Climate Risk Disclosure Is Changing Referral Conversations — Here's How to Stay Ahead
New climate risk disclosure requirements are reshaping how agents discuss properties across state lines. Agents who master this shift are becoming the go-to referral partners for climate-conscious clients.
The conversation at the closing table has changed. Where buyers once asked about school districts and commute times, they're now leading with flood zone maps, wildfire risk scores, and insurance availability. Climate risk disclosure is no longer a niche concern — it's reshaping how agents work, how clients choose where to move, and critically, how referral networks function across state lines.
The Disclosure Landscape in 2026
As of early 2026, more than 30 states have enacted or expanded climate-related property disclosure requirements. California's updated Natural Hazard Disclosure now includes forward-looking wildfire risk projections. Florida mandates flood history and insurance cost estimates. Colorado requires sellers to disclose properties within designated wildfire mitigation zones.
For agents who work referrals, this creates both a challenge and an enormous opportunity.
The challenge is straightforward: a referring agent in Ohio may not understand the disclosure requirements waiting for their client in coastal North Carolina. If that client gets blindsided by a $14,000 annual flood insurance premium after closing, the referral relationship — and any future ones — evaporates.
The opportunity? Agents who proactively educate their referral partners about local climate risk dynamics become indispensable.
Why Climate Literacy Is a Referral Differentiator
According to a 2025 Redfin survey, 42% of homebuyers said climate risk was a "major factor" in their purchase decision — up from 28% in 2022. Among buyers relocating across state lines, that number jumped to 57%.
These aren't abstract concerns. When a family moves from Phoenix to Asheville to escape extreme heat, they need an agent who can speak credibly about landslide risk zones, stormwater infrastructure, and the real cost of homeowners insurance in the Blue Ridge. The referring agent in Phoenix needs to trust that their Asheville counterpart won't just sell the house — they'll protect the client.
That trust is what generates repeat referrals.
Building a Climate-Informed Referral Practice
**Know your local risk profile cold.** Every market has its climate story. Whether it's sea level rise in Miami, drought in the Central Valley, or ice storms in Dallas, become the agent who can explain — clearly and honestly — what buyers need to know. Use tools like ClimateCheck, First Street Foundation's risk scores, and your state's hazard mapping portal.
**Create a one-page climate brief for referral partners.** When you receive a referral from out of state, send the referring agent a quick summary of your market's climate risks and how you address them during the buying process. This signals competence and builds confidence that their client is in good hands.
**Ask the climate question when sending referrals.** Before you refer a client to an agent in another market, ask your contact: "How do you handle climate risk conversations with buyers?" If they stumble, that's your cue to find a better partner. Your client's experience reflects directly on you.
**Track insurance availability.** In many markets, the real climate risk isn't the weather — it's the insurance. Carriers are pulling out of high-risk areas at an accelerating pace. An agent who can navigate insurance options and connect buyers with knowledgeable brokers adds tangible value that clients remember and talk about.
The Referral Network Effect
Climate migration is creating predictable referral corridors. People are leaving high-risk, high-cost insurance markets and moving to areas they perceive as safer. The agents positioned along these migration routes — who understand both the "from" market's push factors and the "to" market's pull factors — are building referral pipelines that practically run themselves.
The data backs this up. NAR's 2025 Member Profile found that agents with documented climate risk expertise received 34% more out-of-state referrals than agents in the same markets without it.
The Bottom Line
Climate risk disclosure isn't a trend — it's the new baseline. Agents who treat it as a checkbox will lose referral partners to those who treat it as a core competency. The conversation has already changed. The question is whether your referral network has changed with it.
Start with your own market. Learn the risks, build the resources, and share them with every agent who sends a client your way. That's how you become the referral partner no one wants to replace.
Ready to track your referrals?
Join 3,247+ agents who've automated their referral tracking.