can guarantee you when you speak to somebody, you’re an excellent communicator, your follow-up is probably spot on.”
This attention to fundamentals creates the trust necessary for clients to refer friends and family. Barbara and her team also focus on educating clients rather than simply trying to make a sale.
Educating Clients Builds Trust
“When I sit down with a seller, I don’t typically just hand them a CMA. I have the individual listings, and I go through them, and I tell them, ‘Listen, I don’t have a crystal ball. My job as your realtor is to give you all the information and to educate you on what exactly is happening in the market.'”
Practical Advice for New Agents Building a Referral Network
For new agents looking to build their own referral-based business in New York, Barbara’s journey offers several valuable lessons:
Five Key Strategies for Referral Success
- Be authentic. Barbara succeeded by being true to herself rather than forcing herself to cold call when that didn’t align with her personality.
- Build genuine relationships. Treat clients as people, not transactions.
- Master your local market. Deep knowledge of your community builds the trust necessary for referrals.
- Consider a team structure. As Barbara’s daughter Katie pointed out, “I think one of the biggest pros of being on a team is the individualized support and having that mentorship from your team leader.”
The Power of Community Involvement
5. Give back to your community. The Barbara Melany Team was honored as Humanitarian of the Year in 2018, reflecting their commitment to local charities and causes. This community involvement strengthens relationships and enhances their reputation.
Your Path to Referral Success Begins Now
Barbara Melany’s success story proves that building a thriving real estate business through referrals is possible for agents who focus on relationships, community knowledge, and exceptional service. While this approach may take longer to gain momentum than aggressive prospecting techniques, it creates a sustainable business with loyal clients who become your best marketers.
Preparing for Real Estate Success
At RESNYS, we believe in preparing our students not just to pass the licensing exam, but to succeed in the competitive New York real estate market. Stories like Barbara’s demonstrate that there are multiple paths to success in this industry.
For more insights from top-producing agents or to learn about our real estate courses, visit RESNYS.com today.
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