In my last post on here I gave a bunch of hard data from a report released by the National Association of Realtors on buyer and seller trends. In it, one of the biggest takeaways for me was just how many buyers and sellers find their agent through referrals.
My guess is for a lot of agents out there, this is a hugely untapped resource. In fact, could you cite just how much of your business is done via referral?
One of the biggest keys to getting more referrals is to just ask for them. It's really simple, yet somewhat of a roadblock at the same time for a number of agents out there. However, there is no harm in asking, and when I say asking, I mean asking every single client you've had.
Another key to referral success is keeping in touch. Are you doing that? Chances are, most of your clients don't know someone who is ready to buy or sell right this instant, some might, but generally it could be a month or even a year later. In that time, many agents have moved on from their clients, after all, the deal was done, right?
Not quite.
If you know that so much of business can be brought in via referrals (and coupled with the fact that most people only call 1 agent) you want to always be top of mind with your clients. That means keeping in touch. Don't worry, it's not as hard as you might think. In fact, you can do it a variety of ways.
One can be via email autoresponder. Which means you have a series of emails that are sent to your old clients. Each email is sent after a specified time and is designed to just keep your name in your clients heads. This allows them to contact you if they are looking to buy or sell again, and they can refer you're name to friends and family with just the click of a button.
Another method is via direct mail, so letters or postcards. You can use this in the same method as the email autoresponder. Simply just send them a quick note that says hello, gives an update on the market, and yes, even asks for them to refer anyone they know to you.
Both of these methods are very easy ways to take the extra step and connect with your clients. After all, who doesn't love a little bit of special customer service? Show them they weren't just a business transaction, and chances are they are going think of you the next time someone mentions they are in the market for a great real estate agent.
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