Updated July 2026 · Reviewed by Adams, Cameron & Co.
Yes. A Florida-licensed referral agent can refer a client to a licensed agent in any other state, not just Florida. The referral fee agreement is still between the two brokerages, and the fee is only payable to a properly licensed agent or brokerage in that state.
- Florida referral agents aren't limited to sending clients to Florida agents; any state works.
- The receiving agent must hold an active license in whatever state the property is located in.
- The referral agreement and fee still flow broker to broker, the same as an in-state referral.
- This matters most for clients relocating away from Florida, or Florida buyers looking elsewhere.
- Confirm the receiving brokerage's license status before sending a referral out of state.
Can I refer a client outside of Florida?
Yes. There’s nothing that limits a Florida-licensed referral agent to sending clients only to other Florida agents. If your client is moving to Georgia, the Carolinas, or anywhere else, you can refer them to a properly licensed agent in that state and still earn a referral fee.
Does the process work any differently?
Not really. The same basic rule applies wherever the property is: the referral fee can only be paid to a licensed real estate professional, active in that state, and the agreement is still made broker to broker rather than agent to agent. It’s worth confirming the receiving brokerage’s license status before making the introduction, just as you would locally.
When does this come up most often?
Two common situations: a Florida client who’s relocating out of state for work, family, or retirement, and a client from another state who mentions they’re moving to Florida. Either direction, the referral works the same way, and it’s often the easiest, most valuable kind of referral, since you likely can’t serve that market yourself even if you were still actively selling.
Does the fee work differently because it crosses state lines?
No, and this is the detail people worry about unnecessarily. Florida Statute 475.25(1)(h) requires that a real estate fee only go to a properly licensed professional; it doesn’t say licensed in Florida. See how a Florida referral company works for the rest of the mechanics: how the fee is structured and why your own license has to stay active to receive it. A referral fee to a broker actively licensed in Texas or North Carolina satisfies the same rule a Florida-to-Florida referral does. What the statute cares about is that the recipient is licensed and active somewhere with authority over that transaction, not which state issued it.
How do you find a licensed agent in another state to refer to?
Often through the brokerage holding your license, since many referral networks have relationships with agents and brokerages well beyond their own state. Adams, Cameron & Co., for instance, belongs to Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, a network spanning 70+ countries, which is exactly the kind of standing relationship that makes an out-of-state referral a phone call instead of a cold search. If your brokerage doesn’t have an existing contact where your client is headed, a quick license lookup with that state’s real estate regulator confirms who’s properly licensed before you make the introduction.
Referral requirements can vary by state; confirm current rules with the receiving brokerage and, where needed, that state's licensing authority. Educational only, not legal advice.
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