You have heard it time and time again that referrals are essential to your success as a real estate agent.
However, for many real estate agents, referrals don’t seem to pour in as much as they should.
In fact, Inman reports that although about 89% of clients claim they would be willing to rehire their last real estate agent or refer their friends and family to them, only about 11% ever do.
In large part, this is because many agents are not proactive about seeking those referrals. Being proactive doesn’t mean adding much to your workload either. In today’s post, we’re sharing five small things you can do to boost your bottom line and increase your referrals business.
1. Deliver The Best Customer Service
First things first, you can’t expect your clients to refer to you if they are less than thrilled with the service that you provide them. Things happen of course but always do your best, to be honest, transparent, and deliberate in your efforts to work in your clients’ best interest. Most buyers and sellers claim that proactive and honest communication is one of the three most important qualities in a real estate agent, so make those a priority in your services.
2. Make It Easy For Clients To Refer To You
We live in a day and age where we are increasingly impatient, and some would even argue lazy. If it is difficult for your past clients to refer to you, they are less likely to do so. Therefore, you need to find ways to make it easy for them to refer to you in the most powerful way possible. For example, send your clients an email requesting a review of your services and provide them a link to do so. Then promote those positive reviews online and on social.
3. Ask For Referrals In Daily Communications
Most of the conversations that you have throughout the day offer you an opportunity to ask someone for a referral. For example, if you are cold-calling to generate leads and someone isn’t ready to sell, you can ask for a referral rather than just give up and hang up. Chances are someone will know someone that is in need of your services.
4. Give A Strategic Closing Gift
It may surprise you to know that many real estate agents fail to give a strategic closing gift to both sides of the transaction. A gift that is long-lasting, branded, and genuinely valuable to the recipient will be a strong reminder of how you can help them take their next step in life when they are ready.
5. Keep In Touch With Past Clients
Just because the deal is done, does not mean that you should cut off communication with your clients. In fact, if you want a lifetime of business from your clients you need to plan to build your relationship with them throughout your lifetime. Don’t forget to stay in touch by calling for no reason, adding them to your email list, and including them in your regular newsletters. Make it impossible for them to forget you.
Want To Know How To Leverage Your Database Into Endless Referrals?
Referrals are not only the easiest type of client to earn, but they are also the most valuable and most rewarding to work with!
The more that you invest in building out your referral business, the faster your business will grow and the easier your job will become as a real estate agent.
Each week, we are serving up fun, smart, and easy reminders to help you generate more real estate referrals and build the real estate business you’ve always dreamed of.