Being able to refer clients to a local moving company is an important part of how real estate agents can give homebuyers and sellers the best experience possible. Fortunately, The Marine REALTOR found the right team of movers when he reached out to Colt Moving!
Meet Thano Genos—The Marine REALTOR
As a real estate broker and REALTOR, Thano Genos provides tailored services to high-net-worth individuals. For him, the work goes beyond simply matching clients with homes. Thano has a unique background that allows him to connect with people on a deeper level. He knows how to recognize challenges and swiftly develop solutions, and his ability to go above and beyond is evidenced by continuous 5-star reviews as The Marine REALTOR from clients.
When he was a combat correspondent in the United States Marine Corps, Thano’s journey spanned from the front lines of Iraq to the busy D.C. Metro area. From there, he also has an impressive list of marketing credentials. The experiences from all of these roles play an important part in his work delivering smooth and successful transactions for clients. He always wants to make sure that he has the right people at his side to help clients achieve their dreams. Eventually, though, he realized that he was missing a good mover in his “rolodex;” not just anyone would do.
In his own life, Thano has completed 27 moves in the course of 20 years. Consequently, he has used lots of moving companies from big, national chains. But when it comes to his own clients, he says, “That’s not our brand. We’re the experts in Central Indiana and I wanted to find someone I can trust.”
Shared Values for a Great Partnership
Out of all of the Indianapolis moving companies, Thano found two or three that seemed like they had a good local presence. Then he sent out cold emails to see who would respond. A little while later, Jordan Petit, the owner of Colt Moving, responded saying that he would love to meet up and grab lunch.
“I really connected with Jordan and Trevor Fox,” said Thano. “Trevor was also in the Marine Corps, and that alone had me feeling okay—we’re good.”
After that first meeting in 2022, Thano was set. He’d only sent a cold email, but meeting the guys in person was enough to continue forward together. The Marine Corps motto “Semper Fidelis” is Latin for “Always Faithful,” so their connection was quick, and it was understood that Colt Moving would work hard to earn his business. As Thano explained, people still have to earn the “know, like, and trust” status, but he knew he’d found a great vendor and moving partner. Just like in the Marines, they earn the title; it’s not given.
“When I do business it’s all about partnering with someone who is going to pick up the phone,” said Thano. “It’s us connecting to vendors, vendors connecting to clients, and clients to us—like a triangle. If there’s any disconnect, then it’s broken. There’s no way to keep going and keep everyone happy.”
Relationships matter, and being able to have vendors that embody his own core values of “doing the work and being on the transaction” makes all the difference for the homeowner’s experience. He expects vendors to have similar values as his own business. Fortunately, he started getting good feedback right away. Even better, Colt Moving wasn’t just serving his own clients, other brokers within his agency were using Colt Moving for their own moves too.
“If we’re willing to use vendors and get good results,” he explained, “then they’re going to the top of the list.”
The Moving Vendor Referral Process
Every client consultation for Thano, even if it’s someone he knows, will start with an overview of a few key concerns. He’ll tell both buyers and sellers right off the bat about Colt Moving because he wants to make sure they have the chance to use the team.
“It’s always brought up in the beginning because I know Colt sets the bar high,” he said. “I always want to start out with the best option.”
Sometimes, his recommendation confirms what his clients discovered on their own. He estimates that 30-40 percent of clients in the northern Indianapolis area have already reached out to Colt Moving by the time he mentions the company to them. Those types of situations work out well for everyone. It makes it easier for Thano to serve his clients when they’ve hired a good mover.
“I have to be able to say, ‘Here’s an issue that came up; I need you to take care of it,’ and
I can’t do that with national moving chains,” said Thano.
He had a client at one point with a multi-million dollar transaction. Shortly after a month working together, he referred Colt Moving to them.
“It was a big estimate, and they had an expectation of things going a certain way,” said Thano. “They paid for a bunch of service, and I later got feedback that they didn’t want to give to Colt.”
The move was for a 6,000-square-foot house, and Thano wanted to make sure things were right for them. So it was no problem for him to reach out on their behalf to make sure the guys could hear what was going on.
“The clients weren’t mad. It was just honest feedback that they didn’t want other people to go through,” said Thano. “Trevor and Jordan were very receptive. Because they know that if they don’t get the feedback, then they can’t fix whatever happened.”
Whether large or small, his experience providing feedback to Colt Moving has always been smooth. The team jumps on any problems right away and responds quickly. For as much business as he sends them, Thano says the feedback is few and far between, and that tells him that Colt Moving is fixing and adjusting with every note they receive. That means their service just keeps getting better.
Personal Experience with Colt Moving
Having been in the Marine Corp, Thano is used to being around people doing heavy lifting. But when he saw the Colt movers in action, it was something different. He was expecting “big dudes” to show up to his own moving day. What we got was “average guys who know how to leverage weight.” Every mover at Colt Moving goes through a high level of training, and they understand the importance of lifting properly and working together.
“They were very energetic, very engaging, and very kind and polite,” said Thano.
It was the day after the July Fourth holiday and it was hot. The team came and worked quickly, and Thano calls it a “warm and welcoming experience.”
“They were asking questions and they did everything right,” he said. “It’s always been a worry of mine that something would happen to our heavy furniture during a move, but they came through. We didn’t have a single issue.”
The team even helped coordinate the delivery to the new home with Thano’s closing appointment. That attention to detail helped make the day go more smoothly for everyone. Both trucks arrived at the same time and were unloaded perfectly. What’s more, Thano said the movers were “really, really good at making sure everything went where it was supposed to go.”
Looking for a Preferred Partner?
After he refers clients to Colt Moving, “no news is good news,” according to Thano. He follows up with clients a week after their moves, and that’s the time he would typically hear feedback about the company. But since the experience is overwhelmingly positive, there’s rarely anything to report.
“My business model is to be able to provide a go-to solution for homeowners, and that’s fully inside of the Colt Moving value system too,” said Thano. “I would encourage every realtor to use them.”
To learn more about Thano Genos and his client process, you can visit his website at www.thanogenos.com. Or if you’re looking to partner with Colt Moving for your own business, reach out to Jordan Petit directly at [email protected]. You can also schedule your own move with Colt Moving through the online calendar. The team would love to give you a streamlined and stress-free moving day!