Absolutely.
A client can have a good experience with you, tell other people they liked working with you, and still end up calling someone else a few years later.
That doesn't always mean something went wrong.
Sometimes you simply stopped being part of their world.
Closing feels more final to the agent than it should
There is a natural drop-off after a transaction closes.
For weeks or months, you're talking regularly. You're working through inspections, financing, appraisal questions, deadlines, repairs, and decisions. Then the keys are handed over and everybody moves on.
The client gets busy with the house.
The agent gets busy with the next client.
That's normal.
The problem is when "normal" turns into years of silence.
By the time that person needs real estate help again, they may still remember that they liked you. They may even remember that you did a good job. But that doesn't necessarily mean they remember how to reach you, what company you're with now, or whether you're even still active.
That's where I think agents lose business they don't realize they lost.
Being remembered matters more than staying in front of people constantly
I don't think the answer is to contact past clients every few weeks just so they keep seeing your name.
That can become noise pretty quickly.
What matters more to me is that the relationship doesn't completely disappear.
If I worked with somebody years ago, I want enough familiarity left that when a real estate question comes up, reconnecting doesn't feel strange.
Maybe that happens through an occasional conversation. Maybe they see something I posted. Maybe I reach out because I genuinely remembered something about them.
It doesn't always have to be about buying or selling.
In fact, I think the relationship is healthier when it isn't.
This is where Google quietly becomes part of the relationship
Even when business comes from referrals, people still search.
Someone hears your name from a friend and looks you up.
A past client remembers you but can't find your number, so they Google it.
Someone you helped years ago sees another agent online and starts comparing.
That's why I don't think Google Business Profile is just a lead-generation tool.
Sometimes it's simply confirmation.
If somebody already knows my name, I want what they find online to reassure them that they found the right person.
Google says local results are influenced by relevance, distance, and prominence, and that accurate business information and reviews can help people understand and find a business.
That matters because your online presence can either support the reputation you've already built or create friction around it.
Reviews do something similar
We tend to talk about reviews like they're mainly about rankings.
I think they're also about memory.
A good review tells a future client what it felt like to work with you.
It can also remind a past client of why they trusted you in the first place.
The strongest reviews usually aren't the ones that sound polished. They're the ones where somebody talks about a moment that mattered.
Maybe you explained something clearly when they were confused. Maybe you kept the transaction steady when something went wrong. Maybe you gave advice that helped them avoid a bad decision.
Those stories say more about your reputation than a perfect five-star average ever could.
The real follow-up problem isn't frequency
This is where I think agents can overcomplicate things.
Better follow-up doesn't automatically mean more emails.
A monthly newsletter, a home anniversary message, and a holiday text can all be useful.
But none of those necessarily mean the relationship is still alive.
You can contact somebody twelve times a year and still know nothing about what has changed in their life.
That's the difference.
A client you helped five years ago may not be thinking about real estate at all, but their life may look completely different now.
The house may not fit anymore.
Their family may have changed.
Their work may have changed.
Maybe they're helping a parent.
Maybe they've become an investor.
Maybe nothing has changed and they're perfectly happy where they are.
The point is not to uncover a deal every time you reconnect.
The point is to remain somebody they still know.
Experience should create more than a bigger database
The National Association of REALTORS® reported in its 2026 Member Profile that the typical REALTOR® received 28% of business from past clients and customers.
That makes sense to me.
The longer you're in the business, the more relationships you should have.
But those relationships don't stay strong automatically just because the transaction is sitting in your CRM.
A database remembers the closing.
The person remembers how you made them feel.
Those are two different things.
I'd rather be remembered before I'm needed
That's probably the simplest way I look at this.
I don't want the first time somebody hears from me in four years to be the week I discover they're thinking about selling.
By then, somebody else may already be in the conversation.
I'd rather stay familiar enough that when real estate comes back into their life, calling me still feels natural.
Not because I've been constantly marketing to them.
Because the relationship never completely disappeared.
Common QuestionsDoes a Google Business Profile really matter if most of my business is referrals?
I think so.
A referral often leads to a search. Your profile helps confirm who you are, where you work, and whether you're still active.
How often should I contact past clients?
I don't think there's one schedule that works for everybody.
I'd rather have fewer meaningful conversations than a calendar full of touches that feel automatic.
What if I haven't talked to someone in years?
Just start normally.
You don't need a clever script.
Catch up.
Find out what's changed.
A relationship doesn't have to restart with a sales question.
Where this leaves you
A good closing matters.
But it doesn't guarantee the next call.
What happens after the transaction matters too.
If people can still find you, still recognize you, and still remember why they trusted you, you give that relationship a much better chance of continuing.
That's the part I think we underestimate.
A personal note
This is one of the reasons I'm interested in what Shane Chase is bringing to Fuel the Finish.
Shane works with Oggvo and spends a lot of time helping Realtors think about two things that really belong together: being found when somebody searches for you and staying connected after you've already earned the client.
I think that's an important conversation.
A good reputation shouldn't disappear just because the transaction closed.
Shane will be digging deeper into that in Bellevue this September.
If you'd like to join us, you're welcome to come.
Fuel the Finish 2026:
https://www.eventcreate.com/e/fuel-the-finish-seattle-2026
For me, the question is simple:
If a client you helped five years ago needed an agent tomorrow, would coming back to you still feel natural?
With Gratitude,
~ Teddy Lim
eXp Realty
www.tlimre.com
http://www.calendly.com/book-a-call-or-zoom
Sources
Google Business Profile Help, Tips to Improve Your Local Ranking on Google:
https://support.google.com/business/answer/7091
National Association of REALTORS®, 2026 Member Profile Overview:
https://www.nar.realtor/news/real-estate-news/even-in-a-tougher-market-realtors-are-holding-their-ground
Oggvo:
https://www.oggvo.com/
Shane Chase, Oggvo:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-chase-591810189
Fuel the Finish 2026:
https://www.eventcreate.com/e/fuel-the-finish-seattle-2026
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