Online real estate brokerage Redfin has removed 42 agents from its partner referral program due to mixed customer reviews, the company announced in a blog post Friday.
Redfin also axed eight partner agents for creating fake customer reviews.
"When we spot a fake, we fire him, no questions asked, no second chances," said Glenn Kelman, Redfin’s CEO.
Redfin’s partner program refers leads to agents that belong to other real estate brokerages when a home is outside of its direct service area or is worth less than Redfin’s $6,000 minimum fee.
Agents must apply to be part of the program and the process involves an interview and at least three customer references. Only 35 percent of applicants are accepted, Kelman said.
Partners keep 70 percent of their commission, while 15 percent is rebated to the client and 15 percent goes to Redfin.
Once part of the program, "(w)e survey every client, and publish every response. We fire agents who get bad reviews," the brokerage says on its website.
One in six agents is eventually asked to leave the program, Kelman said. Redfin partners account for 5 percent of the company’s business, he added.
"We hope that more agents who are ready to stand by their customer service performance apply to our program," Kelman said.