For Realtors · August 18, 2026 · 9 min read
Last Tuesday I got a call from a realtor in Prince George's County. She had a client relocating to York, Pennsylvania for work, and she didn't know anyone up there. Could I help?
I said yes. But here's the thing: I don't work York exclusively, even though I'm licensed in PA. I know three agents there who do nothing but York County, and they know it better than I ever will. So I made the intro, stayed on the email thread to keep trust intact, and that client is now under contract on a farmette near Red Lion.
The Prince George's agent called me back yesterday to say thank you. She'd never done a cross-state handoff before and didn't realize how smooth it could be.
That conversation reminded me that a lot of realtors in our region—Maryland, DC, Pennsylvania, Delaware—work just one jurisdiction and freeze up when a client needs help across a state line. They either ghost the client, fumble the referral, or worse, try to wing it in a market they don't know.
So let me walk you through the system I use. It's not fancy. But it works.
We live and work in one of the most fragmented real estate markets in the country. A buyer in Bel Air might work in Baltimore, have family in Lancaster, and dream of retiring in Rehoboth. A seller in Harford County might be moving to a new job in D.C. or relocating elderly parents to Delaware.
If you're a Maryland realtor serving Cecil, Harford, Baltimore County, or Anne Arundel, you will get asked about Pennsylvania, D.C., and Delaware. It's not an edge case. It's Tuesday.
And if you don't have a clean way to handle it, you lose the relationship. The client Googles someone else, and you never hear from them again.
I came to real estate after 20 years in education and leadership. One thing I learned in schools: when a family asks for help, you don't say "not my department." You find the right person and make the connection. Same principle applies here.
I'm licensed in Maryland, D.C., Pennsylvania, and Delaware. That gives me flexibility, but it doesn't mean I'm an expert everywhere.
Here's what I actually do with those licenses:
Maryland: I work actively across Cecil, Harford, Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Montgomery, Howard, Anne Arundel, and Charles. This is my primary zone. I know the inspectors, the title attorneys, the quirks of each county's transfer tax. I take listings here. I write offers here. I know where the septic engineers are slow and which municipalities will nickel-and-dime you on permits.
Pennsylvania: I'm licensed, but I focus on York and Lancaster Counties, and even then, I collaborate. I'll tour homes with a client, but I loop in a hyperlocal agent when we go under contract. I want someone who knows the township codes and the best home inspector for old stone farmhouses.
Delaware: New Castle County. I'll help a client search and preview, but I refer out for the contract-to-close phase unless it's a straightforward condo deal I'm confident handling.
D.C.: I work Prince George's County regularly. D.C. proper I treat like Pennsylvania—I'll preview and consult, but I refer to specialists for most transactions.
The point is this: having a license is not the same as having local expertise. And clients deserve the latter.
If you're a realtor reading this and you only work, say, Howard County, that's fine. You don't need four state licenses. You need a referral network.
I keep a shared spreadsheet. It's not glamorous. It has five columns:
I add agents when:
I remove agents when:
Every January I send a short email to everyone on the list: "Still active in [county]? Any changes to your focus?" If they don't reply in two weeks, I move them to an "inactive" tab.
This isn't about having a huge network. I'd rather have three excellent realtors in York County than thirty mediocre ones.
When a client needs help outside my active zone, I don't just toss them a name and disappear.
Here's my process:
I ask the client's permission. "I know a fantastic realtor in New Castle County who focuses on exactly what you're looking for. Can I introduce you by email?"
I make a warm intro on a three-way email. I include a few sentences about the client's situation—never their financials, just the basics. "John and Sarah are relocating from Harford County to Delaware for work. They're looking for a single-family home under $400K, ideally near good schools. Sarah, meet Tom, who's been selling homes in New Castle County for 15 years and knows every neighborhood."
I stay on the thread for the first few exchanges. I don't helicopter, but I don't vanish. If the client has a question, they know I'm still there. It keeps trust alive.
I follow up two weeks later. Just a quick text or email: "How's it going with Tom? Anything I can help with?"
Most of the time, the answer is "Great, we're going to see houses this weekend." Sometimes the fit isn't right, and I'll suggest someone else. Either way, the client knows I didn't abandon them.
Cross-state referrals come with rules. I'm not an attorney, but here's what I follow:
RESPA compliance: Referral fees between licensed agents are legal, but they must be disclosed and documented. I use a standard referral agreement. HUD's RESPA page has the basics. Your broker should have a template.
State-specific disclosure requirements: Maryland, D.C., Pennsylvania, and Delaware all have different agency disclosure rules. If you're handing off a client across state lines, make sure the receiving agent knows what disclosures you've already provided. Don't assume. I once had a Pennsylvania agent re-disclose agency to a client I'd already walked through Maryland's forms, and it confused them. A quick heads-up call prevents that.
License status: If you're collecting a referral fee, you need an active license in at least one state involved in the transaction, and your broker needs to approve. Don't try to freelance this. The National Association of REALTORS® has ethics hotlines if you're unsure.
When the deal closes, I send a handwritten note to the referring agent (if I received the referral) or to the agent who helped my client (if I sent it out).
I also update my spreadsheet with the outcome. "Referred client to Tom in DE, smooth closing, client loved him." That note reminds me to send more referrals Tom's way.
And I check in with the client a month after closing. "How's Delaware treating you?" It's not about drumming up business. It's about being a human. But yes, it leads to repeat referrals. That farmette buyer in York? She just told her coworker I'm the person to call.
Harford County to Lancaster, PA: I had a client selling a home in Bel Air and relocating to Lancaster for a job at a hospital. I listed and sold the Harford County property myself, then introduced them to an agent in Lancaster who specializes in Amish Country properties. The clients wanted land, and my Lancaster contact knew every township's rules on septic and well permits. I stayed involved through both closings, coordinating timing so they didn't end up homeless or double-mortgaged.
Baltimore City to D.C.: A repeat client sold their rowhouse in Fells Point and wanted a condo in Navy Yard. I know D.C., but I don't know Navy Yard's condo market like my colleague who's been there a decade. I toured a few units with them, gave my two cents, then let her take over for negotiations and contract. We split the commission, and the clients got someone who knew which buildings had special assessment issues.
Prince George's County to Delaware: The one I mentioned at the top. Classic job relocation. I made the intro, stayed on the email thread, and the client texted me and the Delaware agent when they went under contract. Everybody wins.
If you're looking at homes for sale in Harford County or anywhere else I cover, I'll handle it directly. But if you need someone in a county I don't serve deeply, I'll tell you that too. And I'll make sure you're in good hands.
We're in a weird market. Mortgage rates ticked up to 6.67% this week, inventory is still tight in most of Maryland and D.C., and buyers are getting frustrated. When someone finally finds a reason to move—a job, a family need, a school district—they don't want to start their search from scratch in a new state.
If you're the realtor who solves that problem, you become irreplaceable.
And if you're a Delaware realtor or Pennsylvania realtor looking to build referral relationships with Maryland agents, the same principles apply in reverse. Reach out. Introduce yourself. Build trust before you need it.
I get referrals from agents in York, Lancaster, New Castle, and D.C. on a regular basis now. It didn't happen overnight. It happened because I picked up the phone, showed up at a settlement table when I didn't have to, and sent a thank-you note when someone sent me business.
Real estate is hyper-local, but clients are not. They move. They inherit property. They relocate aging parents. They get transferred.
If you only work your county and you don't have a plan for the rest, you're going to lose clients you didn't have to lose.
Build the list. Make the intros. Stay involved. Say thank you. It's not complicated, but it does take intention.
And if you ever need a Maryland realtor who knows Harford, Cecil, Baltimore, or half a dozen other counties—and who can connect you to excellent people in the places I don't cover—let's talk. I'd rather build the relationship now than scramble later.
This region is too good, and our clients deserve too much, for us to work in silos.
Katrina Kirton Sherrod, REALTOR® · Samson Properties · Licensed in MD, DC, PA & DE · 443-616-9770 · Katrina@kkstherealtor.com
“Home is the nicest word there is.” — Laura Ingalls Wilder