I keep seeing agencies split revenue 50/50 on referral deals and it feels off

We sent a solid lead to a web dev shop last quarter, they closed a $15,000 project, and we got $7,500 for basically an intro. Meanwhile, my friend's agency does a flat 20% finder's fee, which seems more fair for the work involved. What's the standard split you all use, and how do you justify it to your partners?

3 comments

3 Comments

brian_ramirez1mo ago

Is the intro really that simple? You vetted the lead, matched them to the right partner, and put your own name on the line. If they mess up, it's your client relationship that's burned. A 50/50 split feels high for just an email, but maybe it's paying for the risk and the trust you're supposed to provide.

ray1891mo ago

Man, that's wild. 50/50 is for partners doing real work together, not a simple intro. We do 20% flat, tops. It's just a finder's fee, not a full project split. How do you even explain taking half the money for sending an email?

xena37314d ago

Wait, you're telling me 20% is your actual rate for intros? That feels crazy low, idk how you even get people to agree to that.